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Pneumonia is an infectious respiratory disease that impairs the exchange of oxygen in the lungs. It usually affects only one lung; however, there are cases involving both lungs, which can be life-threatening. Pneumonia can be caused by a bacteria or a virus; it can also arise as a complication due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, a childhood disease such as whooping cough or measles, in addition to smoking and heavy drinking. Infants and elderly are at a high risk of developing pneumonia. People with weakened immunity due to a chronic illness and people who are malnourished are also at risk.

Pneumonia often develops as a complication of a cold, or another viral infection in the upper respiratory tract. Hospital stay visit with another illness predisposes to catching pneumonia, as a person can get a hospital-borne respiratory infection. Some forms of pneumonia are mild, and can be treated with rest, pain medication, and antibiotics. However, pneumonia is a serious illness, and can be life-threatening. For example, Legionnaire's disease, a type of pneumonia transmitted through air-conditioning systems, can be deadly, and needs to be treated. Also, aspiration pneumonia can be a result of choking and inhaling food particles into the lungs, and can be quite dangerous.

Pneumonia, especially the type caused by bacteria, is a rapidly-progressing disease. Within a few hours of being infected, a person will usually have a productive, bloody or rust-colored cough, chest pain, difficulty and pain upon breathing in, high fever, and confusion. In infants, pneumonia can cause high fever, vomiting, and convulsions, while in elderly, it can cause an increasingly confused state. If you notice any of these symptoms, promptly contact your doctor.

Pneumonia can be discovered during examination of the lungs by a doctor, and with an X-ray, which usually shows fluid-filled lungs instead of lungs filled with air. If not diagnosed quickly, pneumonia can have such complications as pleurisy, or fluid between the layers of pleura, or the coverings of the lungs, empyema, which is pus-filled pleura, or respiratory failure. Pneumonia makes it difficult for a person to breathe, and a patient might require an oxygen mask, or mechanical ventilation.

Normal adults, who are otherwise healthy, recover from pneumonia in 2-3 weeks with proper treatment. However, if the patient is a child, an elderly person, or someone with a weakened immune system, then the recovery period can be longer. People who are at a higher risk of developing pneumonia should consult their physician immediately, because they are also at a higher risk for developing complications.

Learn more about this author, Sophia Ryzhikov.
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