FAMILY MEDICINE® COLUMN
By John C. Wolf, D.O.
Associate Professor of Family Medicine®
Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine

["WALKING PNEUMONIA" USUALLY HAS GOOD PROGNOSIS ]

Question: I have had a cough and have felt sick for the last few days, but not sick enough to stay home from work. After I had an X-ray, my doctor told me that I have walking pneumonia. I know that people die from pneumonia. I'm worried. Should I be concerned about dying from this?

Answer: Pneumonia is a term that describes a disorder of the lungs. It is usually the result of a bacterial or viral infection and can sometimes be caused by a fungal infection. It's also possible to have pneumonia as a result of a chemical irritation to the lungs.

There are about 3 million reported cases of pneumonia each year. The majority of these are in young children or people 60 and over, but individuals of all ages do get pneumonia. Regardless of the cause, pneumonia is a significant and often serious illness. Cough, shortness of breath, chest discomfort and general fatigue are typical symptoms.

Walking pneumonia is a slang term, not a medical one, which describes an illness that is generally mild. The infected person is still walking about. Your ability to continue to work while sick with pneumonia is characteristic of walking pneumonia. While the term does not describe the cause of the lung infection, this type of pneumonia is often due to a virus rather than bacteria.

I think you should go ahead and make your car payment this month, because you are not going to die from your walking pneumonia. Certainly pneumonia can be a fatal illness, but this typically occurs in those who have significant additional health problems such as AIDS, chronic lung disease or cancer. There are also a few very aggressive strains of bacteria and viruses that can rapidly kill a previously healthy person. Fortunately, these illnesses are rare, and they certainly make you sufficiently sick that the condition would never be called walking pneumonia.

Despite the milder nature of walking pneumonia, it often takes six weeks to totally recover, even when antibiotics are prescribed. By total recovery, I mean a return to your normal level of energy and physical endurance.

Walking pneumonia can be a complication of flu, so one of the important things you can do for your health as well as for the health of those around you is to get a flu shot this year. Now is the time to do this, since the immunity it provides only last about six months. A flu shot gives protection against the most severe forms of influenza that are expected to be common this winter. Unfortunately, it will not protect you from all forms of influenza or from other causes of respiratory tract infections.

Another shot you should consider is pneumonia immunization. This shot doesn't protect you from all pneumonia, but it does protect against the most severe forms caused by the pneumococcal bacteria. Ask your doctor about pneumonia shots if you have a chronic heart or lung problem or are 65 or older, since individuals in these groups are at the greatest risk of contracting this potentially deadly form of pneumonia.

Family Medicine® is a weekly column. To submit questions, write to John C. Wolf, D.O., Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Grosvenor Hall, Athens, Ohio 45701.