What are the symptoms of pneumonia?
Pneumonia symptoms include a cough that often brings up yellow, green, or rust-colored mucus, fever and chills, shortness of breath, sharp chest pain when breathing or coughing, fatigue, and rapid breathing. In older adults it can appear as new confusion instead of fever.
The Symptom Picture
Pneumonia is an infection that inflames the air sacs of the lungs, filling them with fluid or pus. That fluid is what drives most of the symptoms. Common signs include:
- Cough — often productive, bringing up mucus that may be yellow, green, or rust-colored.
- Fever and chills — a raised temperature, sometimes with shaking chills or drenching sweats.
- Shortness of breath — feeling breathless during normal activity or, in worse cases, at rest.
- Chest pain — a sharp or stabbing pain that gets worse when you breathe deeply or cough.
- Fatigue — marked tiredness or weakness out of proportion to a common cold.
- Rapid or shallow breathing and, sometimes, a lower appetite or nausea.
What These Symptoms Mean
Fever and a productive cough reflect your body fighting the infection. Shortness of breath and rapid breathing mean the affected lung is not moving oxygen well, so your body speeds up to compensate. Sharp chest pain that tracks with breathing (pleuritic pain) suggests the inflammation has reached the lining of the lung. Pneumonia often follows a cold or flu that seemed to be improving and then suddenly got worse.
Which Symptoms Are Dangerous
Some symptoms signal that the infection is severe and needs emergency care:
- Breathlessness at rest or having to work hard to breathe.
- Bluish lips or fingernails — a sign of low blood oxygen.
- New confusion or drowsiness, which in adults over 65 may be the main clue instead of fever.
- Coughing up blood, a very high fever that will not break, or a racing heartbeat.
Symptoms Vary by Person
Older adults may run little or no fever and instead become confused, weak, or unsteady. Young children may breathe fast, grunt, flare their nostrils, or feed poorly. People with COPD, asthma, diabetes, or a weakened immune system can deteriorate faster, so watch their symptoms closely.
For a complete guide, see our pneumonia page. If symptoms are severe or worsening, Bellaire ER is open 24/7 at 5302 Bellaire Blvd with on-site chest X-ray. Walk in or call (713) 660-0001.