Pneumonia in children: What you need to know
What To Know About Pneumonia As Queen Camilla Recovers From Chest Infection
Queen Camilla has been recovering from pneumonia over the last few weeks. (Getty Images)
Being struck down by a chest infection can be very unpleasant and, in some cases, dangerous - particularly if it turns out to be pneumonia.
The condition, usually caused by a viral or bacterial infection, isn't swift. Recovery can take up to four weeks, even for a healthy person. Babies, older people and those with heart or lung conditions are at risk of getting seriously ill from it.
Recently, Queen Camilla revealed that the chest infection she had been suffering from over the last few weeks was pneumonia. She fell ill after the royal tour of Australia and Samoa that she embarked on with King Charles III, and was forced to pull out of a series of engagements, including the Remembrance Day service at the Cenotaph on Sunday 10 November.
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According to The Telegraph, the Queen's condition was viral, not bacterial, and she has recovered from the illness but is still dealing with bouts of fatigue.
Queen Camilla was recovered enough from her bout of pneumonia to attend part of the Qatari State Visit alongside King Charles III. (Getty Images)
Pneumonia is common in the UK, with between five to 11 adults in every 1,000 getting it each year.
What is pneumonia and what are the symptoms?Pneumonia is an inflammation of the lungs, usually caused by an infection that can either be viral or bacterial. It can also sometimes be caused by a fungal infection, but this is rare in healthy people, the NHS says.
It may also be caused by something getting into your lungs, such as water or food. This is known as aspiration pneumonia.
Symptoms of pneumonia are quite similar to other chest infections, such as bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease flare-ups. They include:
Coughing up yellow or green phlegm
Feeling very tired (fatigue)
Making wheezing noises when you breathe - babies may make grunting noises
Feeling confused (common in older people)
Symptoms of pneumonia can include a cough and coughing up green or yellow phlegm. (Getty Images)
Dr Donald Grant, GP and senior clinical adviser at The Independent Pharmacy, also warns that pneumonia symptoms can be commonly mistaken for symptoms related to the cold winter weather.
He says: "Coughing, cold chills and shortness of breath can all be overlapping symptoms of the weather and this harmful illness. Untreated pneumonia can prove extremely risky to health - particularly towards older individuals and those with a compromised immune system. As a result, people suffering from pneumonia should seek antibiotic treatment from their GP."
Is pneumonia contagious?Only bacterial and viral pneumonia are contagious. You cannot catch pneumonia from someone who has it because of a fungal infection.
Pneumonia can be spread when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks, and a healthy person inhales the droplets.
There is also a milder form of pneumonia called 'walking pneumonia', which can be caused by a bacterial infection. It usually resembles a cold and is more common in children aged five to 15 years of age and adults below the age of 40.
How is pneumonia treated?Many people can recover from pneumonia at home but if you belong to a vulnerable group, you may be at higher risk of severe pneumonia. (Getty Images)
Pneumonia is usually treated with antibiotics, and clears up in most people within two to four weeks.
But certain groups of vulnerable people are more at risk of becoming seriously ill. These include babies, older people, and people with heart or lung conditions.
You may need to go to the hospital to get treatment for pneumonia if you belong to one of these groups, or if you are very unwell and have been coughing for three weeks or more.
In hospital, you may be given fluids and antibiotics, as well as oxygen to help you breathe. The doctor may send you to get an X-ray of your chest and order blood tests to check for other conditions.
If you are recovering from pneumonia at home, there are a number of things you can do to help with your recovery and avoid spreading it to others:
Stay at home and rest until you feel better
Avoid contact with other people if you have a high temperature
Take paracetamol or ibuprofen to help with pain or a high temperature
Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze
Put used tissues in the bin as quickly as possible
Wash your hands regularly with water and soap
There are several vaccines that can help you avoid catching an infection that can lead to pneumonia. (Getty Images)
There are four vaccines that can help protect you and your family from infections that can cause pneumonia.
These include:
Pneumococcal vaccineThis is recommended for babies, adults over 65, and people at higher risk of pneumococcal infections. It is available from the NHS, and your GP surgery will usually contact you if you or your child are eligible.
Flu vaccineThis is recommended during pregnancy, for adults over 65, people with certain long-term health conditions, and those at high risk of catching or passing on flu. It's offered on the NHS every year in autumn or early winter to people at higher risk of getting seriously ill from flu.
RSV vaccineThis is recommended for adults aged 75 to 79 and during pregnancy (from 28 weeks onwards). Your GP surgery will usually contact you about getting the RSV vaccine, if you are between 75 to 79 years old. If you are pregnant, you should be offered the RSV vaccine around the time of your 28-week antenatal appointment.
COVID-19 vaccinesThis is a seasonal vaccine recommended for people at increased risk from COVID-19. You may be offered a COVID-19 vaccine if you:
are aged 6 months to 64 years and have an increased risk of getting seriously ill from COVID-19 because of a health condition or treatment
live in a care home for older adults
are a frontline health or social care worker
Read more about health and wellness:
Chest Infection Or 'silent Killer'? GP Issues Urgent Warning Over 4 Signs Your 'bug' Might Be More Sinister
CHEST infections are not out of the norm for this time of year - but sometimes the symptoms could be a sign of something more sinister.
The NHS estimates one in five people will get a cough this winter, with cold, flu and chest infections in high circulation.
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Chest infections can develop after having a cold or flu, and most the time clear up within a few weeksCredit: Getty
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A long-term chesty cough could be a sign of a more serious conditionCredit: GettyA chesty cough that lingers with green or yellow phlegm can usually be attributed to a chest infection.
Other symptoms include wheezing, shortness of breath, chest pain and discomfort, aching muscles, a headache, tiredness, and a high temperature (38˚C or above).
Someone with a chest infection will typically feel unwell for up to 10 days and might need antibiotics, but they should normally begin to feel better after three weeks.
But GP Andy Whittamore, who's also clinical lead at Asthma + Lung UK, warned some people are mistakenly told they have a chest infection when their symptoms could be pointing to something potentially more serious.
Read more on winter illnessesHe explained: "A chest infection occurs most commonly when the lungs become infected with either a respiratory virus or a bacterial infection, and they are far more likely to occur in winter when flu and colds are rife.
"Sometimes people are mistakenly told they have a chest infection when, in fact, their symptoms are more aligned to an upper respiratory tract infection [infections of parts of the body involved in breathing]."
Dr Whittamore added the colder air also weakens the immune system and can trigger asthma attacks and flare-ups of other lung conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or bronchiectasis.
He said: "In patients with asthma and COPD or other lung conditions, an exacerbation of symptoms might be misdiagnosed as a chest infection.
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Mystery 'flu-like' disease 'targeting women & kids' kills 143 as WHO launch probe"Equally, these patients might be displaying signs of an underlying lung condition that has not yet been picked up."
COPD is a common lung disease that causes restricted airflow and breathing problems, and it's often described as a 'silent killer' because most patients are asymptomatic in the early stages.
I'm a doctor and these 5 changes could be a sign of deadly lung cancerThere are four main symptoms to look out for:
Bronchiectasis is a chronic lung condition that causes the airways of the lungs to widen and thicken, making it difficult to move air in and out of the lungs.
Deadly pneumonia riskIn some cases a chest infection can develop into pneumonia, which may require hospital admission.
Pneumonia is a lung infection that causes the air sacs in the lungs to fill with fluid or pus, making it difficult to breathe.
Dr Whittamore advised: "Common symptoms of pneumonia are a cough, difficulty breathing, a high temperature, chest pain, and loss of appetite."
Most people get better in two to four weeks, but babies, older people and people with heart or lung conditions are at risk of getting seriously ill.
Chest infection or lung cancer?Some symptoms of chest infections and lung cancer are similar, such as coughing and shortness of breath.
But one of the distinctive differences is someone with lung cancer may start to cough up blood, said Dr Whittamore.
Other signs that can accompany this are fatigue, loss of appetite, and unexplained weight loss.
Dr Whittamore said: "The problem is that, initially at least, some of the symptoms of lung cancer can mimic other illnesses or infections but the best course of action is to speak to your GP if you are concerned about your breathing and other symptoms that don't improve.
"If you have a cough that has lasted for more than three weeks, then you should get checked as a matter of urgency.
"It might be down to a simple infection, but it is essential to rule out other much more serious causes such as lung cancer, pneumonia, or a clot on the lung.
"If there is a possibility that you may have lung cancer, you will be referred for a chest X-ray and possibly a CT scan.
"The quicker lung cancer is diagnosed, the more treatment options are then available."
The NHS in England is currently rolling out a lung cancer screening initiative called the Targeted Lung Health Check programme, where current and former smokers aged between 55 and 74 are invited for a lung check, specifically to rule out lung cancer.
For more information on chest infections or concerns about breathing, visit www.Asthmaandlung.Org.Uk or call the charity helpline on 0300 222 5800.
Further information on lung cancer is available from the NHS.
'Silent killer' chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) - symptoms and causes
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a condition that makes breathing increasingly more difficult.
It develops slowly over many years so you may not be aware you have it at first.
The main symptoms are:
Symptoms usually get gradually worse over time, but there may be periods when your symptoms get suddenly worse.
COPD is usually associated with long-term exposure to harmful substances, such as cigarette smoke.
Other causes include fumes and dust at work, air pollution, and if you smoke and have a close relative with the condition.
If you have persistent symptoms, particularly if you're over 35 and smoke or used to smoke, see a GP.
There's currently no cure for COPD, the sooner treatment begins, the less change there is of severe lung damage.
Source: NHS
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Cigarette smoke can increase your risk of developing COPDCredit: Getty'My Cough Was Dismissed As A Chest Infection But It Was Actually Lung Cancer'
Dave Marcus, 57, was suffering from a persistent cough but medical staff just thought he had a chest infection (Image: Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation© SWNS)
A non-smoker was left stunned when what he thought was a persistent cough due to a chest infection turned out to be lung cancer. Initially prescribed antibiotics and having undergone surgery for a hernia caused by the constant coughing, Dave Marcus' condition did not improve.
The 57-year-old shared, "Even by this point, I wasn't concerned about my cough. After the hernia operation, the cough had become quite mild."
He continued, "I'd cough occasionally through the day and night. It wasn't aggressive, just persistent. If anything, it was more irritating than worrisome. It never felt ominous. I think that's why lung cancer was never in my mind, and why would it be? I hadn't smoked so why would I get lung cancer?"
It was only after his partner Emelie, who was undergoing treatment for colon cancer, urged him to seek a second opinion that he spoke to a doctor through his employer, Teladoc Health. This consultation in October led to the shocking discovery of a 7.8cm tumour in his lungs.
His symptom then become so serve that it caused a hernia but even after having surgery to remove it, he continued coughing (Image:
Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation© SWNS)Reflecting on the experience, Dave, from Knutsford in Cheshire, said: "This doctor took things much more seriously, especially given the length of time I had had this cough. He insisted I see a respiratory consultant. That's when I got the biggest shock of my life."
Dave said he initially ignored the warning signs due to the fact he was not a smoker. He admitted: "It's a sobering thought to think how close things got," and "So much of that is down to the perception of lung cancer – or lack of understanding around this type of cancer."
He confessed: "I was so focused on the fact that I had never smoked that I, unintentionally, ignored the clearest of warning signs – a persistent cough. But I wasn't alone in this thinking."
Dave was not a smoker - something that meant he never even considered he could have lung cancer (Image:
Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation© SWNS)He said: "It wasn't until I got that second opinion that lung cancer became a possibility. It's definitely time we stop thinking about lung cancer in this way. I am proof that it can happen to anyone and catching it early means there's life after lung cancer."
Dave is now backing the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation's "Let Go of the Labels" campaign for lung cancer awareness month, which aims to eliminate terms like smoker and never-smoker.
The NHS lists symptoms of lung cancer other than a cough as; recurring chest infections, coughing up blood, pain when breathing or coughing, constant breathlessness, chronic tiredness or lack of energy, loss of appetite or unexplained weight loss. If you have any symptoms including a cough that lasts longer than three weeks, you should consult your GP.
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