The earliest symptoms of pneumonia were described by Hippocrates (460 B.C-380B.C).
The definition was
Peripneumonia, and pleuritic affections, are to be thus observed: If fever is acute, and if there is pain on either side, or in both, and if there is frequent coughing, and the sputa expectorated be of a livid color or if blood appears in it, or if it is thin, frothy, or florid, or having any thing which is different from the common. When pneumonia is at the peak, the case is beyond any remedy if this is not got rid of, and it is bad if he has dyspnoea, and urine which is acrid and thin, if sweats come out about head or the neck, for such sweats are really worse, and are preceded from suffocation, rales, and the effects of the disease which is obtaining the upper hand”.
Hippocrates referred pneumonia as a disease which was named by ancients. He is also believed to be reporting the results of surgical drainage of the empyemas. Maimonides (1138-1204 A.D) was the one to observe the basic symptoms that occur in pneumonia which were never lacking symptoms like the sticking pain in t5he sides of body, acute fever and short rapid breaths, serrated pulses and acute cough. This description given at those times is a lot similar to the descriptions that are found these days in medical books. So this reflected the extent of knowledge these people had.
Edwin klebs was the first scientist to see the bacteria in the humans who died due to pneumonia. Carl Friedländer and Albert Frankel identified the main bacteria Streptococcus pneumonia and Klebsiella pneumoniae, which were the main bacteria behind the spreading of pneumonia. Friedländer introduced the first laboratory test the Gram stain for the detection of categorized bacteria causing pneumonia. This test came to light in 1884 and was useful in differentiating between the microorganisms causing it.
The father of medicinal science Sir William Osler found out the mortality and morbidity of pneumonia. In the year 1918 he described pneumonia as the “captain of the men of death”. Several developments were made in 1900’s and these improved the outcome results for those who suffered from pneumonia. With the increase in the modern scientific facilities, and the increase in intensive care the mortality rates have tremendously decreased among people and they have become aware of the causes and symptoms of pneumonia. Vaccination facilities and increase in medications have also helped in gaining the edge over the mortality rates.
Pneumonia’s medical history
Whenever you visit the doctor he or she may ask you the symptoms that you might have noticed, basically he wants to check whether you have:
A.Contracted a cough that produces mucus, known as the productive cough. You might be asked to give the cough sample for testing. A dry cough may give doctor a hint that your pneumonia is not caused by bacteria or virus.
B.He may be trying to find out whether there is any condition that might be making your immune system weak.
C.He may be trying to find that whether you have chest pain, sudden breathing change or even joint or muscular pain.
D.The doctor may look for any severe condition such as kidney failure and chronic liver disease or any heart disease.
E.Doctor may ask whether you have chronic pulmonary disease or even asthma.
F.Whether you have a change in your mental status or any other nervous tension or disorders.
There are a few other questions that the doctor may ask you like:
a)Whether you have a history of infections related to the upper respiratory tracts, which includes cold or coughing.
b)If you have been in contact with people having lung infections.
c)Did you have a recent injury that might have caused a rib fracture or a bone fracture?
d)He might ask you whether you are a regular or a chain smoker, or might ask you about your alcoholic habits if any.
e)Doctor may ask you whether you have been on a travel tour outside the country.
These questions may be few of them what the doctor might ask, just to check your symptoms and state of pneumonia.