Could that bad cold be pneumonia?

An awful cough that produces ugly, green mucus combined with a fever of 38.9°C or higher, shaking chills and sweating, shortness of breath, a headache and chest or muscle pains – these are probably an indication of pneumonia.

Pneumonia is an inflammation of your lungs, usually caused by a bacterial infection but viruses, fungi or parasites can also cause pneumonia, which can range in seriousness from mild to life-threatening. While antibiotics can treat most common forms of bacterial pneumonias, antibiotic-resistant strains are becoming more and more of a problem.

Various types of pneumonia

• • Bacterial. Doctors usually treat bacterial pneumonia with antibiotics. Although you may start to feel better shortly after beginning your medication, be sure to complete the entire course of antibiotics. Stopping medication too soon may cause your pneumonia to return. It would also help to create strains of bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics.

• • Viral. Antibiotics aren’t effective against most viral forms of pneumonia. And although a few viral pneumonias may be treated with antiviral medications, the recommended treatment generally is rest and plenty of fluids.

• • Mycoplasma (walking) pneumonias are treated with antibiotics but even so, recovery may not be immediate. In some cases, fatigue may continue long after the infection itself has cleared. Many cases of mycoplasma pneumonia go undiagnosed and untreated, which explains why it is also known as “walking” pneumonia. The signs and symptoms mimic those of a bad chest cold, so some people never seek medical attention. The symptoms generally go away without treatment.

• • Fungal. Some forms of fungi can cause pneumonia when inhaled, and tuberculosis in the lung can also be a trigger. If your pneumonia is caused by a fungus, you’ll likely be treated with antifungal medication.

• • Hospital-acquired (nosocomial) pneumonia. If you’re hospitalised, you’re at a higher risk of pneumonia, especially if you’re breathing with the help of a mechanical ventilator, are in an intensive care unit, or have a weakened immune system. Surgery or serious injuries also may make coughing, which helps clear your lungs, more difficult. Lying flat can allow mucus to collect in your lungs, providing a breeding ground for bacteria. Hospital-acquired pneumonia can be extremely serious, especially for older adults, young children and people with chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD), HIV and Aids.

• • Aspiration pneumonia. This type of pneumonia occurs when you inhale foreign matter into your lungs, for instance when the contents of your stomach enter your lungs after you vomit. This commonly happens when a brain injury or other condition affects your normal gag reflex. Another cause is consuming too much alcohol; the inebriated person passes out and then vomits due to the effects of alcohol on the stomach. Aspiration pneumonia can also occur when a person has difficulty swallowing, as with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson’s disease and strokes, or by accidentally inhaling a liquid or chemical.

• • Pneumonia caused by opportunistic organisms. This type of pneumonia strikes people with weakened immune systems. Organisms that aren’t harmful for healthy people can be dangerous for people with Aids and other conditions that impair the immune system, as well as for people who have had an organ transplant. Medications that suppress your immune system, such as corticosteroids or chemotherapy, can also put you at risk of opportunistic pneumonia.

Sources

Pneumonia. Retrieved from http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/healthlibrary/conditions/respiratory_disorders/pneumonia_85,P01321/
Pneumonia. Retrieved from http://www.medicinenet.com/pneumonia_facts/article.htm

(Revised by M van Deventer)