how do you get pneumonia?

Answer 1

it's from a bacterial infection...or a virus?

Answer 2

The microorganisms (germs) that cause pneumonia may be present in your body for some time before causing illness. Or, they may also be spread between people through droplets in the air. Coughing and sneezing create droplets.

There are a number of factors that affect your body's ability to fight off infection and put you more at risk of developing pneumonia. They include:

being in poor health
age - the very young and old (over 65) are most susceptible to pneumonia
smoking (as smoking damages your lungs which makes it easier to get an infection)
heavy drinking
heart disease
having a lung disease, such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
a low immunity to infection - if you have an illness such as AIDS or are having some types of chemotherapy for example.
Hospital-acquired pneumonia
People in hospital are vulnerable to pneumonia for a number of reasons. These include:

having a weakened immune system, which increases your risk of getting pneumonia
a reduced cough reflex following surgery or severe illness - a cough reflex is the body's way of clearing things out of the airways that may irritate them, an automatic reaction that defends the body against infections
the types of bacteria responsible for pneumonia caught in hospital, which tend to be different from those that cause community-acquired pneumonia - they may also be resistant to the standard antibiotics (such as resistant strains of the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus)

Answer 3

There are several causes for pneumonia but usually the 2 Major reason are Viral or Bacterial

Answer 4

I've had pneumonia 3 times when I was younger, I ran around with my friends outside in the "fall" and was warned not to take my jacket, while being asmatic, I did. This caused series of fluid to build up in my lungs, I was dehydrated + perspiring therefore no fluid intake, that's one experience.

Summer

Answer 5

The list of organisms which can cause pneumonia is very large, and includes nearly every class of infecting organism: viruses, bacteria, bacteria-like organisms, fungi, and parasites (including certain worms). Different organisms are more frequently encountered by different age groups. Further, other characteristics of an individual may place him or her at greater risk for infection by particular types of organisms:

Viruses cause the majority of pneumonias in young children (especially respiratory syncytial virus, parainfluenza and influenza viruses, and adenovirus).
Adults are more frequently infected with bacteria (such as Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Staphylococcus aureus).
Pneumonia in older children and young adults is often caused by the bacteria-like Mycoplasma pneumoniae (the cause of what is often referred to as "walking" pneumonia).
Pneumocystis carinii is an extremely important cause of pneumonia in patients with immune problems (such as patients being treated for cancer with chemotherapy, or patients with AIDS. Classically considered a parasite, it appears to be more related to fungi.
People who have reason to come into contact with bird droppings, such as poultry workers, are at risk for pneumonia caused by the organism Chlamydia psittaci.
A very large, serious outbreak of pneumonia occurred in 1976, when many people attending an American Legion convention were infected by a previously unknown organism. Subsequently named Legionella pneumophila, it causes what is now called "Legionnaire's disease." The organism was traced to air conditioning units in the convention's hotel.

Answer 6

when you have a very bad cold that is not treated right ...it becomes pneumonia...

Answer 7

i heard that when you go from a hot place to a cold place really fast, or drinking a really cold drink really fast on a hot day.

Answer 8

go outside naked for 5 minutes

Answer 9

go sit outside in your underpants in below zero weather. dripping wet.

that'll probably do it.

Answer 10

Do not treat your cold; flu and/ or coughing.