Pneumonia Health Video

Pneumonia is an inflammation of the lungs that's usually caused by infection with bacteria, viruses, fungi or other organisms. Pneumonia is a particular concern for older adults and people with chronic illnesses or impaired immune systems. Learn about the different causes, symptoms, and treatments for pneumonia in this health video.

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See your doctor about greenish yellow mucus
See your doctor about severe fever
See your doctor about sharp chest pains

About this Author

Dr. Susan McGladdery is a medical graduate from Oxford University in the UK and has a Master's Degree in Medical Sciences from Cambridge University. She has been a member of the Royal College of Physicians since 1991 and a member of the American Academy of Urgent Care since 2006. She trained as a Family Physician in the UK in Oxford and then in London. In a medical career that spans over 20 years, she has worked as a doctor in 5 countries on 3 continents and cared for patients from a multitude of different nationalities and backgrounds. Dr. McGladdery joined FirstMed Centers in mid 2002 and became Regional Medical Director in 2003.

SUSAN MCGLADDERY: Hello. My name is Dr. Sue McGladdery. I'm the medical director from FirstMed Centers in Budapest, Hungary and I'd like to give you some information about pneumonia. This is a common infection of the lungs. It can be caused by many different organisms including bacteria, viruses, and fungi. It ranges in severity from mild to severe and it may be fatal. The severity depends on the causative organism but also on the age of the patient and then any underlying health problems. So, a little more about the causes. Bacterial pneumonia is the most serious and this is the commonest course of pneumonia in adults. Respiratory viruses are the most common cause of pneumonia in young children and in school age kids mycoplasma pneumonia becomes more common. What are the main symptoms of pneumonia? That may be productive cough with greenish or yellow mucus or sputum sometimes also with blood, as usually fever with shaking or rigors and sharp chest pain that's worse especially on inspirational breathing in. There may also be breathless with rapid shallow breathing and confusion, especially in elderly patients. How is pneumonia diagnosed? On the basis of clinical signs such as fast breathing rate and when the doctor examines you, there may be sounds of crackles in the chest. Also, investigations are needed such as chest x-ray, sputum culture, a blood count, and sometimes blood gases are needed. The treatment given will depend on the cause. Many people can be managed at home with antibiotics, even for a bacterial pneumonia, but if it's underlying chronic disease, severe symptoms, or low oxygen levels, in that case you'll need intravenous antibiotic therapy and oxygen therapy in hospital. Infants and the elderly are more commonly admitted to hospital for treatment of pneumonia because they tend to get more severe disease. The outlook for most people is good and improvement usually occurs within about two weeks. But in elderly or debilitated patients, they may die from respiratory failure. You should remember to ask your doctor about preventive vaccination against pneumonia. This includes the pneumococcal vaccine and also in the winter time a flu vaccine and you should see your doctor urgently if you have any symptoms that could be due to pneumonia.

Pneumonia Health Video

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