Bacterial Pneumonia

BACTERIAL PNEUMONIA

One common cause of pneumonia is bacterial infection. Bacterial pneumonia usually causes a cough that produces mucus from your lungs (sputum). Anyone can be infected, but some people stand a greater risk, including those who:

• suffer from a viral infection,
• have another respiratory disease, or
• are recovering from surgery.

Antibiotics are highly effective in treating bacterial pneumonia, so long as the bacteria are not resistant to the antibiotics. Most people see improvement within two to three days after beginning antibiotic treatment but some cases last longer, even with IV antibiotics.

Bacterial pneumonias, except for tuberculosis, are not very contagious. They can occur from bacteria normally found in your nose or throat which then spread to the lungs for a variety of reasons.

WHAT IS WALKING PNEUMONIA?

Though not a medical term, many people use this phrase to describe a mild form of pneumonia. One third of those who contract Mycoplasma pneumoniae (M. pneumoniae) bacteria develop this milder variation. Viruses can cause it too. Walking pneumonia lung infections occur most often in crowded settings such as schools, military barracks, nursing homes, and hospitals