It causes the air sacs of the lungs to fill up with fluid or pus. It can range from mild to severe, depending on the type of germ causing the infection, your age, and your overall health. Bacterial , viral , and fungal infections can cause pneumonia. Bacteria are the most common cause. Bacterial pneumonia can occur on its own. It can also develop after you've had certain viral infections such as a cold or the flu. Several different types of bacteria can cause pneumonia, including.
Viruses that infect the respiratory tract may cause pneumonia. Viral pneumonia is often mild and goes away on its own within a few weeks. But sometimes it is serious enough that you need to get treatment in a hospital.
If you have viral pneumonia, you are at risk of also getting bacterial pneumonia. The different viruses that can cause pneumonia include. Fungal pneumonia is more common in people who have chronic health problems or weakened immune systems. Some of the types include. The symptoms can vary for different groups.
Newborns and infants may not show any signs of the infection. Others may vomit and have a fever and cough. They might seem sick, with no energy, or be restless. Most often these parts include the skin, bones, liver, brain, heart, and the membranes that protect the brain and spinal cord meninges.
Seek medical care if you are over 60, have a weakened immune system, are pregnant, or are of Filipino or African heritage, and you develop the signs and symptoms of valley fever, especially if you:. Be sure to tell your doctor if you've traveled to a place where valley fever is common and you have symptoms.
Valley fever is caused by a person inhaling spores of certain fungi. It's named after the San Joaquin Valley in California. The fungi can also often be found in northern Mexico and Central and South America. Like many other fungi, coccidioides species have a complex life cycle. In the soil, they grow as a mold with long filaments that break off into airborne spores when the soil is disturbed. A person can then inhale the spores. The spores are extremely small and can be carried far by the wind.
Once inside the lungs, the spores reproduce, continuing the disease cycle. Environmental exposure. Anyone who inhales the spores that cause valley fever is at risk of infection. People who live in areas where the fungi are common—especially those who spend a lot of time outdoors — have a greater risk. Also, people who have jobs that expose them to dust are most at risk — construction, road and agricultural workers, ranchers, archaeologists, and military personnel on field exercises.
If you live in or visit areas where valley fever is common, take common-sense precautions, especially during the summer months when the chance of infection is highest. In: Goldman-Cecil Medicine. Philadelphia, Pa. Accessed April 18, Schauner S, et al. Journal of Family Practice. Attridge RT, et al. Health care-associated pneumonia: An evidence-based review. American Journal of Medicine. Hunter JD. Ventilator associated pneumonia.
Dockrell DH, et al. Pneumococcal pneumonia: Mechanisms of infection and resolution. Reynolds RH, et al. Pneumonia in the immunocompetent patient.
British Journal of Radiology. Remington LT, et al. Community-acquired pneumonia. Current Opinion Pulmonary Medicine. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Adults: Protect yourself with pneumococcal vaccines. Marrie TJ, et al. Bacterial pneumonia, which is the most common form, tends to be more serious than other types of pneumonia , with symptoms that require medical care.
The symptoms of bacterial pneumonia can develop gradually or suddenly. Fever may rise as high as a dangerous degrees F, with profuse sweating and rapidly increased breathing and pulse rate.
Lips and nailbeds may have a bluish color due to lack of oxygen in the blood. A patient's mental state may be confused or delirious. The symptoms of viral pneumonia usually develop over a period of several days. Early symptoms are similar to influenza symptoms : fever, a dry cough, headache, muscle pain, and weakness. Within a day or two, the symptoms typically get worse, with increasing cough, shortness of breath and muscle pain.
There may be a high fever and there may be blueness of the lips. Symptoms may vary in certain populations. Newborns and infants may not show any signs of the infection. Or, they may vomit, have a fever and cough, or appear restless, sick, or tired and without energy. Older adults and people who have serious illnesses or weak immune systems may have fewer and milder symptoms. They may even have a lower than normal temperature.
Older adults who have pneumonia sometimes have sudden changes in mental awareness. For individuals that already have a chronic lung disease, those symptoms may worsen. If you think you or your child has symptoms of pneumonia, don't wait for the disease to get even worse before you seek care. Call your doctor.
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