Pneumonia is a serious lung infection that can become life-threatening if left untreated. Going to the doctor right away when you have symptoms of pneumonia is crucial for proper diagnosis and treatment. Ignoring symptoms and delaying medical care can allow pneumonia to progress, causing serious complications.
Symptoms of Pneumonia
The most common symptoms of pneumonia include:
- Cough with phlegm or mucus
- Fever, chills, and sweats
- Shortness of breath
- Sharp or stabbing chest pain with breathing
- Feeling very tired
In more severe cases, symptoms can also include:
- Lower than normal body temperature (in the elderly)
- Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea
- Confusion and changes in mental awareness (in the elderly)
What Happens Over Time Without Treatment
If pneumonia is left untreated, symptoms will progressively get worse over the first few days. A mild cough can turn into an uncontrollable cough with copious amounts of phlegm. Fevers typically worsen and breathing becomes more labored. Here is a general timeline of what to expect if pneumonia goes untreated:
- Days 1-3: Symptoms start manifesting and gradually worsen. Cough and fever predominate.
- Days 4-6: Cough produces thick yellow or green mucus. Breathing becomes difficult with routine tasks.
- Days 7-8: Very high fevers may occur with profuse sweating. Chest pain worsens significantly.
- Days 9+: Extreme difficulty breathing, mental confusion, and cyanosis (blue tinge to skin) as oxygen levels drop.
Potential Complications
As pneumonia progresses without medical intervention, a number of dangerous complications can occur:
- Respiratory failure – Fluid builds up in air sacs and oxygen levels plummet. This requires mechanical ventilation.
- Sepsis – Localized lung infection spreads throughout the body via the bloodstream.
- Abscess – Pockets of pus form in the lungs, requiring drainage.
- Pleural effusion – Fluid around the lungs puts pressure on breathing.
- Empyema – Pus collects between the lung and chest cavity, compressing the lung.
Respiratory failure from pneumonia is fatal without swift medical intervention. Sepsis has a mortality rate of up to 50% even with treatment.
When to Seek Emergency Care
If you have symptoms of pneumonia, call your doctor right away to get examined and tested. Pneumonia can rapidly take a turn for the worse. Seek emergency care immediately if you experience:
- Trouble breathing or chest tightness at rest
- Bluish color in lips or fingernails
- Rapid heart rate and confusion
- Inability to keep down fluids due to vomiting
- Chest pain that worsens with breathing
Do not delay emergency care if pneumonia seems severe, as respiratory failure can occur in just hours. Call 911 or have someone drive you to the ER.
Diagnosis at the Doctor’s Office
If you seek medical care quickly at the first signs of pneumonia, your doctor can diagnose and treat you appropriately. Diagnosis involves:
- Medical history – Discussion about symptoms and overall health.
- Physical exam – Listening to lungs and checking vitals.
- Chest x-ray – Looks for lung abnormalities indicative of pneumonia.
- Pulse oximetry – Measures oxygen saturation levels in blood.
- Lab tests – Sputum and blood cultures help identify the infectious cause.
Your doctor will use these results to confirm if pneumonia is present and determine the best course of treatment.
Pneumonia Treatment
Treatment for pneumonia involves:
- Antibiotics – Prescribed to fight the underlying lung infection based on what bacteria or virus is causing symptoms.
- Cough medicine – Helps manage severe coughing and discomfort.
- Fever reducers – Bring down high fevers associated with pneumonia.
- Fluids – Hydration is important, as pneumonia often reduces appetite.
- Rest – Recovering from pneumonia can take several weeks. Rest is key.
Most cases of pneumonia can be treated on an outpatient basis with oral antibiotics, lots of rest, and good hydration. However, hospitalization is often needed for more severe cases where oxygen levels are very low or complications develop. Treatment in the hospital may involve:
- Intravenous antibiotics
- Oxygen supplementation
- Chest tube drainage if large pleural effusions or empyema are present
- ICU care for respiratory failure, including mechanical ventilation
Recovery Timeline with Pneumonia Treatment
With prompt medical treatment, most symptoms of pneumonia improve within 1-3 days, though cough often persists for weeks. Here is the usual recovery timeline:
- 1-3 days: Fever comes down and breathing starts improving with antibiotics.
- 1 week: Appetite returns, fatigue decreases, cough becomes more productive.
- 2 weeks: Chest pain is much reduced and bouts of coughing are less frequent.
- 1 month: Cough finally resolves but fatigue may still linger, especially with exertion.
Despite treatment, pneumonia recovery can be very prolonged in the elderly or those with compromised immune systems. Complete recovery can take 2 months or more.
Can Pneumonia Be Fatal?
Yes, untreated pneumonia can absolutely be fatal. Even with treatment, pneumonia causes thousands of deaths every year. The risk of dying from pneumonia is higher in:
- Children under age 2
- Adults over age 65
- Those with weak immune systems from chronic diseases or immunosuppressant medications
The overall pneumonia mortality rate is between 1-5%, but approaches 30-50% in those requiring intensive care for respiratory failure and sepsis.
Preventing Pneumonia
You can reduce your pneumonia risk by:
- Getting vaccinated against pneumonia and flu.
- Avoiding smoking and practicing good hand hygiene.
- Treating underlying medical conditions like COPD and asthma.
- Recovering well from respiratory infections and avoiding new ones.
Vaccines are especially important for the elderly and younger children. The CDC recommends the following pneumonia vaccines:
- PCV13 for children under 2 years.
- PPSV23 for adults 65+ years.
Getting an annual flu shot is another key prevention strategy, as the flu often progresses into pneumonia.
Conclusion
Pneumonia causes significant mortality each year, but most deaths can be prevented with early diagnosis and treatment. If you develop symptoms like fever, cough, and shortness of breath, see a doctor right away. Getting diagnosed within 1-3 days of symptom onset gives pneumonia antibiotics the greatest chance of success. Delaying treatment allows the infection to proliferate and serious complications to develop. While pneumonia recovery may be prolonged even with proper treatment, the outcome is infinitely better than permanent lung damage or death from untreated pneumonia. With medical care in time, the vast majority of pneumonia cases can lead to a full recovery.