Streptococcus pneumoniae or pneumococcus is a type of bacteria that causes pneumococcal disease. These pneumococcus bacteria can cause several kinds of illnesses — some mild and some very serious.
Because pneumococcal infections can become life-threatening, getting medical care early is important and can save your life. Find out how pneumococcal infections are treated and when to call the doctor.
Pneumococcal Infection Treatments
Your pneumococcal infection treatment depends on the location of your infection and if it’s mild or serious:
These pneumococcal infections often clear up with antibiotics. You can also help ease your symptoms using rest and other at-home treatments.
Antibiotics are medicines that kill the bacteria directly or stop them from multiplying so your immune system can finish the job. Many serious infections also need hospital care, and some may require surgery.
How to Treat Mild Pneumococcal Infections
Antibiotics treat most pneumococcal infections to help kill the bacteria in your body. But your specific treatment plan will depend on where the pneumococcus bacteria infects your body.
Middle ear infection (otitis media)
Ear infections caused by pneumococcus bacteria often need antibiotics to get better. Your doctor will likely prescribe an antibiotic, but you can treat your symptoms of pain and discomfort at home. You can try to:
- Place a warm cloth against your ear
- Take acetaminophen or ibuprofen, which also bring down a fever
If your symptoms aren’t getting better after two days, let your doctor know. They can do more tests to find out what’s causing the problem.
Conjunctivitis (pink eye)
Although a virus commonly causes conjunctivitis in adults, the pneumococcus bacteria often causes pink eye in kids.
Your child’s doctor will treat the pink eye with an antibiotic drop with fluoroquinolones or polymyxin B plus trimethoprim. You’ll put antibiotic drops in their eyes two to four times a day for 7-10 days.
If your child’s eye infection isn’t going away, tell your doctor. They’ll probably give them an oral antibiotic, too.
Sinus infections (sinusitis)
Many sinus infections are from a virus and improve on their own in two to three weeks. But if your doctor suspects sinusitis, they’ll prescribe an antibiotic like amoxicillin.
Your doctor may also prescribe a steroid nasal spray to bring down swelling inside your sinuses.
If your symptoms continue to worsen, tell your doctor. They’ll likely refer you to an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist who can:
- Run more tests like a CT scan to check the structures inside your nose.
- Prescribe stronger antibiotics.
- Prescribe other nasal sprays to help.
Bronchitis (inflammation of the airways)
Viruses commonly cause bronchitis and antibiotics aren’t needed. But if you have lung disease or other risk factors, you can get pneumococcal bronchitis.
With pneumococcus infection, your doctor will likely prescribe antibiotics for your bronchitis.
Sometimes bronchitis can turn into pneumonia if the infection spreads deeper into your lungs.
If you are aware, you can prepare. Try to stay up to date with vaccinations and look for signs of pneumonia. This can help you get quick treatment and prevent complications.
How to Treat Serious Pneumococcal Infections
For serious pneumococcal infections, your doctor will likely do a blood culture. This test finds the type of pneumococcal bacteria in your body.
Your doctor can choose a targeted antibiotic to specifically kill the bacteria infecting your body.
Pneumonia (infection of the air sacs in the lungs)
Your treatment for pneumococcal pneumonia depends on how serious your infection gets. Pneumonia can be mild, but some people have a higher risk for life-threatening infection.
For milder pneumonia, your doctor will likely prescribe:
- An antibiotic like amoxicillin, amoxicillin plus clavulanate, or doxycycline
- Rest
- Lots of fluids like to stay hydrated
- Staying away from smoke to allow your lungs to heal
- Tylenol or ibuprofen to ease pain and fever
- Not taking cough medicine to help you cough up the infection from your lungs
You can also try to drink warm liquids (drinks or soups) and use a humidifier to help you breathe easier — the moist air helps open your airways.
Most people begin to improve after three days, but full recovery can take up to three months. If you don’t get better after three days or your symptoms get worse, contact your doctor. They’ll do an exam, order more tests, and check to see if you need hospital treatment.
If your pneumonia is more serious, you’ll be treated in the hospital.
It can take time to recover from pneumonia. Give yourself time to heal and don’t rush. Listen to your body and get plenty of rest.
Meningitis (infection of the lining around the brain and spinal cord)
Get medical care right away if you or a loved one has pneumococcal meningitis. This life-threatening condition needs urgent hospital care. And quick can prevent life-threatening complications.
In the hospital, your doctor can closely monitor your condition for several days or weeks. Even after you go home, it can take time to feel normal again. Give yourself time to heal and rest often.
Bacteremia (bloodstream infection)
When pneumococcal bacteria enter your bloodstream, the infection is called bacteremia. If not treated, bacteremia can trigger a body-wide inflammatory response called sepsis. Sepsis can lead to organ failure and death.
With bacteremia, your doctor can prescribe antibiotics to prevent sepsis, if treated early. Your doctor may change or add an antibiotic after your blood culture identifies the bacteria.
Research shows that combination antibiotic therapy — two antibiotics at the same time — can speed recovery. But doctors don’t agree on how long to prescribe antibiotics.
Recent studies show that short, five- to 10-day courses of antibiotics are just as effective as longer ones. Your doctor will also drain any abscesses.
If your infection gets worse, you can get other complications or sepsis. Sepsis is an emergency, so get medical treatment right away.
Osteomyelitis
Pneumococcal bacteria infect different bones in adults and children. The bacteria infect the larger bones of the arm (humerus) and thigh (femur) in children. In adults, pneumococcus often infects the vertebrae, your spinal bones.
Septic Arthritis
Septic arthritis caused by pneumococcal bacteria is uncommon. But if you’ve had a joint replacement, you're at higher risk for IPD.
To check, your doctor will take a small amount of joint fluid (needle aspiration). The lab can culture the sample from your infected joint to identify the bacteria and the antibiotic that works best to kill it.
Antibiotic Resistance
Antibiotic resistance means the bacteria “resists” the medicine and can grow even when you take your medicine. You’re more likely to get a resistant infection if you:
- Recently took antibiotics
- Work in or attend a childcare center
- Have a weakened immune system
- Were recently hospitalized
Antibiotic resistance is common for pneumococcal disease, especially pneumococcal pneumonia. Your doctor uses a special test to identify the best antibiotic to kill your specific strain. The test is called antibiotic susceptibility testing, also called antibiotic sensitivity testing.
They’ll collect a sample of fluid from your:
- Vein (blood)
- Space between your spine and protective lining (cerebrospinal fluid)
- Joint (synovial fluid)
The lab cultures (grows) the bacteria from a sample and tests different antibiotics. They’ll tell your doctor which antibiotics best kill your pneumococcus bacteria.
Then, your doctor will choose a targeted antibiotic to treat your pneumococcal infection. This antibiotic can kill the bacteria and help you recover faster.
Which Antibiotics Treat Pneumococcal Infections?
The choice of antibiotic depends on several things like the infection type, how serious it is, your age, and antibiotic resistance.
How to Prevent Pneumococcal Infections
The best way to prevent pneumococcal disease is to get vaccinated. The vaccine can protect you from many pneumococcal strains (types) that are resistant to antibiotics, too.
There are two main types of pneumococcal vaccines:
- Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV15, PCV20, PCV21)
- Pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23)
The number after the vaccine name tells you how many types of pneumococcal bacteria the vaccine can protect against.
For example, the PPSV23 vaccine can protect about 60 to 70 adults out of 100 from invasive pneumococcal disease caused by 23 types of pneumococcus.
Talk to your doctor about vaccination
Your doctor can review your medical history and help you choose the best pneumococcal vaccine.
Consider asking your doctor:
- Which pneumococcal vaccine is right for me?
- Which pneumococcal vaccine do I need if I’ve already had one before?
- I’ve never had a pneumococcal vaccine, which one would you suggest?
- What are the potential side effects of the vaccine? How can I manage them?
- Should I get the vaccine at 50 years old or wait till I’m 65 years old?
- Can I get the pneumococcal vaccine with my flu and COVID shots?
- Does my child need the pneumococcal vaccine?
- Can my child get the pneumococcal vaccine along with their regular vaccines?
- Is it safe for my child to get the pneumococcal and flu vaccines at the same time? If so, is there a risk for a high fever?
Treating pneumococcal disease early can help you recover faster and prevent complications. The best way to prevent infection is vaccination. Getting your pneumococcal vaccination on time can keep both you and your loved ones safe.
Show Sources
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SOURCES:
Cleveland Clinic: “Pneumococcal Disease,” “Bacteremia.”
CDC: “Pneumococcal Disease Symptoms and Complications,” “Caring for patients with sepsis,” “Preventing and Treating Ear Infections,” “Antibiotic-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae,” “About Pneumococcal Disease,” “Pneumococcal Vaccination.”
NHS Inform: “Middle ear infection (otitis media),” “Sinusitis,” “Bronchitis,” “Pneumonia,” “Meningitis,” “Pneumococcal infections.”
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American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine: “Combination Antibiotic Therapy Lowers Mortality among Severely Ill Patients with Pneumococcal Bacteremia.”
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Open Forum Infectious Diseases: “Short Versus Long Antibiotic Duration in Streptococcus pneumoniae Bacteremia.”
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National Foundation for Infectious Diseases: “Pneumococcal Disease.”
Medline Plus: “Antipyrine-Benzocaine Otic.”
Merck Manual Professional Edition: “Treatment of Acute Bacterial Conjunctivitis,” “Bacteremia.”
NYU Langone Health: “Surgery for Osteomyelitis.”
American Family Physician: “Osteomyelitis: Diagnosis and Treatment,” “Septic Arthritis: Diagnosis and Treatment.”
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American Lung Association: “Pneumonia Treatment and Recovery.”
