What Pneumonia Symptoms Feel Like

Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs spread through coughing, sneezing, touching, or breathing germy air or from inhaling foreign matter into the lungs. There are various types of pneumonia, but the three main types are bacterial, viral, and fungal.

It can be hard to know what pneumonia feels like since it typically presents with symptoms similar to other illnesses, such as coughing, difficulty breathing, and fever. Many types of pneumonia exist, and some symptoms can vary based on a person's age. However, pneumona symptoms are basically the same across multiple types.

Overall, healthcare providers will need to use risk factors and patient factors in addition to symptoms to confirm a diagnosis of pneumonia and what caused it. Here's what you need to know about pneumonia symptoms.

Common Symptoms

Common symptoms associated with pneumonia include:

• Chest pain
• Chills
• Coughing
• Difficulty breathing
• Fever
• Nausea or vomiting
• Sweating

Chest Discomfort or Pain

Chest pain is one of the most common pneumonia symptoms. You may experience sharp or stabbing pains in your chest. These pains can happen when you're breathing or coughing.

Chills

Chills may be a sign of pneumonia. If they also cause you to shake, the chills are known as rigors. Of note, walking pneumonia—which feels similar to a bad cold—may only result in mild chills, and chills may mostly happen in cases of viral pneumonia.

Cough

You can have a dry cough or a chesty, sputum-producing one. Sputum is thick mucus from your lungs, also known as phlegm.

Bacterial pneumonia may present with a cough, including sputum that has pus or blood. People with viral pneumonia are likely to have sputum that is watery or comes with pus.

Aspiration pneumonia happens when food, liquid, saliva, or vomit enters the lungs. Individuals with aspiration pneumonia may cough up foul-smelling, green, or dark sputum or sputum with pus or blood.

Fever

People with pneumonia can develop a fever, though it's more common in cases of viral pneumonia. At the same time, it's possible to not have a fever with the illness.

Shortness of Breath

If you have pneumonia, you may have difficulty breathing. If the infection is compromising your lung function, you may not be able to deliver enough oxygen to your blood. Some people require supplemental oxygen or treatments to help them breathe with pneumonia.

Sweaty or Clammy Skin

When your body tries to get rid of an infection like pneumonia, you can have profuse sweating or clammy skin. Even a person with aspiration pneumonia might sweat excessively.

Pay attention if sweaty skin occurs with pneumonia: It can be a sign of sepsis. Sepsis is a potentially life-threatening complication of pneumonia that occurs in response to bacteria in the blood.

Symptoms in Children

Much like adults, pneumonia in infants, toddlers, and young children may include fever, chills, or labored breathing. Signs of breathing problems for babies specifically include:

• Bluish skin and lips
• Grunting
• Inward muscle pulling between the ribs when breathing
• Nostril widening during each breath
• Rapid breathing
  

While you should watch out for the symptoms listed above in children, there are several less-specific symptoms to know, including:

• Abdominal pain
• Lack of energy
• Loss of appetite
• Poor feeding in infants who may then become dehydrated
• Vomiting

Pneumonia vs Bronchitis, Colds, and Influenza

Diagnosing pneumonia requires healthcare providers' knowledge of your medical history, a physical exam, and diagnostic testing like blood or sputum tests and chest X-rays. Because pneumonia shares symptoms with other illnesses, it can be hard to tell which condition you may have.

Below is a comparison of symptoms for pneumonia, bronchitis, colds, and the flu.

Recovering from Pneumonia

It can take one week to one or more months to recover from pneumonia. Many people may still experience tiredness for a month following recovery. Even when you feel better, consult a healthcare provider to determine your return to routine activities.

When To See a Healthcare Provider

If you believe you have symptoms of pneumonia, see a healthcare provider as soon as possible. Also, untreated pneumonia can be life-threatening. Seek medical attention for:

• Bluish lips or fingertips
• Chest pain
• Coughing that won't go away or gets worse
• Feeling worse following a cold or the flu
• High fever
• Shortness of breath
  

A Quick Review

There are many types of pneumonia, but they all share common symptoms, such as chest pain and difficulty breathing. Signs of the illness can vary across people of all ages, but it still takes time to recover from pneumonia.

The lung infection can also look like bronchitis, a cold, or the flu. See a healthcare provider if you think you have pneumonia or if you experience serious symptoms like bluish lips or coughing that worsens.