Walking pneumonia, also known as atypical pneumonia is nowhere near as serious as its traditional counterpart. Of course, it does have one major similarity; like traditional pneumonia it involves an infection of the lung. But unlike traditional pneumonia it can be fought with simple antibiotics; no hospitalization is required. Yet, before you can get access to these antibiotics, you will need to get an official walking pneumonia diagnosis. This article will discuss five methods doctors use to derive a walking pneumonia diagnosis.

1. Evaluating the Physical Symptoms

The first method involved with a walking pneumonia diagnosis is simple but effective. The doctor will perform a thorough evaluation of their patient’s symptoms. This evaluation will involve the doctor taking steps that are typical for most physical exams. They will check all the major vital signs, (temperature, blood pressure, etc.), listen for abnormal lung activity through their stethoscope and ask the patient what they have been experiencing during the last few days.

2. Taking a Chest X-Ray

The chest X-ray portion of a walking pneumonia diagnosis is performed through an X-ray machine. X-Ray machines uses electromagnetic energy to help derive an image of what is going on inside one’s body. When using an X-ray in a walking pneumonia diagnosis, a doctor will look for anything on the lungs that may look abnormal. Doing such things also helps rule out more serious conditions, such as cancer.

3. Blood Test

In the blood test portion of a walking pneumonia diagnosis, doctors test a person’s white blood cells to see if they are within a normal range. If there are too many of them, a person probably has an infection, since the body’s first response is to amp up the white blood cell production to fight against the disease.

4. Blood Culture

When a doctor calls for a blood culture as part of a walking pneumonia diagnosis, he or she will have the blood sent to a lab where the technicians will try to grow bacteria or viruses from within the sample. From there they will be able to determine what is responsible for the disease.

5. Sputum Test

Sputum is mucous or phlegm that is expelled through the lungs into the mouth. At this juncture it gets mixed in with a person’s saliva. If a doctor decides to test sputum as a part of a walking pneumonia diagnosis, they will collect the material in a sterile container. It will then be evaluated to see what type of bacteria is responsible for the disease.

After following each of the above-mentioned steps, a doctor will be able to determine if a person does indeed have walking pneumonia. The next course of action involves prescription of antibiotics, as long as the person can handle them. Probiotics may be prescribed if antibiotics are too strong for a walking pneumonia sufferer. These use food-derived microbes to fight bacteria. Either way, you will usually need something ‘stronger’ to help fight a walking pneumonia infection. If you do not get medical treatment your body will probably be able to fight the disease itself, but the recovery process will be much longer and you will be contagious to anyone around you.