Diagnosing Pneumonia

Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs. Your lungs have 2 main parts: airways (also called bronchial tubes) and alveoli (also called air sacs). When you breathe, the air moves down through your airways and into your alveoli (say: "al-vee-oh-lie"). From the alveoli, oxygen goes into your blood while carbon dioxide moves out of your blood. When you have pneumonia, your alveoli get inflamed (irritated and swollen) and fill with fluid. This makes it difficult for you to breathe.

Pneumonia is usually caused by bacteria or a virus. It can also be caused by fungi or irritants that you breathe into your lungs.

Anyone can get pneumonia, but it is more likely to develop in someone who already has a weak immune system and can't fight off the infection.

People who are at an increased risk of pneumonia include the following:

The symptoms of pneumonia can range from mild to severe, depending on your risk factors and the type of pneumonia you have. Common symptoms are similar to the symptoms caused by a cold or the flu, which is why it’s often hard to tell if you have pneumonia or just a bad cold. They include the following:

You may also sweat, have a headache and feel very tired.

Sometimes, people who are at the greatest risk of developing pneumonia (see above for risk factors) have fewer or milder symptoms of pneumonia. This may make pneumonia hard to recognize in these populations. For example, people who are 65 years of age and older are less likely to run a fever when they have pneumonia. In fact, their temperature might even be a few degrees lower than normal.

Walking pneumonia is a mild case of pneumonia. It is often caused by a virus or by Mycoplasma pneumoniae. When you have walking pneumonia, your symptoms may not be as severe or last as long as someone who has a more serious case of pneumonia. You probably won’t need bed rest or to stay in the hospital when you have walking pneumonia.

Pneumonia can be life-threatening if left untreated, especially in people who smoke, have heart disease, or have lung problems, and in adults 65 years of age and older. You should call your doctor if you have a cough that won’t go away, shortness of breath, chest pain and a fever. You should also call your doctor if you suddenly begin to feel worse after having a cold or the flu.

Your doctor will diagnose pneumonia based on your medical history and the results from a physical exam. He or she will listen to your breathing to check for mucus in the lungs.

Your doctor may also need to do some tests, such as a chest X-ray, a blood test or a mucus test. A chest X-ray can show your doctor if you have pneumonia and how widespread the infection is. Blood and mucus tests can help your doctor tell whether bacteria, a virus or a fungal organism is causing your pneumonia.

Treatment depends on the type of pneumonia you have, how severe your symptoms are, how healthy you are overall and your age.

For bacterial pneumonia, your doctor will probably prescribe antibiotics. Most of your symptoms should improve within a few days, although a cough can last for several weeks. Be sure to follow your doctor's directions carefully. Take all the antibiotic medicine that your doctor prescribes. If you don't, some bacteria may stay in your body. This can cause your pneumonia to come back. It can also increase your risk of antibiotic resistance.

Antibiotics don't work to treat viral infections. If you have viral pneumonia, your doctor will likely talk to you about ways to treat your symptoms. Over-the-counter (OTC) medicines are available to lower fever, relieve pain and ease your cough. However, some coughing is okay because it can help clear your lungs. Be sure to talk to your doctor before you take a cough suppressant.

When you have any type of pneumonia, it's important to get lots of rest and drink plenty of fluids.