Pneumonia

Pneumonia is usually caused by a bacteria inside the lungs. This prevents your body from getting the oxygen it needs. It usually requires antibiotics to be cured, and can become serious if not treated.

Symptoms that indicate you may have a pneumonia include:

Physical exam findings that indicate a pneumonia may be present:

There are additional physical exam findings your ZoomCare Doctor will look for that can help determine if a pneumonia is present. Further, sometimes it is necessary for doctors to obtain sputum samples and send them for a culture test to see which bacteria are actually present.

Is pneumonia contagious?

Yes and no. The bacteria that cause pneumonia can spread from person to person via respiratory droplets (after a cough, etc). However, it is not very common for a healthy young person to contract pneumonia from someone else who also has it. However, a person with a weakened immune system for whatever reason can get a pneumonia much easier.

Bronchitis does not usually turn into pneumonia. Some people that are fighting off one infection can develop other infections if they don’t take good care of themselves (by getting lots of rest, drinking fluids, etc.). However, bronchitis and pneumonia are separate infections and treated differently. Unlike pneumonia, bronchitis almost never requires antibiotics.

Do I need a Chest X-ray?

Usually a pneumonia presents itself in a way that can be diagnosed at ZoomCare without an x-ray. However, some pneumonias are tricky, or there may be some features present that mimic other problems. In these cases, a chest x-ray can be used to sort out whether a pneumonia is present or not.

What's the difference between “Walking Pneumonia” and other types of pneumonia?

"Walking Pneumonia" got its name because people with it "walked" in to see their doctor — but it can still make people feel lousy. It is caused by one of a variety of bacteria (mycoplasma pneumonia, chlamydia pneumoniae, and others). Pneumonia is categorized in many ways, but the broad categories specify where someone developed it, i.e, “Hospital Acquired” or “Community Acquired.” Either way, a pneumonia can involve an entire lobe of the lung, at which point it is called “lobar pneumonia”. There are other categories as well, and each requires its own set of medicines to treat it.

How does pneumonia get better?

We cure pneumonia with antibiotics, but only certain antibiotics will work. Most young healthy people will improve at home with oral antibiotics. However, some people with pneumonia should be hospitalized to get IV antibiotics, especially the elderly or those with immune or significant health problems.

Please take all of your antibiotics as prescribed by the doctor, even if you are feeling better. If only some of the antibiotics are used, remaining bacteria can grow back, and survive through the same antibiotic in the future-- making the infection harder to treat. Some people benefit from an inhaler known as albuterol which can open up the airways and ease breathing. (Albuterol is the same medicine used by people with asthma). If you are feeling short of breath or chest tightness, you may need to get extra oxygen in a hospital. Drinking plenty of fluids and getting extra rest will help your body heal.

What should I do if I feel worse?

If you are not improving, you will need to be re-evaluated. If there is more phlegm coming up, that’s not a sign that the infection is worsening. However, if after 2 full days of antibiotics you continue to have a fever, you are coughing at the same intensity level, or your shortness of breath is not improving, please come back to ZoomCare right away. If you develop worse shortness of breath, worse chest pain, worse cough intensity, worse fatigue, or begin to cough blood, please go to your Emergency Department immediately.