What is Pneumonia?

Pneumonia is a lung infection that can range from mild illness to a life-threatening condition.

Pneumonia is an infection that inflames the air sacs in one or both lungs. The air sacs may fill with fluid or pus, making it harder to breathe and reducing the amount of oxygen reaching the body causing symptoms such as coughing, fever, chills, and difficulty breathing. In simpler terms, think of your lungs like sponges that are meant to soak up air instead of water. When you have pneumonia, parts of these “air sponges” get filled with fluid or pus, making it hard for them to absorb air. This makes it tough to breathe and can make you feel very unwell.

Cause of pneumonia include:
Pneumonia can be caused by infectious organisms or by breathing foreign material (food, liquids, saliva, vomit) into the lungs and it can range from mild to life-threatening. Different organisms, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi, can cause pneumonia.

Common symptoms of pneumonia include:
Coughing, fever, shortness of breath and feeling very tired and cold.

Who is most at risk for pneumonia:
Although anyone can develop pneumonia, being in hospital can increase the risk. Patients most vulnerable to hospital-acquired pneumonia include older adults, people with chronic diseases, patients receiving oxygen or recovering from surgery, patients with difficulties breathing, swallowing, eating, or patients suffering from memory loss.