Pneumonia (patient information)
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What is Pneumonia?
Pneumonia is a respiratory condition in which there is inflammation of the lung. Community-acquired pneumonia refers to pneumonia in people who have not recently been in the hospital or another health care facility (nursing home, rehabilitation facility).
What are the symptoms of Pneumonia?
The most common symptoms of pneumonia are:
- Cough (with some pneumonias you may cough up greenish or yellow mucus, or even bloody mucus)
- Fever, which may be mild or high
- Shaking chills
- Shortness of breath (may only occur when you climb stairs)
Additional symptoms include:
- Sharp or stabbing chest pain that gets worse when you breathe deeply or cough
- Headache
- Excessive sweating and clammy skin
- Loss of appetite, low energy, and fatigue
- Confusion, especially in older people
What causes Pneumonia?
Pneumonia is a common illness that affects millions of people each year in the United States. Germs called bacteria, viruses, and fungi may cause pneumonia.
Ways you can get pneumonia include: *Bacteria and viruses living in your nose, sinuses, or mouth may spread to your lungs. *You may breathe some of these germs directly into your lungs. *You breathe in (inhale) food, liquids, vomit, or secretions from the mouth into your lungs (aspiration pneumonia)
Pneumonia caused by bacteria tends to be the most serious. In adults, bacteria are the most common cause of pneumonia.
- The most common pneumonia-causing germ in adults is Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus).
- Atypical pneumonia, often called walking pneumonia, is caused by bacteria such as Legionella pneumophila, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and Chlamydophila pneumoniae.
- Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia is sometimes seen in people whose immune system is impaired (due to AIDS or certain medications that suppress the immune system).
- Staphylococcus aureus, Moraxella catarrhalis, Streptococcus pyogenes, Neisseria meningitidis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, or Haemophilus influenzae are other bacteria that can cause pneumonia.
- Tuberculosis can cause pneumonia in some people, especially those with a weak immune system.
Viruses are also a common cause of pneumonia, especially in infants and young children.
See also: Respiratory syncytial virus
Who is at risk for Pneumonia?
Risk factors (conditions that increase your chances of getting pneumonia) include:
- Cigarette smoking
- Recent viral respiratory infection (common cold, laryngitis, influenza)
- Difficulty swallowing (due to stroke, dementia, Parkinson's disease, or other neurological conditions)
- Chronic lung disease (COPD, bronchiectasis, cystic fibrosis)
- Cerebral palsy
- Other serious illnesses, such as heart disease, liver cirrhosis, or diabetes mellitus
- Living in a nursing facility
- Impaired consciousness (loss of brain function due to dementia, stroke, or other neurologic conditions)
- Recent surgery or trauma
- Immune system problem
How do I know I have Pneumonia?
If you have pneumonia, you may be working hard to breathe, or breathing fast.
Crackles are heard when listening to your chest with a stethoscope. Other abnormal breathing sounds may also be heard through the stethoscope or via percussion (tapping on your chest wall).
The health care provider will likely order a chest x-ray if pneumonia is suspected.
Some patients may need other tests, including: *CBC to check white blood cell count *Arterial blood gases to see if enough oxygen is getting into your blood from the lungs *CT scan of the chest *Gram's stain and culture of your sputum to look for the organism causing your symptoms *Pleural fluid culture if there is fluid in the space surrounding the lungs
When to seek urgent medical care
Treatment options
Diseases with similar symptoms
Where to find medical care for Pneumonia
Directions to Hospitals Treating Pneumonia
Prevention of Pneumonia
What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)
Sources
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/bells/detail_bells.htm#109613050