

“But if the bacteria or virus begins to grow and multiply, it can cause a problem, or, if your immune system is already compromised due to other health conditions, then the illness can progress and you can develop a full infection.”Įven a healthy person can sometimes develop pneumonia the illness isn’t limited to those with a compromised immune system, according to Dr. Your body fights it off, and you never even feel sick,” Dr. “If you are a normally healthy person, a small amount of the organism getting into your lungs may not cause an infection. Pneumonia sometimes develops as a result of the flu, bronchitis or other upper respiratory infections that linger. Jarvis, M.D., hospitalist and internal medicine physician with Norton Inpatient Specialists. “Your lungs become infected with a pathogen, either bacterial or viral, when you breathe in or come in contact with these organisms,” said Patrick M. Pneumonia kills nearly 1 million children younger than 5 each year around the world, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. World Pneumonia Day is observed each Nov. The patient is starved of oxygen, struggles to breathe and, without treatment, can succumb to asphyxiation.

When triggered by an infection of bacteria, virus or fungus, the lungs’ air sacs fill with fluid that can thicken into phlegm. How Can You Die From Pneumonia?Ĭhildren and adults over 65 are particularly vulnerable to pneumonia. More serious cases may require a hospital stay to deliver antibiotics intravenously and to allow health care providers to monitor breathing. For most patients, pneumonia can be treated with oral antibiotics, rest and fluids. Nearly 50,000 people in the United States die from pneumonia each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
