What are the symptoms of pneumonia?

Written by Wang Xiang Yu
Pulmonology
Updated on September 20, 2024
00:00
00:00

Pneumonia can have many manifestations, and each person's symptoms can be different. It is highly heterogeneous, varying from mild to severe and can last for short or long durations. The main factors depend on the type of pathogen involved and the state of the body. The most common symptoms of pneumonia are coughing and producing sputum. The cough can be mild or severe and may be accompanied by sputum. The amount of sputum can vary and may be yellow, green, red, or rust-colored. Other possible symptoms include chest pain, difficulty breathing, respiratory distress, and most cases of pneumonia also involve fever. The duration and severity of the fever are somewhat related to the course of the illness. However, a small portion of patients may have atypical symptoms, especially older adults, who may not show direct respiratory symptoms but instead exhibit consciousness disturbances such as coma, confusion, fatigue, and more.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Hu Xue Jun
Pulmonology
1min 58sec home-news-image

Types of Pneumonia

Now let's talk about what pneumonia is and its classification. Pneumonia refers to inflammation of the terminal airways, alveoli, and pulmonary interstitium. It can be caused by pathogenic microorganisms, physicochemical factors, immune damage, allergies, and drugs. Bacterial pneumonia is the most common type of pneumonia and is also one of the most common infectious diseases. The classification of pneumonia generally involves several aspects: First is the anatomical classification: from an anatomical perspective, it can be divided into lobar pneumonia (alveolar pneumonia), bronchopneumonia (bronchial pneumonia), and interstitial pneumonia. Second, the classification based on etiology, which mainly includes the following aspects. The first is bacterial pneumonia, which includes Streptococcus pneumoniae pneumonia, Staphylococcus aureus pneumonia, Klebsiella pneumoniae pneumonia, Haemophilus influenzae pneumonia, Pseudomonas aeruginosa pneumonia, and Acinetobacter baumannii pneumonia, etc. The second point is pneumonia caused by atypical pathogens such as Legionella, Mycoplasma, and Chlamydia. The third is viral pneumonia. The fourth refers to fungal diseases or fungal pneumonia. The fifth is pneumonia caused by other pathogens: such as rickettsiae, parasites. The sixth is pneumonia caused by physicochemical factors: such as radiation pneumonia, inhalational pneumonia, and lipid pneumonia. The third category is classification by the environment of illness, which can be divided into two types: the first is community-acquired pneumonia, and the second is hospital-acquired pneumonia.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Yuan Qing
Pulmonology
48sec home-news-image

The difference between interstitial pneumonia and pneumonia

Interstitial pneumonia, also known as diffuse pulmonary interstitial fibrosis, mainly refers to a disease characterized by the replacement of the lung interstitium with some invisible fibrous tissues, leading to lung atrophy and difficulty breathing as the main manifestations. The pathological site of pneumonia is mainly in the alveoli and lung parenchyma, and patients mainly show symptoms such as coughing, expectoration, and fever, generally not experiencing difficulty breathing. Additionally, interstitial pneumonia and pneumonia have typical and distinct changes in imaging. Through imaging, it is basically possible to differentiate almost completely between interstitial pneumonia and pneumonia without the need for any special techniques.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Jiao Yan
Neonatology
50sec home-news-image

Can pneumonia vaccines prevent mycoplasma pneumonia?

There are currently two types of pneumonia vaccines available domestically: the 23-valent polysaccharide vaccine and the 7-valent or 13-valent vaccines. These vaccines primarily prevent infections caused by certain serotypes of Streptococcus pneumoniae. The pneumonia vaccines cannot prevent Mycoplasma pneumonia, as Mycoplasma and Streptococcus pneumoniae are two different types of pathogens and do not share the same antibodies for protective effects. Thus, the pneumonia vaccines are mainly for preventing diseases related to Streptococcus pneumoniae infections, and are ineffective against Mycoplasma pneumonia.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Jiao Yan
Neonatology
1min 24sec home-news-image

How to completely cure pneumonia in children?

Childhood pneumonia is mainly due to the weaker resistance of children, who are then subjected to the invasion of pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, or other agents like chlamydia and mycoplasma, leading to inflammation of the alveoli. Generally, the treatment of pneumonia is mainly targeted at its pathogens. For instance, antiviral treatment is administered for viral infections, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory treatments are required for bacterial infections, and specific antibiotics such as azithromycin or erythromycin are used for mycoplasma infections. For other types like tuberculosis and some other fungal pneumonias, specific treatments targeting those pathogens are also necessary. If the baby clearly has symptoms like wheezing or difficulty in breathing, symptomatic treatment is required. Therefore, pneumonia in children is mainly treated based on the cause, and as long as the course of treatment is sufficient, it can be cured completely. However, even after recovery, it does not mean a child will never contract pneumonia again. If the child has weak immunity or is in a high-risk environment with exposure to other patients with pneumonia cough, they might be infected again.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Jiao Yan
Neonatology
1min 18sec home-news-image

The function of the pneumonia vaccine

Pneumonia vaccines are generally aimed at preventing infections caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae. There are two common types of vaccines: the 23-valent polysaccharide vaccine, which is suitable for high-risk populations over two years old, and the 7-valent or 13-valent conjugate vaccines, which are mainly used for vaccinating infants under two years of age. Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most common and widespread bacterium causing pneumonia, and pneumonia caused by this bacterium is also the most prevalent worldwide. It is also the most significant pathogen in community-acquired pneumonia in children and a major cause of otitis media, meningitis, and bacteremia in children. The pneumonia vaccines mainly target common serotypes of Streptococcus pneumoniae, such as the 7-valent or 13-valent, designed to prevent infections from seven or thirteen serotypes, respectively, while the 23-valent vaccine aims to prevent infections from 23 serotypes. These pneumonia vaccines play a significant protective role in preventing infections caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, however, they cannot prevent all cases of pneumonia.