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Mycoplasma pneumonia is a specific cause of pneumonia. There are many individual bacteria that can cause a respiratory tract infection, known as pneumonia.Mycoplasma is in the category of "Community Acquired Pneumonia" meaning that it is more commonly caught out in pubic as compared to some forms of pneumonia that are more common in hospitals.Mycoplasma infections are generally considered to be a mild infection, although they can be quite difficult to treat and symptoms tend to linger for a long time if not taken care of properly.

Mycoplasma pneumonia is more common in a younger population, with people under the age of 40 being most commonly effected. Only a very small percentage of people who are exposed to themycoplasma bacteria will develop pneumonia. Many of those who do get an active infection will actually not show any symptoms of the disease.

It is sometimes hard to estimate what percentage of pneumonia in the community is caused by mycoplasma, but some estimates put the number near 50%, but likely a bit less. For reasons that are not known, this infection is more commonly found in men.

Symptoms of a mycoplasma infection are similar to other causes of pneumonia, although they often take a couple of weeks to appear. The most common symptoms include: fever, chills, shortness of breath, sweating, sore throat and possibly a headache. A cough is very common as well. Compared to many other forms of pneumonia, the cough with a mycoplasma infection tends to be dry and typically does not produce much phlegm or other greenish crud from your lungs.

It is also possible in some cases to have a rash on your skin that is associated with the pneumonia. Some patients will report earaches and wide-spread muscle aches as well.

Most cases of mycoplasma pneumonia in the community are found in the Summer or Fall, although the time of year is not definitive in all cases.

You doctor has several tests available to diagnose a mycoplasma infection. Most important to this diagnosis is the history presented by the patient, but it's always nice to have some actual investigations that can confirm the doctor's intuition. The most common test done is a chest x-ray. There is a specific pattern seen on a chest x-ray in most cases ofmycoplasma infection.

Also done commonly is a culture on any sputum you may cough up. To do this the doctor or nurse will take a sample of any junk you are coughing up and send it to a lab. At the lab, the put the sample on a plate and incubate it to try and grow any bacteria that may be in the sample. There are also blood tests that can be done to help make the diagnosis.Mycoplasma is notorious for being difficult to grow, often taking several weeks to get a good result.

Treatment for mycoplasma involves the use of antibiotics. The most commonly used antibiotics include, Erythromycin, Azithromycin, Clarithromycin, or a tetracycline.

Mycoplasma pneumonia is sometimes referred to as "walking pneumonia". This is not because the bacteria itself walks, but rather because people with the infection will walk about as if they are "just a little under the weather", but not completely bed-ridden. Some of the symptoms, most commonly the cough, can linger for a couple of months, even with treatment.

Learn more about this author, Erich Rosenberger M.D..
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