Pneumonia: Coughing Up the Facts

The Democratic nominee for the presidency appears to be taking her doctor’s advice seriously and is said to be resting, behind closed doors, after being diagnosed with pneumonia last Friday by her physician, Dr. Lisa M. Bardack.

“Walking pneumonia,” the least serious form of the illness, is the only detail the Hillary Clinton campaign has provided thus far. Clinton has said she’ll be releasing more medical information soon.

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Whether or not one trusts the diagnosis, here are the facts: Pneumonia is a disease millions of people develop each year and it’s not something to be taken lightly. There is more than one strain. Viral versus bacterial pneumonia could make all the difference in how the disease is treated, how one feels, the time one needs to recover — and the risks associated with spreading germs around.

Feeling a little woozy over all of this, as Hillary was last Sunday? Here are some things to keep in mind:

Bacterial pneumonia can develop suddenly or gradually, and infections usually occur after physical contact. Symptoms often include a high fever, lower energy, rapid breathing, chills, a cough with greenish mucus or even blood, chest pain, shortness of breath, and a loss of appetite.

Viral pneumonia typically develops over a shorter period of time, is caused by virus germs, and is transmitted through the air via a cough or sneeze. It is often the less serious of the two types of pneumonia, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Symptoms usually develop over a period of several days and are similar to the flu — a fever, dry cough, headache, sore throat, loss of appetite, and muscle pain. Additional complications may include a fever, a cough with mucus, and shortness of breath.

[lz_bulleted_list title=”Pneumonia in the U.S.” source=”http://www.lung.org”]53,282 deaths in 2013|3,550 people died of flu in 2013|8th leading cause of death|More women than men die from pneumonia and influenza|Mortality rate highest for those 65 and over[/lz_bulleted_list]

Those at a higher risk for pneumonia, which include the young, the elderly, and the immunocompromised, might consider getting both a pneumococcal and flu vaccine. This is important, as older people have a higher risk of getting pneumonia and are more likely to die from it if they do. Viral pneumonia is also the leading cause of hospitalization among infants throughout the world.

One’s chances of developing pneumonia are typically limited if one gets vaccinated — there are generally several versions available each year. Pneumonia vaccines target the spread of bacterial pneumonia; the flu shot helps protect you from the viral version. Once you have it, getting plenty of rest, finishing any course of medicine given, and drinking plenty of fluids are critical to fully and quickly recover.

Related: Hillary’s Pneumonia Diagnosis: Is That All There Is?

“The most important aspect of recuperation from bacterial pneumonia is gaining access to antibiotic therapy,” Dr. Amesh Adalja, a board-certified infectious disease physician at the University of Pittsburgh, told LifeZette.