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VERIFIED CONTENTAuthor: Karolina Karabin, MD, PhD, molecular biologist, laboratory diagnostician, nutrition and lifestyle consultant

Common symptoms of pneumonia are cough and high fever. However, can pneumonia be without obvious symptoms? It turns out that it is, and it is colloquially called asymptomatic pneumonia. How to recognize and treat asymptomatic pneumonia? Can it be as dangerous as ordinary pneumonia?

Typical pneumonia is characterized, among others, by cough and high fever, but sometimes it may take an unusual form where symptoms are weak or not very specific. Then such pneumonia is commonly called asymptomatic pneumonia.

Causes of pneumonia

Pneumonia is a disease of the lower respiratory tract, where inflammation occurs in the alveoli of the lungs and the surrounding tissues. Pneumonia is most often caused by a microbial infection and can range from mild to life-threatening.

The severity of symptoms usually depends on the individual's he alth status, with more severe symptoms occurring in immunocompromised people or suffering from lung diseases.

Asymptomatic pneumonia - symptoms

As inflammation continues, the alveoli are filled with secretions. In this case, your natural instinct is to cough to remove excess airway secretion. For this reason, coughing is one of the hallmarks of pneumonia.

Other common symptoms of pneumonia include:

  • high fever,
  • chills,
  • night sweats,
  • shortness of breath,
  • shallow breathing,
  • chest pain,
  • physical weakness.

In asymptomatic pneumonia, the above symptoms may not be present or may be mild. In addition, in the case of asymptomatic pneumonia, symptoms such as:

  • nausea,
  • diarrhea,
  • stomach ache,
  • feeling broken,
  • feeling unwell,
  • feeling of lack of air,
  • mild cough,
  • feeling anxious.

Asymptomatic pneumonia may be especially concernedyoung children and the elderly due to their reduced immunity. These people may have a cough, but it is very weak and easily mistaken for a common allergy or cold.

It is worth emphasizing that the absence of fever and other characteristic symptoms of pneumonia does not necessarily mean that the disease is not severe.

Causes of asymptomatic pneumonia

Pneumonia is most often caused by microorganisms that we get infected through direct contact (e.g. contaminated hands) or by droplets through contact with an infected person.

Pneumonia is usually caused by bacteria, most often Streptococcus pneumoniae, called pneumococci. Pneumonia can also occur as a result of a secondary bacterial infection, e.g. after infection with the influenza virus - bacteria can then multiply more easily causing inflammation.

Sometimes pneumonia can be caused by atypical microorganisms such as Klebsiella pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Chlamydia pneumoniae, or Legionella bacteria.

Very rarely, pneumonia can be caused by parasites or fungi. It mainly happens when the immune system is very weakened, e.g. as in people suffering from AIDS.

In addition, there is aspiration pneumonia, which is caused by foreign bodies in the respiratory tract. Usually it is food or vomit that enters the lungs from the throat. This irritates the respiratory tract and lung tissue, increasing the risk of bacterial contamination.

Asymptomatic pneumonia - diagnosis

Pneumonia is diagnosed on the basis of clinical symptoms and physical examination. Chest X-ray is an auxiliary examination in the initiation of pneumonia. This test should be performed before the treatment is started in order not to expose the patient to unnecessary effects of treatment.

Other tests supporting the diagnosis of pneumonia include blood tests such as CRP protein, blood count, procalcitonin. In selected clinical situations, it is also necessary to perform a microbiological examination of the sputum.

Asymptomatic Pneumonia - Treatment

As asymptomatic pneumonia is mainly caused by bacteria, antibiotic therapy is usually the primary and effective treatment.

In addition, a person suffering from pneumonia should quit smoking, get plenty of rest and drink enough fluids.

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Category:

Respiratory system