Mycoplasma pneumoniae

Pneumonia is a very common lower respiratory tract disease, and the factors that cause pneumonia are mostly bacterial or viral infections. For children, the virus that is most likely to cause pneumonia is mycoplasma, which is what we usually call Mycoplasma pneumoniae. There is a big difference in the treatment of Mycoplasma pneumoniae and pneumonia caused by other factors, that is, the use of penicillin is ineffective in treating this disease.

Mycoplasma pneumoniae is most likely to occur in autumn and winter. If the disease is not treated well, it will develop into asthma in the later stages, which will have a very serious impact on the future growth of children. Therefore, mothers must pay attention to the symptoms of Mycoplasma pneumoniae to protect the growth of their babies.

After Mycoplasma pneumoniae infects the human body, there is an incubation period of 2 to 3 weeks, followed by clinical manifestations. About 1/3 of cases may also be asymptomatic. It develops slowly, and in the early stages there are symptoms such as sore throat, headache, fever, fatigue, muscle aches, loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting. The fever is generally moderate, and obvious respiratory symptoms appear after 2 to 3 days, with paroxysmal irritating cough, which is more severe at night, and a small amount of sticky sputum or mucopurulent sputum, sometimes with blood in the sputum. There may also be difficulty breathing and chest pain. The fever may last for 2 to 3 weeks, and cough may still occur after the body temperature returns to normal.

Although patients with Mycoplasma pneumonia feel that their symptoms are severe, chest examination generally shows no obvious abnormal signs. There is mild nasal congestion and runny nose, and moderate pharyngeal congestion. The eardrum is often congested, and about 15% have myringitis. The cervical lymph nodes may be enlarged. A small amount of pleural effusion occurs in approximately 10% to 15% of cases.

In addition to respiratory system manifestations, Mycoplasma pneumoniae can be accompanied by multi-system and multi-organ damage. Skin lesions may manifest as maculopapular rash, erythema nodosum, vesicular rash, etc. Vomiting, diarrhea and liver damage may occur in the gastrointestinal system. Hemolytic anemia is a common blood system damage. Central nervous system damage may include multiple radiculitis, meningoencephalitis, and cerebellar damage. Cardiovascular system diseases occasionally include myocarditis and pericarditis.

Now that you know about Mycoplasma pneumoniae, if you want to prevent the disease, you must pay attention to exercising regularly, open windows for ventilation in autumn and winter to keep the indoor air fresh. If the temperature drops suddenly, be sure to add clothes to avoid catching a cold, which may lead to the occurrence of Mycoplasma pneumoniae.