12 Common Symptoms Of Pneumonia

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Pneumonia is a lung infection that inflames the air sacs in either one or both lungs. These air sacs can fill up with fluid or pus, which can cause fever, chills, or a cough with phlegm or pus, that can make it difficult to breathe, causing a lack of oxygen to reach the bloodstream. It is caused by a number of organisms such as bacteria, fungi, or viruses, which can also be passed on from one person to another.

Although some cases are mild, such as walking pneumonia where patients don’t even know they are sick, there can also be extremely life-threatening cases that require time in the hospital to get resolved. This is usually the case for people 65 and above, or infants below two years old, because these age groups do not have a strong enough immune system to fight it.

Notably, there are a number of lifestyle habits that are linked to pneumonia, like drinking too much alcohol or smoking cigarettes. And many times, the signs and symptoms of pneumonia tend to be similar to those of having the flu or a cold, except they can be stronger and last longer. These symptoms can also come on gradually, or they can progress suddenly as well.

In the United States, approximately 100 million adults are hospitalized for pneumonia every year, while 50,000 actually die because of it. Notably, it is also the second most common reason why people get admitted into the hospital, as well as the most common reason why children are hospitalized in the United States. Seniors that are hospitalized due to pneumonia are at a much higher risk of death than any of the other top reasons for hospitalization.

To better understand this disease, in this article, we will look at 12 common symptoms of pneumonia.

1. Fever

One of the most common symptoms of pneumonia is having a fever. A fever is when someone’s body temperature is higher than normal. According to John Hopkins Medicine, a fever is when someone has a temperature of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher. This is usually brought about when your body is attempting to kill a virus or bacteria in the body that’s causing the infection. Although some patients do not experience very high fevers with pneumonia, when it is accompanied by other symptoms such as a phlegmy cough, difficulty breathing, and major congestion and chest pain, make sure to consult a medical professional to see if it could be due to pneumonia.