What is pneumonia?

Pneumonia is inflammation of the small air sacs (alveoli) of your lungs causing fluid buildup. Pneumonia is usually caused by bacteria or a virus.

When air sacs in your lungs fill up with fluid, it can make it harder for you to breathe. There are many types of pneumonia which are categorised based on their cause.

Pneumococcal pneumonia is one of the most common types of pneumonia. This is caused by the bacterium streptococcus pneumoniae.

Pneumonia can be a mild illness, or it can be much more serious. Pneumonia can be life threatening, especially for:

• babies 12 months and under
• Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people
• people older than 70 years

If you are recovering well from a cold or flu that then becomes worse, it may be pneumonia.

What are the symptoms of pneumonia?

The symptoms of pneumonia depend on:

• your age
• the cause and severity of your infection
• any existing immune system problems you may have

The most common symptoms of pneumonia are:

• fever — a temperature of 38℃ or higher
• cough — which can be dry or produce thick mucus
• difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• rapid breathing
• feeling generally tired and unwell
• loss of appetite

Your cough may last for several weeks even after you've recovered from pneumonia.

People with pneumonia may also:

• have a headache
• have pleurisy (chest pain that is worse with breathing)
• be confused or disorientated (especially older people) — due to lack of oxygen
• turn blue around the mouth (cyanosis) — due to lack of oxygen

Quite often, people with pneumonia have had cold or flu symptoms that got worse, not better.

What causes pneumonia?

Bacteria or viruses are the most common causes of pneumonia. It can also be caused by fungal infections or non-infectious causes such as aspiration (inhaling food or drink instead of swallowing it), medicines, or autoimmune conditions.

Pneumonia can be triggered by a cold or the flu, which allows the germs to access your lungs.

Bacterial pneumonia

Bacterial pneumonia is one of the worst types of pneumonia. It is most commonly caused by pneumococcal bacteria, also called streptococcus pneumoniae.

Other types of bacteria that commonly cause pneumonia are haemophilus influenzae and moraxella catarrhalis.

Atypical pneumonia

Atypical pneumonia (or walking pneumonia) is harder to detect and can have different symptoms. It is usually milder but can take longer to recover from and involve other parts of the body, such as the heart and liver.

The most common causes of atypical pneumonia are:

• mycoplasma pneumoniae
• chlamydophila pneumoniae
• legionella pneumoniae

Atypical pneumonia caused by legionella is also known as Legionnaire's disease and can be life threatening.

Viral pneumonia

Viral pneumonia is caused by different viruses. The most common are:

• influenza (flu) virus
• respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
• SARS-CoV-2 — the virus that causes COVID-19

In severe cases of COVID-19, breathing difficulties can develop into pneumonia. This is a serious illness that can be life-threatening.

It's thought that about half of pneumonia cases are caused by a virus.

Fungal pneumonia

Fungi can also cause pneumonia. This is more common in people whose immune systems are not working well. This includes people with HIV infection or people having treatment for cancer.

When should I see my doctor?

If you have symptoms of pneumonia, it is important to see a doctor as soon as possible.

How is pneumonia diagnosed?

Doctors diagnose pneumonia mainly by talking with you and examining you.

Tests for pneumonia include:

• blood tests
• a chest x-ray
• sputum tests

How is pneumonia treated?

Treatment will depend on your age and the type of pneumonia you have.

If bacteria have caused your infection, the main treatment is antibiotics. Antibiotics are medicines that kill bacteria. In milder cases, antibiotics can be taken as tablets, by mouth. In more severe cases, they'll first be given to you via a drip.

Antibiotics are usually prescribed at the first sign of pneumonia.

If your symptoms don't improve after 5 days of taking antibiotics, contact your doctor. Sometimes you may need to change the dose or type of antibiotic, or you may need more than one medicine.

Antibiotics do not treat viral pneumonia. In most cases, viral pneumonia will clear up by itself. Doctors may prescribe antiviral medicines to treat severe illness or if they are concerned about complications.

Will I need to go to hospital?

Most people who have pneumonia will be able to recover at home.

Some people will need treatment in hospital. This is more common for:

• babies
• young children
• people over 70 years

In hospital you may get fluids through a drip in your arm, as well as other treatments. The doctors will also monitor you to see if there is enough oxygen in your blood.

Taking care of myself

There are some things you can do to help your recovery including:

• get plenty of rest
• drink fluids to avoid dehydration
• manage pain or fever by taking paracetamol as your doctor or pharmacist recommends

If you're a smoker you should try to quit smoking.

Keep away from things that irritate your lungs, such as wood fires and cigarette smoke.

Ask your doctor if seeing a physiotherapist could help clear your lungs.

Can pneumonia be prevented?

Prevention is the best protection from pneumonia. Vaccinations can help prevent some types of pneumonia.

One vaccination that reduces your risk of pneumonia is the pneumococcal vaccine. The pneumococcal vaccine is free in Australia for some people through the National Immunisation Program (see below).

It's a good idea to speak to your doctor to check if vaccination is recommended for you or your child.

Not smoking will also help protect you against pneumonia.

If you or someone near you has an infection, you can reduce the risk of passing that infection on if you:

• limit your exposure to others while you are unwell
• wash your hands well with soap and water
• keep your hands away from your eyes, nose and mouth
• avoid sharing food, drink and utensils

Another way to reduce the spread of infection is by having good cough habits. When coughing or sneezing use a tissue to cover your nose and mouth. Then throw the tissue away. If you don't have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your inner elbow.

Pneumococcal vaccine

Vaccination is the best protection against pneumococcal pneumonia.

Other vaccinations

You can also consider getting vaccinated against influenza. Pneumonia is one of the possible complications of influenza.

A new influenza vaccine is available every year. It is free to people who are at increased risk, including:

• children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years
• Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people of all ages
• people with certain medical conditions
• during pregnancy
• people aged 65 and over

For more information about the influenza vaccine, visit the Department of Health — Influenza website.

Vaccination can also prevent other illnesses that can lead to pneumonia. These are available for all children in Australia as part of their routine childhood vaccinations. The National Immunisation Program Schedule includes:

• haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)
• measles
• pertussis (whooping cough)
• varicella (chickenpox)

Resources and support

For more information about pneumonia, visit the Lung Foundation Australia.

To learn about pneumonia in children and babies, read The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne fact sheet.

For more information on immunisation in Australia, you can visit the Department of Health website, which contains the:

• National Immunisation Program Schedule
• Australian Immunisation Handbook

If you want to know more about pneumonia, call healthdirect on 1800 022 222 to speak with a registered nurse, 24 hours, 7 days a week (known as NURSE-ON-CALL in Victoria).

Languages other than English

The Victorian Department of Health has information on childhood pneumococcal diseases in many community languages.

Information for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples

For more information about immunisation for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, visit the Department of Health website.