Viral PneumoniaMedical Author:
Heather Murphy-Lavoie, MD, FAAEM
Medical Editor:
Scott H Plantz, MD, FAAEM
Medical Editor:
Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD
Medical Editor:
Anthony Anker, MD, FAAEM
Viral Pneumonia OverviewPneumonia is an infection or inflammation of the lungs. It can be in just one part of the lungs, or it can involve many parts. Pneumonia is caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other microorganisms. The severity of pneumonia depends on which organism is causing the infection. Viral pneumonias are usually not very serious, but they can be life-threatening in very old and very young patients, and in people whose immune systems are weak. Even severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), which is believed to have a viral cause, has caused very few deaths (approximately 3-4% of all cases) as of March 19, 2003. For the latest information on this illness, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site. Viewer Comments & ReviewsViral Pneumonia - SymptomsThe eMedicineHealth physician editors ask:What symptoms did you experience with viral pneumonia? |
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Viral Pneumonia
Bacterial Pneumonia Overview
Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs. People with pneumonia usually complain of coughing, mucus production, fever, shortness of breath, and/or chest pain.
- Your body's immune system usually keeps bacteria from infecting your lungs. In bacterial pneumonia, bacteria reproduce in your lungs, while your body tries to fight off the infection. This response to bacterial invaders is called inflammation.
- When the inflammation occurs in the alveoli (microscopic air sacs in the lungs), they fill with fluid. Your lungs become less elastic and cannot take oxygen into the blood or remove carbon dioxide from the blood as efficiently as usual.
- When the alveoli don't work efficiently, your lungs are less able to extract oxygen from the air. This causes the feeling of being short of breath (dyspnea), which is one of the most common symptoms of pneumonia. Inflammation, your body's...
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Pneumonia, Viral »
Viral respiratory tract infections are the most common cause of symptomatic human disease among children and adults.
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