Chronic pneumonia is a long-lasting inflammation of the lungs caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi. Symptoms include coughing, wheezing, fatigue, difficulty breathing, fever, night sweats, and chest pains. Treatment involves antibiotics, culturing the organisms, and supportive care. Chronic pneumonia can cause long-term damage, and recovery time can be longer than expected.
Chronic pneumonia is inflammation of the lungs that persists over a long period of time, without sudden onset. In contrast, acute pneumonia develops quickly and usually lasts less than three weeks. Classically, pneumonia is caused by an infection with bacteria, viruses, or fungi that colonize the lungs and cause irritation. Treatment requires giving drugs to kill the organisms and offering supportive care if the patient has difficulty breathing or develops other complications.
People can develop chronic pneumonia at any age. Symptoms can come on so slowly that people may not realize they have pneumonia for days or weeks. Signs of chronic pneumonia can include coughing, wheezing, fatigue, difficulty breathing, fever, night sweats, and chest pains. People don’t need to have a history of chest colds or known exposure to infectious organisms to develop pneumonia as this condition can be acquired in any number of places.
In patients with a chronic case of pneumonia, blood tests usually show unusually high levels of white blood cells and other signs of chronic inflammation. The lungs may appear blocked on X-rays, and if imaged with an endoscopic procedure, changes may be seen in the airways and within the lungs, showing that chronic inflammation has resulted in redness, excessive mucus production, and other airway changes respiratory.
Some doctors immediately start a patient with chronic pneumonia on antibiotic medications. Others may request a sample from the lungs for the purpose of culturing the organisms to find out what is causing the infection. Taking a culture can help a doctor identify the correct medications to use, minimizing time wasted on ineffective medications. Cultures may be especially important if there is concern about the possibility of infection with drug-resistant organisms that do not respond to common drugs. Ventilation is sometimes needed for patients with pneumonia if they have extreme difficulty breathing, and medications may be given to open the airways and help wheezing patients breathe more freely.
Chronic pneumonia infection can cause long-term damage. Lung capacity can be permanently compromised and patients can be left with scarring and other problems that cause breathing difficulties in the future. Recovery time from this type of pneumonia can be longer than patients might expect since the lungs need to heal after the infectious organisms have been cleared away. It is important to complete courses of recommended medications, follow guidance on rest, and comply with other guidance designed to protect lung health.
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