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Know The Enemy

What is pneumonia and its symptoms?

What is pneumonia?

Pneumonia is caused by infection from bacteria, viruses or fungi, which irritates the lungs and causes them to become inflamed and swell up with fluid.2

The most common cause of pneumonia is a pneumococcal infection, due to bacteria called Streptococcus pneumoniae.2 It can be spread from person to person through physical contact, coughing and sneezing.7 If someone has pneumonia, try to avoid contact with them.

Pneumonia symptoms can be mistaken for a cold or flu

Pneumonia can make you feel really unwell.2 As the symptoms of pneumonia vary and are similar to those of cold and flu, many people may not realise that they have pneumonia until they visit a health care professional.2

View References
References
  1. National Institute for Heath and Care Excellence (NICE). NICE clinical guideline 191 – Pneumonia. Issued: December 2014. Available at:http://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg191 [Last accessed: November 2016].
  2. NHS Choices. Pneumonia. Available at http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Pneumonia/Pages/Introduction.aspx. Last accessed July 2017.
  3. British Medical Journal (BMJ). Patient information from the BMJ Group – Pneumonia. Available at: http://bestpractice.bmj.com/best-practice/pdf/patient-summaries/532655.pdf [Last accessed: November 2016]
  4. Hospital episodes statistics data accessed April 2016. Ages ≥16, ICD-10 codes J12-J18, England only data.
  5. Office of National Statistics: Leading cause of death, England and Wales. 2013.
  6. Davydow DS, Hough CL, Levine DA, Langa KM, Iwashyna TJ. Functional Disability, Cognitive Impairment, and Depression Following Hospitalization for Pneumonia. Am J Med 2013;126(7):615-624 e5
  7. NHS Choices. Pneumococcal infections. Available at: http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Pneumococcal-infections/Pages/Introduction.aspx [Last accessed: November 2016]
  8. Public Health England. The Green Book [2013]. Chapter 25: Pneumococcal. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pneumococcal-the-green-book-chapter-25. [Last accessed: November 2016]
  9. Corrales-Medina VF, Alvarez KN, Weissfeld LA et al. Association between hospitalization for pneumonia and subsequent risk of cardiovascular disease. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2015; 313(3):264-274
  10. Office of National Statistics: Deaths: underlying cause, sex and age-group, 2013. Table 5.10: Diseases of the respiratory system, England and Wales. Ages =15, ICD-10 codes J12-J18.
  11. Miller E, et al. Herd Immunity and serotype replacement 4 years after seven-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccination in England and Wales: an observational cohort study. Lancet Infect. Dis. 2011;11(10):760-768
  12. Shrestha S, Foxman B, Weinberger DM, et al. Identifying the interaction between influenza and pneumococcal pneumonia using incidence data. Sci Transl Med. 2013 Jun 26;5(191):191ra84.
  13. European Respiratory Society (ERS). European Lung White Book – Chapter 18. Avaliable at: http://www.erswhitebook.org/chapters/acute-lower-respiratory-infections/pneumonia/ [Last accessed: November 2016]
  14. Schranz J. Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines: What do we know and what do we need? Procedia in Vaccinology 1. 2009: 189-205
  15. Hospital episodes statistics data accessed 01/04/2015. Ages =16, ICD-10 codes J12-J18, England only data.
  16. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Pneumococcal Disease: Factsheet for Health Professionals. Available at: http://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/healthtopics/pneumococcal_infection/Pages/factsheet-health-professionals.aspx [Last accessed: November 2016]
  17. NHS Choices. Common cold. Available at: http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Cold-common/Pages/Introduction.aspx [Last accessed: November 2016]
  18. NHS Choices. Flu. Available at: http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Flu/Pages/Introduction.aspx [Last accessed: November 2016]
  19. NHS Choices. Preventing colds and flu. Available at: http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/coldsandflu/Pages/Preventionandcure.aspx [Last accessed: November 2016]
  20. NHS Choices. Flu - treatment. Available at: http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Flu/Pages/Treatment.aspx [Last accessed: November 2016]
  21. NHS Choices. Pneumococcal infections. Available at: http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pneumococcal-infections/pages/introduction.aspx [Last accessed: November 2016]
  22. British Medical Journal (BMJ). Patient information from the BMJ Group- Pneumonia. Available at: http://bestpractice.bmj.com/best-practice/pdf/patient-summaries/532655.pdf [Last accessed: November 2016]
  23. NHS Choices. Treating Pneumonia. http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Pneumonia/Pages/Treatment.aspx Accessed July 2017