Select your location to view local American Lung Association events and news near you. Our service is free and we are here to help you. Learn About Pneumonia. Section Menu. What Is Pneumonia? What Causes Pneumonia? What Are the Risk Factors? Medical conditions Chronic lung diseases such as COPD , bronchiectasis , or cystic fibrosis that make the lungs more vulnerable. Other serious chronic illnesses, such as heart disease, diabetes and sickle cell disease.
Difficulty swallowing, due to stroke, dementia, Parkinson's disease, or other neurological conditions, which can result in aspiration of food, vomit or saliva into the lungs that then becomes infected. Recent viral respiratory infection—a cold, laryngitis, influenza , etc. Hospitalization, especially when in intensive care and using a ventilator to breathe.
Health behaviors Cigarette smoking, which damages the lungs. Drug and alcohol abuse, which increase the risk of aspiration pneumonia. Environment Exposure to certain chemicals, pollutants or toxic fumes, including secondhand smoke.
These can be very serious and even deadly. Your risk, treatment, and recovery time depend on what caused the infection, your age, and any additional health issues you had before getting pneumonia. A bacteria or virus enters the body through an airway. Once the infection gets into the lungs, inflammation causes air sacs, called alveoli, to fill up with fluid or pus.
This can lead to trouble breathing, coughing, and coughing up yellow or brown mucus. Breathing may feel more difficult or shallow. You may experience chest pain when you take a deeper breath. The buildup of fluid in and around the lungs leads to more complications. Fluid that collects in one area is called an abscess. Fluid that forms between the covering of the lungs and inner lining of the chest wall is called a pleural effusion.
An infected pleural effusion will need to be drained. A chest tube is usually used to do this. If the infection and fluid buildup get severe enough, it can stop the lungs from doing their job. When the lungs are unable to add oxygen to the blood and remove carbon dioxide at the correct levels, respiratory failure can occur. Signs of respiratory failure include:. It can be treated with oxygen therapy or by using a ventilator, which is a machine that supports breathing.
One of the earlier signs of pneumonia caused by bacteria is a fast heartbeat. This may be linked to a high fever. A pneumonia infection can spread from the lungs into the bloodstream. This is a serious complication. It can reach other major organs and result in organ damage or even death. The spread of bacteria through the blood is called bacteremia. Its potentially deadly result is called septic shock. The lungs are responsible for adding oxygen to the blood and removing excess carbon dioxide.
If they are unable to do this, your major organs can get too much carbon dioxide and not enough oxygen. If not treated, this will also lead to organ damage and failure. Learn more. Pneumonia is an infection of one or both of the lungs caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi. It is a serious infection in which the air sacs fill with pus and other liquid. The main types of pneumonia are:. Bacterial pneumonia. This type is caused by various bacteria. The most common is Streptococcus pneumoniae.
It usually occurs when the body is weakened in some way, such as by illness, poor nutrition, old age, or impaired immunity, and the bacteria are able to work their way into the lungs.
Bacterial pneumonia can affect all ages, but you are at greater risk if you abuse alcohol, smoke cigarettes, are debilitated, have recently had surgery, have a respiratory disease or viral infection, or have a weakened immune system. Viral pneumonia. This type is caused by various viruses, including the flu influenza , and is responsible for about one-third of all pneumonia cases.
You may be more likely to get bacterial pneumonia if you have viral pneumonia. Mycoplasma pneumonia. This type has somewhat different symptoms and physical signs and is referred to as atypical pneumonia. It is caused by the bacterium Mycoplasma pneumoniae. It generally causes a mild, widespread pneumonia that affects all age groups. Other pneumonias. There are other less common pneumonias that may be caused by other infections including fungi.
Early symptoms of viral pneumonia are the same as those of bacterial pneumonia, which may be followed by:. Mycoplasma pneumonia has somewhat different symptoms, which include a severe cough that may produce mucus.
Diagnosis is usually made based on your recent health history such as surgery, a cold, or travel exposures and the extent of the illness. Based on these factors, your healthcare provider may diagnose pneumonia simply on a thorough history and physical exam.
The following tests may be used to confirm the diagnosis:. Chest X-ray. This test takes pictures of internal tissues, bones, and organs, including the lungs. Blood tests. This test may be used to see whether infection is present and if infection has spread to the bloodstream blood cultures. Arterial blood gas testing checks the amount of oxygen in your bloodstream. Sputum culture. This test is done on the material that is coughed up from the lungs and into the mouth.
Pulse oximetry.
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