Signs and Symptoms of Pneumonia

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By John L
eHow Contributing Writer

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Pneumonia has killed more people than many other diseases or maladies. Even as recently as the 1930s, it was the leading cause of death in the United States. Before the introduction of antibiotics, one-third of the people that came down with pneumonia died. It is still the sixth-leading cause of death in the US, with three million people catching it each year. There are as many as 27 signs and symptoms of pneumonia recognized by medical experts. Of this number, several are related to breathing, some are linked to pain, and still others are concerned with coughing and body temperature. Recognizing the signs and symptoms of pneumonia may give you a head start in treating this serious malady.

Function

Many important symptoms of pneumonia have to do with lung function. Breathlessness, where the individual cannot breathe without much effort, is one as is shortness of breath. Taking shallow breathes, rapidly breathing, and having difficulty breathing also are possible indications of someone having pneumonia. Fluids can be blocking your airways and collecting in your lungs, causing these respiratory problems. An increased respiratory rate, where you breathe more times per minute than you normally would, could mean pneumonia.

Significance

There are certain symptoms that accompany pneumonia that have much significance with doctors. One is when you begin to cough up a greenish-yellow colored mucus, which indicates that the illness is far along and serious. Coughing up blood in your sputum, which is a mixture of saliva, mucus, and phlegm, is a pneumonia symptom in some. So is chest pain when you breathe, a classic pneumonia indicator. Cyanosis, where your lips and fingers among other things can turn blue from lack of oxygen, is another.

Identification

There are other signs and symptoms of pneumonia that doctors use to identify the sickness. These include aching muscle and headches. Fevers and chills, with coughing in various degrees depending on what stage the pneumonia is at, are others. So are symptoms such as tiredness and drowsiness.

Considerations

Pneumonia can be bacterial, fungal, viral, or caused by parasites. One particularly dangerous form of pneumonia is called hospital pneumonia. This can occur when someone is in the hospital for another ailment. Already in a compromised state, the individual is exposed to microorganisms present in the hospital and comes down with the disease. Not strong enough to fight it off, it becomes deadly for that person. The symptoms of hospital pneumonia are the same. The elderly are a very at-risk population from hospital pneumonia.

Time Frame

Pneumonia's period of incubation can vary depending on the type of virus or bacteria that is responsible for it. Some types may take almost a week to manifest themselves while others can take as little as 18 hours. Pneumonia of the bacterial variety can be cured in one to two weeks, but viral pneumonia is harder to shake, sometimes taking as long as four to six full weeks before finally being cured.