Symptoms of Pneumonia

by Rosalyn Carson-DeWitt, MD

Pneumonia is a serious infection that should be treated promptly. Contact your doctor if you or your child have pneumonia symptoms.

Effects of Pneumonia on the Lungs

The symptoms of pneumonia include the following:

Fever
Chills
Sweating
Rapid heart rate
Rapid breathing
Cough, may be dry or may produce sputum
Sputum, may appear clear, greenish-yellow, or rusty
Chest pain
Shortness of breath
Pain through to the back
Pain with deep breathing
Rattle sound in the chest
Loss of energy, fatigue
Weakness
Nausea and vomiting
Headache
General muscle aches and pains

Severe symptoms that are common in adults, especially the elderly:

Bluish color of the nails or lips due to diminished oxygen in the blood
Mental confusion (This is common in the elderly)

Severe symptoms that are more common in babies and young children:

Flaring nostrils with each breath
Chest or ribs may suck in with each breath
Grunting sound with breathing

SOURCES:

American Lung Association website. Available at: http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=22542. Accessed February 1, 2006.

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health website. Available at: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/. Accessed February 1, 2006.

Primary Care Medicine, 4th ed. Lippincott Williams and Wilkins; 2000.

Last reviewed October 2005 by David Horn, MD, FACP

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