Pneumonia are contagious and are usually found in fluid from the mouth or nose of an infected person. Illness can spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes on a person, by sharing drinking glasses and eating utensils, and when a person touches the used tissues or handkerchiefs of an infected person.

Pneumonia are usually sicker than those with viral pneumonia, but can be effectively treated with antibiotic medications. You may have heard the terms “double pneumonia” or “walking pneumonia. Simply means that the infection is in both lungs. It’s common for pneumonia to affect both lungs, so don’t worry if your doctor says this is what you have – it doesn’t mean you’re twice as sick. Refers to pneumonia that is mild enough that you may not even know you have it. Walking pneumonia, which has also been called atypical pneumonia because it’s different from the typical bacterial pneumonia, is common in teens and is often caused by a tiny microorganism known as. Like the typical bacterial pneumonia, walking pneumonia also can be treated with antibiotics.

Pneumonia are contracted by breathing in small droplets that contain the organisms that can cause pneumonia. These droplets get into the air when a person infected with these germs. In other cases, pneumonia is caused when bacteria or viruses that are normally present in the mouth, throat, or nose inadvertently enter the lung. , it is quite common for people to aspirate secretions from the mouth, throat, or nose. Normally, the body’s reflex response (coughing back up the secretions) and their immune system will prevent the aspirated organisms from causing pneumonia. However, if a person is in a weakened condition from another illness, a severe pneumonia can develop.

The symptoms of viral pneumonia are similar to those of the flu : Fever, dry cough, headaches, muscle pain and weakness. Twelve to thirty-six hours (12 to 36 hours) after the onset of these symptoms, victims experience severe breathlessness. The cough becomes worse and limited amounts of mucus produced contain traces of blood. There is a high fever and blueness of the lips. In the final stage, the victim is suffocating and struggles desperately to breathe. Some viral pneumonias may be complicated by a bacterial attack characterized by all the symptoms of the latter.