The time taken for recovery in any ailment completely depends on your body’s immune system. The usual measure for when can you return to work or start stressing your body after a bout of pneumonia, is when your body temperature is completely normal again and when you stop coughing up fluid or when the breathing is wheeze-free – or when you don’t have any more fluid in your lungs. This is very important because pneumonia that relapses would be more severe and resistant to the drugs you took in the first place. Besides pneumonia incited by a viral attack could lead to adverse consequences if the disease relapses.
Pneumonia is the nomenclature used to describe the situation where the lungs are inflamed, and as with all inflammations, the surrounding tissue secretes mucus and fluid to prevent further tissue damage from the invading pathogens. The white blood cells present in these fluids of the body then attack and destroy the invading pathogens. This is usually a perfect situation except that all this activity takes place in the lungs – the last place that fluid should accumulate, and this why the characteristic coughing out of sputum from deep within. Treating pneumonia involves using appropriate antimicrobial medicine; so, for a bacterial infection – use antibiotics, for a fungal infection – antifungal medicine is administered and similarly antiviral medication – though the only mechanism to fight viruses is to allow the body to fight the pathogen. Note that not completing your course of medicine or stressing the body out before the pneumonia has completely cleared up will cause a severe relapse and a possible trip to the Intensive Care Unit.
Since you are on the path to recovery, you might want to clear up your lungs using some home remedies just to speed the process along. These should not really interfere with the existing medicine and in fact will compliment the treatment. Soups that include chili, pepper, and ginger have great anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and sometimes even antipyretic properties (reducing the body temperature). These should be the start to every meal and will provide immediate relief until the end of the meal, thus giving you an opportunity to rest. Another treatment tip to note is that the more you rest, the faster you recover. Most of the body’s healing takes place during this time and many of the fevers that you have to go through as part of the body’s fight against disease can only be tolerated in your sleep.