Your classmate complains of headache and cough. The doctor confirms that he is suffering from Pneumonia and not common cold, on the basis of certain symptoms. List these symptoms. Mention any two precautions to be followed to prevent the spread of this disease.

Pneumonia is a bacterial disease caused by two types of bacteria, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophillus influenzae. It is the disease of the lungs in which these bacteria infects the alveoli causing infection in the lungs. The alveoli and bronchioles get filled with a infectious fluid which causes problem in respiration.

The symptoms of pneumonia are :

1. There are frequent fever, chills, dehydration, fatigue, lot of sweating, patient loses his/her appetite and the skin becomes cold, slightly wet and sticky in an unpleasant way.

2. There can be sharp pain in the chest.

3. As this disease affects the respiration, there might be changes in the rate of breathing like fast, shallow or short.

4. As fluid accumulates in the lungs, while coughing a lot of mucus comes out which might even contain blood.

The spread of pneumonia can be prevented as :

1. Taking a flu shot yearly can prevent seasonal infection.

2. The person suffering from this disease should be given everything separately to use like towels, water bottles, clothes etc as the infection spreads easily.

3. When an infected person is coughing one should stay away as infection can spread through the droplets.

4. The infected person should keep himself clean and should wash hands regularly.