Prevention:
~Practice good hygiene.
~Get an influenza shot each fall.
~Get a pneumonococcal vaccine. People who stand to benefit most from vaccination are those over the age 65; anyone with chronic health problems (such as diabetes, kidney disease, heart disease, etc.); anyone who has had their spleen removed; anyone living in a nursing home or chronic care facility; caregivers of the chronically ill (healthcare workers or family caregivers); children with chronic respiratory diseases (such as asthma), and anyone who has had pneumonia in the past (due to increased risk of reinfection). The pneumonococcal vaccine is 90 percent effective against the bacteria and protects against infection for five to 10 years.
~Practice good preventive measures by eating a proper diet, getting regular exercise and plenty of sleep.
~Do not smoke
Treatment:
~often treated with Antibiotics such as erythromycin, clarithromycin or azithromycin are effective treatment.
~However, because mycoplasma infection usually resolves on its own, antibiotic treatment of persons with mild symptoms is usually not necessary.
~ Erythromycin250mg PO four times a day or doxycycline 100mg PO twice-daily are traditional and inexpensive choices.
~Newer, more expensive drugs with excellent in vitro MIC's include: azithromycin 250mg PO once-daily, clarithromycin250mg PO q12h, levofloxacin 250mg PO once-daily, moxifloxacin 400mg PO once-daily.
