It can take anywhere from a week to several months to fully recover from it," says Dr. Rayman Lee, pulmonologist at Houston Methodist. If you're generally healthy and have only a mild case of pneumonia, your symptoms should begin to improve one to two days after starting treatment. Pneumonia and its complications can wreak havoc on a person's lungs and body. And, it can take anywhere from one to six months for a person to recover and regain strength after being hospitalized for pneumonia.
The air sacs in your lungs become inflamed during pneumonia, leading to soreness and pain. If the infection and inflammation progress, your lungs may fill with fluid and dead lung tissue, leading to the green, yellow or even bloody mucus you cough up. This fluid may also affect how well oxygen is able to transfer into your bloodstream, leading to difficulty breathing.
If doctors think a person has pneumonia, they will do a physical exam and might order a chest X-ray and blood tests. People with bacterial or atypical pneumonia will probably be given antibiotics to take at home. The doctor also will recommend getting lots of rest and drinking plenty of fluids.
Some people with pneumonia need to be hospitalized to get better — usually babies, young kids, and people older than However, hospital care may be needed for a teen who:. When pneumonia patients are hospitalized, treatment might include intravenous IV antibiotics delivered through a needle inserted into a vein and respiratory therapy breathing treatments.
In more severe cases, people might need to go to the intensive care unit ICU. You may feel better in a room with a humidifier, which increases the moisture in the air and soothes irritated lungs. Make sure you drink plenty of fluids, especially if you have a fever. If you have a fever and feel uncomfortable, ask the doctor whether you can take over-the-counter OTC medicine such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen to bring it down.
But don't take any medicine without checking first with your doctor — a cough suppressant, for example, may not allow your lungs to clear themselves of mucus. And finally, be sure to rest. This is a good time to sleep, watch TV, read, and lay low. If you treat your body right, it will repair itself and you'll be back to normal in no time.
Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. Many germs can cause pneumonia. The most common are bacteria and viruses in the air we breathe.
Your body usually prevents these germs from infecting your lungs. But sometimes these germs can overpower your immune system, even if your health is generally good. Pneumonia is classified according to the types of germs that cause it and where you got the infection.
Community-acquired pneumonia is the most common type of pneumonia. It occurs outside of hospitals or other health care facilities. It may be caused by:. Some people catch pneumonia during a hospital stay for another illness.
Hospital-acquired pneumonia can be serious because the bacteria causing it may be more resistant to antibiotics and because the people who get it are already sick.
People who are on breathing machines ventilators , often used in intensive care units, are at higher risk of this type of pneumonia. Health care-acquired pneumonia is a bacterial infection that occurs in people who live in long-term care facilities or who receive care in outpatient clinics, including kidney dialysis centers.
Like hospital-acquired pneumonia, health care-acquired pneumonia can be caused by bacteria that are more resistant to antibiotics. Aspiration pneumonia occurs when you inhale food, drink, vomit or saliva into your lungs. Aspiration is more likely if something disturbs your normal gag reflex, such as a brain injury or swallowing problem, or excessive use of alcohol or drugs.
Even with treatment, some people with pneumonia, especially those in high-risk groups, may experience complications, including:. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview Pneumonia and your lungs Open pop-up dialog box Close.
If your doctor suspects you may have pneumonia, they will probably recommend some tests to confirm the diagnosis and learn more about your infection. These may include:. If you are considered a high-risk patient because of your age and overall health, or if you are hospitalized, the doctors may want to do some additional tests, including:.
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Even if You are Healthy. Learn More. What Are the Symptoms of Pneumonia? The signs and symptoms of pneumonia may include: Cough , which may produce greenish, yellow or even bloody mucus Fever, sweating and shaking chills Shortness of breath Rapid, shallow breathing Sharp or stabbing chest pain that gets worse when you breathe deeply or cough Loss of appetite, low energy, and fatigue Nausea and vomiting, especially in small children Confusion, especially in older people.
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