Pneumonia is an infection that causes lung inflammation and affects the respiratory system. Acute pneumonia is a short-term infection of the lungs. In most cases, the symptoms of acute pneumonia will appear suddenly. Many people get the lung infection from being in the hospital, and this type of pneumonia is noted as hospital-acquired. People who get pneumonia who have not recently been hospitalized are said to have community-acquired pneumonia, which is the most common way the infection is transmitted.
The causes of acute pneumonia can vary. Pneumonia can be caused by a virus, bacteria, some kind of parasite, or a fungus. Most often, the infection is caused by a virus, like the flu, or more often by a bacterium known as Streptococcus pneumoniae. In general, it is the inhalation of bacteria in the lungs that causes the appearance of acute pneumonia. The bacteria usually reach the lungs through entry through the eyes, nose, and mouth.
People with acute pneumonia usually have symptoms that come on very quickly. A severe cough, which may be accompanied by thick mucus, is a very common symptom. Most people will also have a fever, which can get quite high. Some people with pneumonia will feel fatigued, have body aches, lose their appetite, and experience chills and sweats. Pleurisy, which is inflammation of the lung tissue that often causes chest pain when breathing, can be another symptom.
A doctor will usually perform a complete medical exam on a person with suspected acute pneumonia. He or she will pay special attention to the sound of the patient's lungs by listening with a stethoscope. Blood tests may also be done to examine the patient's white blood cells, which can indicate the level of infection present. A chest x-ray, one of the more generic diagnostic tools used to detect pneumonia, will also usually be done. The test will be done to visually analyze the amount of infection in the lungs.
Antibiotics may be used to treat a case of acute pneumonia. Sometimes, hospitalization will be necessary to treat the infection. This is often the case if a person is elderly, has an existing health condition, or is experiencing very complicated symptoms, such as extreme weakness, shortness of breath, dehydration, or a very high temperature. These patients can receive intravenous medications and respiratory treatments if necessary. Most people will recover from a short-term or acute case of pneumonia after completing the prescribed course of treatment, and some may need to be followed for a period after treatment to ensure that the infection has resolved completely.