Recurring pneumonia is a serious health condition with three main types: bacterial, viral, and mycoplasmal. Symptoms can vary widely and can be mistaken for the common cold. Severe symptoms require immediate medical attention and can be a sign of an underlying medical condition. Risk factors include smoking, alcoholism, and immunodeficiency disorders.
Recurring pneumonia is a serious health condition involving chronic inflammation or infection in one or both lungs. There are three main types of pneumonia: bacterial, viral, and mycoplasmal. Symptoms can vary widely, depending on the type and severity of the infection. These symptoms can range from mild flu-like symptoms to serious medical emergencies. Children younger than 2 years of age are especially susceptible to recurring pneumonias due to their underdeveloped immune systems and propensity to aspirate food and liquids.
Bacterial pneumonia is caused by a bacterial infection. Bacteria are commonly found in the throat, but a weakened immune response can allow the bacteria to spread into the air sacs of the lungs. The sacs fill with fluid and pus, making breathing difficult and reducing oxygen perfusion in the body. Common bacterial strains are streptococcus, hemophilus, legionella, staphylococcus and aureus. This type of pneumonia is typically treated with antibiotics.
Viral pneumonia is thought to be responsible for about half of all cases of pneumonia. The most common viruses include the flu, chickenpox and measles. Other common viruses are adenovirus, coxsackievirus, cytomegalovirus, and syncytial. Viral infections do not respond to antibiotics; rather, they resolve over time. Associated symptoms are typically treated with common flu medications.
Mycoplasmal pneumonia, also known as walking pneumonia or atypical pneumonia, is caused by mycoplasma and chlamydial infections. The symptoms of this form of pneumonia can be much milder and are often mistaken for a simple flu. Mycoplasma pneumonia is typically treated with antibiotics.
Symptoms associated with recurrent bacterial pneumonia typically come on quickly. Symptoms associated with viral and mycoplasmal pneumonia can develop much more slowly. These symptoms also tend to be less obvious and less severe than the bacterial forms. In some cases, individuals who have walking pneumonia may not even realize they are ill.
The mild symptoms of recurring pneumonia often mirror those of the common cold. These symptoms may include fever or chills, headache, body and muscle aches, shortness of breath, and weakness. They may also include chest congestion, chest pain or tightness when coughing, nausea, and vomiting. A prominent symptom is a wet cough that produces thick phlegm, typically white, yellow, green, or brownish in color. As the infection worsens, this phlegm may contain blood.
A cause of recurring pneumonia occurs when a patient who believes they simply have the flu resumes normal activities too soon. Patients may also stop their medications, believing the infection has cleared. Both of these cases allow a persistent infection to get stronger and come back. A common symptom of recurring viral and mycoplasma pneumonia is a chest cold that comes back repeatedly, never completely disappearing.
Severe symptoms of recurring pneumonia require immediate medical attention. The patient may experience cyanosis, altered states of consciousness, confusion, high fever, and lethargy. Shortness of breath or rapid, labored breathing, a rapid pulse, and gurgling from the throat are also potentially serious symptoms. Pleural effusion, which is a condition in which fluid builds up around the lungs empyema, a condition in which pus forms in the pleural cavity; and hyponatremia, or hyponatremia, can also result from recurrent pneumonias. On rare occasions, symptoms may also include a lung abscess.
Symptoms of recurring pneumonia are often a sign of a more serious underlying medical condition. These problems can include chronic illnesses, immunodeficiency disorders, and lung cancer. Similarly, other chronic conditions can mask the symptoms of pneumonia, such as congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and asthma. Risk factors that contribute to recurring pneumonia include smoking, alcoholism, and drugs that suppress the immune system, such as corticosteroids and chemotherapy.
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