05/05/2023
Everything You Need to Know About Pneumonia
1. ๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐ฎ๐ฆ๐จ๐ง๐ข๐?
Pneumonia is an infection in your lungs caused by bacteria, viruses or fungi. Pneumonia causes your lung tissue to swell (inflammation) and can cause fluid or pus in your lungs. Bacterial pneumonia is usually more severe than viral pneumonia, which often resolves on its own.
Pneumonia can affect one or both lungs. Pneumonia in both of your lungs is called bilateral or double pneumonia.
2. ๐๐ก๐๐ญโ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ฐ๐๐๐ง ๐ฏ๐ข๐ซ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐ฎ๐ฆ๐จ๐ง๐ข๐?
While all pneumonia is inflammation caused by an infection in your lungs, you may have different symptoms depending on whether the root cause is a virus, bacteria or fungi.
Bacterial pneumonia tends to be more common and more severe than viral pneumonia. Itโs more likely to require a hospital stay. Providers treat bacterial pneumonia with antibiotics. Viral pneumonia causes flu-like symptoms and is more likely to resolve on its own. You usually donโt need specific treatment for viral pneumonia.
3. ๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ญ๐ฒ๐ฉ๐๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐ฎ๐ฆ๐จ๐ง๐ข๐?
We categorize pneumonia by which pathogen (virus, bacteria or fungi) caused it and how you got it โ community-acquired, hospital-acquired or ventilator-associated pneumonia.
* Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP)
When you get pneumonia outside of a healthcare facility, itโs called community-acquired pneumonia. Causes include:
- Bacteria: Infection with Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria, also called pneumococcal disease, is the most common cause of CAP. Pneumococcal disease can also cause ear infections, sinus infections and meningitis. Mycoplasma pneumoniae bacteria causes atypical pneumonia, which usually has milder symptoms. Other bacteria that cause CAP include Haemophilus influenza, Chlamydia pneumoniae and Legionella (Legionnairesโ disease).
- Viruses: Viruses that cause the common cold, the flu (influenza), COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) can sometimes lead to pneumonia.
- Fungi (molds): Fungi, like Cryptococcus, Pneumocystis jirovecii and Coccidioides, are uncommon causes of pneumonia. People with compromised immune systems are most at risk of getting pneumonia from a fungus.
- Protozoa: Rarely, protozoa like Toxoplasma cause pneumonia.
* ๐๐จ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ข๐ญ๐๐ฅ-๐๐๐ช๐ฎ๐ข๐ซ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐ฎ๐ฆ๐จ๐ง๐ข๐ (๐๐๐)
You can get hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) while in a hospital or healthcare facility for another illness or procedure. HAP is usually more serious than community-acquired pneumonia because itโs often caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria, like methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). This means HAP can make you sicker and be harder to treat.
* ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ญ๐ก๐๐๐ซ๐-๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐จ๐๐ข๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐ฎ๐ฆ๐จ๐ง๐ข๐ (๐๐๐๐)
You can get HCAP while in a long-term care facility (such as a nursing home) or outpatient, extended-stay clinics. Like hospital-acquired pneumonia, itโs usually caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
* ๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ-๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐จ๐๐ข๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐ฎ๐ฆ๐จ๐ง๐ข๐ (๐๐๐)
If you need to be on a respirator or breathing machine to help you breathe in the hospital (usually in the ICU), youโre at risk for ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). The same types of bacteria as community-acquired pneumonia, as well as the drug-resistant kinds that cause hospital-acquired pneumonia, cause VAP.
* ๐๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ข๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐ฎ๐ฆ๐จ๐ง๐ข๐
Aspiration is when solid food, liquids, spit or vomit go down your trachea (windpipe) and into your lungs. If you canโt cough these up, your lungs can get infected.
3. ๐๐ก๐จ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ญ ๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐ค ๐จ๐ ๐ ๐๐ญ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐ฎ๐ฆ๐จ๐ง๐ข๐?
Youโre at an increased risk of pneumonia if you:
- Are over the age of 65 and or under the age of 2.
- Are living with a lung or heart condition. Examples include cystic fibrosis, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema, pulmonary fibrosis or sarcoidosis.
- Are living with a neurological condition that makes swallowing difficult. Conditions like dementia, Parkinsonโs disease and stroke increase your risk of aspiration pneumonia.
- Are in the hospital or at a long-term care facility.
- Smoke.
- Are pregnant.
Have a weakened immune system. You might have a weakened immune system if youโre on chemotherapy, are an organ transplant recipient, are living with HIV/AIDS or are taking medications that suppress your immune system.
4. ๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐จ๐ง ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐ฎ๐ฆ๐จ๐ง๐ข๐?
Anyone can get pneumonia. Itโs a common illness, with millions of people diagnosed each year in the United States. About 55,000 people die each year of pneumonia in the U.S. Itโs the most common cause of death in developing countries.
5. ๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ ๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐ฒ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ญ๐จ๐ฆ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐ฎ๐ฆ๐จ๐ง๐ข๐?
Symptoms of pneumonia depend on the cause. Symptoms can range from mild to severe. Babies, young children and older adults may have different symptoms.
* ๐ฆ๐๐บ๐ฝ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฝ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐บ๐ผ๐ป๐ถ๐ฎ
Symptoms of bacterial pneumonia can develop gradually or suddenly. Symptoms include:
- High fever (up to 105 F or 40.55 C).
- Cough with yellow, green or bloody mucus.
- Tiredness (fatigue).
- Rapid breathing.
- Shortness of breath.
- Rapid heart rate.
- Sweating or chills.
- Chest pain and/or abdominal pain, especially with coughing or deep breathing.
- Loss of appetite.
- Bluish skin, lips or nails (cyanosis).
- Confusion or altered mental state.
*๐ฆ๐๐บ๐ฝ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฝ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐บ๐ผ๐ป๐ถ๐ฎ
Symptoms of viral pneumonia usually develop over several days. You might have symptoms similar to bacterial pneumonia or you might additionally have:
- Dry cough.
- Headache.
- Muscle pain.
- Extreme tiredness or weakness.
* ๐๐ฒ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ญ๐จ๐ฆ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐ฎ๐ฆ๐จ๐ง๐ข๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐๐ง
Babies and newborns may not show any symptoms of pneumonia or their symptoms may be different from adults, including:
- Fever, chills, general discomfort, sweating/flushed skin.
- Cough.
- Difficulty breathing or rapid breathing (tachypnea).
- Loss of appetite.
- Vomiting.
- Lack of energy.
- Restlessness or fussiness.
- Signs you can look for in babies and young children include:
Grunting sound with breathing or noisy breathing.
- A decreased amount of p*e or diapers that are less wet.
- Pale skin.
- Limpness.
- Crying more than usual.
- Difficulty feeding.
* ๐๐ฒ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ญ๐จ๐ฆ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐ฎ๐ฆ๐จ๐ง๐ข๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ ๐๐
Adults over 65 or those with weakened immune systems may have mild or less noticeable symptoms of pneumonia (like cough and shortness of breath). Symptoms of ongoing health conditions may worsen. Older adults may experience:
- A sudden change in mental state.
- Low appetite.
- Fatigue.
6. ๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐ฎ๐ฆ๐จ๐ง๐ข๐?
Pneumonia can develop when your immune system attacks an infection in the small sacs of your lung (alveoli). This causes your lungs to swell and leak fluids.
Many bacteria, viruses and fungi can cause the infections that lead to pneumonia. Bacteria are the most common cause in adults and viruses are the most common cause in school-aged children. Common illnesses that can lead to pneumonia include:
- Common cold (rhinovirus).
- COVID-19 (SARS-COV-2).
- The flu (influenza virus).
- Human metapneumovirus (HMPV).
- Human parainfluenza virus (HPIV).
- Legionnairesโ disease.
- Mycoplasma pneumonia bacteria.
- Pneumococcal disease.
- Pneumocystis pneumonia.
- Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
7. ๐๐ ๐ฝ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐บ๐ผ๐ป๐ถ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐ด๐ถ๐ผ๐๐?
Pneumonia itself isnโt actually contagious, but the bacteria and viruses that cause it are. For instance, the flu is contagious and can lead to pneumonia, but most people who get the flu wonโt get pneumonia.
The bacteria that most commonly causes pneumonia, Streptococcus pneumoniae, can be spread from person to person by touching infected surfaces or through coughing and sneezing.
Pneumonia caused by fungi isnโt contagious. Fungal infections arenโt spread from person to person like viruses and bacteria.
