Answer #1

Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs that may involve one or both lungs. It is mainly caused by different microorganisms which include viruses, bacteria, or rarely, parasites or fungi. But the most common causative agent is Streptococcus pneumoniae. Pneumonia is a common type of infection; it occurs more commonly in men than women as well as in smokers than non-smokers. This type of lung infection can be potentially life-threatening. The condition can be more serious in patients who are 60 years and older, those that have a compromised immune system, or those who suffer from chronic illnesses. However, it does not mean that it cannot affect healthy persons or young patients because it can. Pneumonia can be mild or severe, and this condition usually comes secondary to an existing disease. It can be hard to treat pneumonia because of the development of drug-resistant strains of bacteria. Atypical pneumonia, or commonly referred to as walking pneumonia, is another type of condition that is different from the regular pneumonia. How does walking pneumonia differ from regular pneumonia?
Walking pneumonia is simply a mild form of regular pneumonia. A person that has this condition does not appear sickly as a person who suffers from regular pneumonia. In addition, patients with walking pneumonia can still manage to walk around, hence the term. Patients may still feel sick, but the symptoms are not as severe. There are different causes of walking pneumonia, including different types of viruses and bacteria. The most common causative agent of this particular form of pneumonia is Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Walking pneumonia, or atypical pneumonia, accounts for 20 percent of cases in high school and middle school students, and around 50 percent of them are college students.

Although walking pneumonia and regular pneumonia share similarities, they still have some differences. For instance, the symptoms of walking pneumonia are not as severe as regular pneumonia, and they usually subside over time. Patients with walking pneumonia do not require hospitalizations or being bedridden as in the case of regular pneumonia. Walking pneumonia is usually treated with common antibiotics, such as Doxycylcine, Tetracycline, and Erythromycin. On the other hand, regular pneumonia is treated depending on the causative agent, whether it is caused by bacteria, viruses, parasites, or fungi. Not all cases of regular pneumonia are always treated with antibiotics.

Both walking and regular pneumonia are relatively contagious. This means that if you are exposed to patients who have pneumonia and are exhibiting the common symptoms (cough, cold, fatigue, and the like), it’s best to seek immediate medical care so proper treatment can be given accordingly.

Summary:

Symptoms of walking pneumonia may be the same as regular pneumonia, which include cough, fatigue, and headache, but these symptoms tend to be less serious.
Symptoms of walking pneumonia usually clear up in a few days; regular pneumonia symptoms may persist for longer periods of time.
Both regular pneumonia and walking pneumonia can be caused by different types of bacteria and viruses.
The main causative agent of walking pneumonia is Mycoplasma pneumoniae, while regular pneumonia is generally caused by the bacterium, Streptococcus pneumoniae.
Antibiotics, such as Tetracycline, Erythromycin, and Doxycycline are usually employed to treat walking pneumonia, while treatment for regular pneumonia only depends on the type of causative agent.
Regular pneumonia is not always treated with antibiotics.
The key difference to both conditions is that walking pneumonia is not as serious as regular pneumonia in that it does not impair patients’ ability to be ambulatory. Patients do not need to remain in bed most of the time. Unlike walking pneumonia, a patient who suffers from regular pneumonia cannot move about and may need to stay in bed to recuperate.

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