What are the signs and symptoms of pneumonia?

Question

Does it always follow a cold?

Answer 1

Pneumonia is a general term that refers to an infection of the lungs, which can be caused by a variety of microorganisms, including viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites.

Often pneumonia begins after an upper respiratory tract infection (an infection of the nose and throat). When this happens, symptoms of pneumonia begin after 2 or 3 days of a cold or sore throat.

Signs and Symptoms
Symptoms of pneumonia vary, depending on the age of the child and the cause of the pneumonia. Some common symptoms include:

fever
chills
cough
unusually rapid breathing
breathing with grunting or wheezing sounds
labored breathing that makes a child's rib muscles retract (when muscles under the rib cage or between ribs draw inward with each breath)
vomiting
chest pain
abdominal pain
decreased activity
loss of appetite (in older children) or poor feeding (in infants)
in extreme cases, bluish or gray color of the lips and fingernails
Sometimes a child's only symptom is rapid breathing. Sometimes when the pneumonia is in the lower part of the lungs near the abdomen, there may be no breathing problems at all, but there may be fever and abdominal pain or vomiting.

When pneumonia is caused by bacteria, an infected child usually becomes sick relatively quickly and experiences the sudden onset of high fever and unusually rapid breathing. When pneumonia is caused by viruses, symptoms tend to appear more gradually and are often less severe than in bacterial pneumonia. Wheezing may be more common in viral pneumonia.


Some types of pneumonia cause symptoms that give important clues about which germ is causing the illness. For example, in older children and adolescents, pneumonia due to Mycoplasma (also called walking pneumonia) is notorious for causing a sore throat and headache in addition to the usual symptoms of pneumonia.

In infants, pneumonia due to chlamydia may cause conjunctivitis (pinkeye) with only mild illness and no fever. When pneumonia is due to whooping cough (pertussis), the child may have long coughing spells, turn blue from lack of air, or make a classic "whoop" sound when trying to take a breath.

Description
Pneumonia is a lung infection that can be caused by different types of germs, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. Although different types of pneumonia tend to affect children in different age groups, pneumonia is most commonly caused by viruses. Some viruses that cause pneumonia are adenoviruses, rhinovirus, influenza virus (flu), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and parainfluenza virus (the virus that causes croup).

Incubation
The incubation period for pneumonia varies, depending on the type of virus or bacteria causing the infection. Some common incubation periods are: respiratory syncytial virus, 4 to 6 days; influenza, 18 to 72 hours.

Duration
With treatment, most types of bacterial pneumonia can be cured within 1 to 2 weeks. Viral pneumonia may last longer. Mycoplasmal pneumonia may take 4 to 6 weeks to resolve completely.

Contagiousness
The viruses and bacteria that cause pneumonia are contagious and are usually found in fluid from the mouth or nose of an infected person. Illness can spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes on a person, by sharing drinking glasses and eating utensils, and when a person touches the used tissues or handkerchiefs of an infected person.

Prevention
There are vaccines to prevent infections by viruses or bacteria that cause some types of pneumonia.

Children usually receive routine immunizations against Haemophilus influenzae and pertussis (whooping cough) beginning at 2 months of age. (The pertussis immunization is the "P" part of the routine DTaP injection.) Vaccines are now also given against the pneumococcus organism (PCV), a common cause of bacterial pneumonia.

Children with chronic illnesses, who are at special risk for other types of pneumonia, may receive additional vaccines or protective immune medication. The flu vaccine is strongly recommended for children with chronic illnesses such as chronic heart or lung disorders or asthma, as well as otherwise healthy children.

Because they are at higher risk for serious complications, infants who were born prematurely may be given treatments that temporarily protect against RSV, which can lead to pneumonia in younger children.

Doctors may give prophylactic (disease-preventing) antibiotics to prevent pneumonia in children who have been exposed to someone with certain types of pneumonia, such as pertussis. Children with HIV infection may also receive prophylactic antibiotics to prevent pneumonia caused by Pneumocystis carinii.

Antiviral medication is now available, too, and can be used to prevent some types of viral pneumonia or to make symptoms less severe.

In addition, regular tuberculosis screening is performed yearly in some high-risk areas because early detection will prevent active tuberculosis infection including pneumonia.

In general, pneumonia is not contagious, but the upper respiratory viruses that lead to it are, so it is best to keep your child away from anyone who has an upper respiratory tract infection. If someone in your home has a respiratory infection or throat infection, keep his or her drinking glass and eating utensils separate from those of other family members, and wash your hands frequently, especially if you are handling used tissues or dirty handkerchiefs.

When to Call Your Child's Doctor
Call your child's doctor immediately if your child has any of the signs and symptoms of pneumonia, but especially if your child:

is having trouble breathing or is breathing abnormally fast
has a bluish or gray color to the fingernails or lips
has a fever of 102 degrees Fahrenheit (38.9 degrees Celsius), or above 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) in infants under 6 months of age
Professional Treatment
Doctors usually make the diagnosis of pneumonia after a physical examination. The doctor may possibly use a chest X-ray, blood tests, and (sometimes) bacterial cultures of mucus produced by coughing when making a diagnosis.

In most cases, pneumonia can be treated with oral antibiotics given to your child at home. The type of antibiotic used depends on the type of pneumonia.

Children may be hospitalized for treatment if they have pneumonia caused by pertussis or other bacterial pneumonia that causes high fevers and respiratory distress. They may also be hospitalized if supplemental oxygen is needed, if they have lung infections that may have spread into the bloodstream, if they have chronic illnesses that affect the immune system, if they are vomiting so much that they cannot take medicine by mouth, or if they have recurrent episodes of pneumonia.

Home Treatment
If your child's doctor has prescribed antibiotics for bacterial pneumonia, give the medicine on schedule for as long as the doctor directs. This will help your child recover faster and will decrease the chance that infection will spread to other household members.

Don't force a child who's not feeling well to eat, but encourage your child to drink fluids, especially if fever is present. Ask your child's doctor before you use a medicine to treat your child's cough because cough suppressants stop the lungs from clearing mucus, which may not be helpful in some types of pneumonia.

If your child has chest pain, try a heating pad or warm compress on the chest area. Take your child's temperature at least once each morning and each evening, and call the doctor if it goes above 102 degrees Fahrenheit (38.9 degrees Celsius) in an older infant or child, or above 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) in an infant under 6 months of age.

Check your child's lips and fingernails to make sure that they are rosy and pink, not bluish or gray, which is a sign that your child's lungs are not getting enough oxygen.

Reviewed by: Barbara P. Homeier, MD
Date reviewed: June 2005
Originally reviewed by: Joel Klein, MD

want more?

Answer 2

If you have pneumonia you are likely going to feel very sick and it can come on pretty fast. Pneumonia can come on following a viral respiratory infection such as influenza, this is because your immune system is temporarily weakened. so if you're recovering from a cold or the flu its definitely something to watch out for. Symptoms come on quickly and include: High fever Chills Cough that produces a yellowish, greenish, rust colored, or red mucus Shortness of Breath Chest Pain(becomes worse when breathing or coughing) Loss of Appetite Fatigue Headaches and Aching Joints Coughing up Blood You don't have to have every single symptom I listed to have pneumonia different people have different symptoms but these are some of the more common ones. Mostly be on the lookout for a fever, productive cough, and chest pain. It sounds like you have a few of these symptoms so I would definitely see a doctor. Your doctor can order a chest x-ray to see if your lungs are clear. If you have pneumonia it may be treatable with anti-biotics.

Answer 3

Signs and Symptoms of Community-Acquired Pneumonia:

# Cough that brings up a greenish or yellowish mucus; sometimes hemoptysis occurs
# Fever and chills
# Stabbing or sharp chest pains that worsen during deep respiration
# Rapid, shallow breathing
# Shortness of breath

Sometimes the following signs and symptoms of pneumonia are also experienced:

# Headache
# Excessive sweating and skin that is clammy to the touch
# Loss of appetite
# Severe Fatigue
# Older adults sometimes may experience confusion

Crackle sounds from the lungs may be heard through a stethoscope.

Types of Pneumonia
# Aspiration Pneumonia
# Mycoplasma Pneumonia (a.k.a Walking Pneumonia)
# Viral Pneumonia
# Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia

Signs and symptoms of each type of pneumonia will vary depending on whether the pneumonia is caused by a bacterium, virus or fungus.

Pneumonia is commonly misdiagnosed as bronchitis, as the signs and symptoms are similar.

Answer 4

Most of the time, yes, it does follow a cold. The symptoms usually are:
trouble breathing
pain in your chest or rib cage area and also the middle of your back.
coughing
extremely tired all the time
no appetite
weakness
I suffer from pneumonia every year and yes I also get a flu shot and a pneumonia shot but I still get it. Hope this helps. Good Luck and Good Health.
By the way, I am suffering from pneumonia right now as I am typing this.

Answer 5

Symptoms of pneumonia caused by bacteria in otherwise healthy people younger than 65 usually come on suddenly. They often start during or after an upper respiratory infection, such as influenza or a cold, and may include:
Cough, often producing mucus (sputum) from the lungs. Mucus may be rusty or green or tinged with blood.
Fever, which may be less common in older adults.
Shaking, "teeth-chattering" chills (one time only or many times).
Fast, often shallow, breathing and the feeling of being short of breath.
Chest wall pain that is often made worse by coughing or breathing in.
Fast heartbeat.
Feeling very tired (fatigue) or feeling very weak (malaise).

Answer 6

Although signs and symptoms vary, many cases of pneumonia develop suddenly, with chest pain, fever, chills, cough and shortness of breath. Infection often follows a cold or the flu, but it also can be associated with other illnesses or occur on its own.

Answer 7

I don't if it always follows a cold--when I had it in December, it certainly did. I was coughing a lot, and I was feverish, and my chest ached too. I went to the doctor immediately and was put on antibiotics--if you do have pnuemonia, go to the doctor and make sure to rest a lot. It takes a while to heal completely.

Answer 8

fever, coughing. If you suspect it, you should see a doctor.

Answer 9

thankyou for the answers, much appreciated.