Helpful Advice To Recognize Pneumonia

Pneumonia has more than 50 forms of which some are mild and some are life – threatening. This infection can occur after another condition like influenza, a cold or any other illness, or may be triggered on its own. This condition develops suddenly showing a great variety of symptoms from which the most common are cough, shortness of breath, chills, fever and chest pain.

When pneumonia occurs in people otherwise healthy, the symptoms will show suddenly. Usually, they follow an upper respiratory tract infection and include:

* * Heavy cough accompanied by rusty, green or bloody phlegm.
* * Shaking chills.
* * Accelerated breathing, shortness of breath.
* * Fever. This symptom is less common in older people.
* * Pain in the chest that usually worsens when coughing.
* * A general state of fatigue or weakness.
* * Fast heartbeat.

In case of nonbacterial pneumonia the symptoms are coughing accompanied by little phlegm, fever and shortness of breath. In this case the symptoms are milder and come on gradually. This condition will not generate fatigue or weakness so most people won't feel actually sick and won't know they are affected by this condition.

If the symptoms are mild, the condition may be called walking pneumonia.
Young persons and old persons

In the case of old people, the symptoms are different from normal, milder or fewer: no fever or dry cough. One major sign of this condition's presence in old people is the change of their thoughts clarity like confusion or delirium; or a worsening of an already existing lung condition.

In the case of children, the symptoms will depend on age:

* * In infants aging less than one month, symptoms may include having little or no energy (lethargy), poor feeding, grunting or fever.
* * In children, the symptoms of pneumonia usually resemble to those in adults.

Doctors will search for signs of a pneumonia like increased breathing rate (more than 60 breaths per minute) and cough.

Pneumonia resembles as a respiratory tract condition to COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), bronchitis and tuberculosis.