Pneumonia is characterized by inflammation of the lungs and may be caused by a variety of bacteria, viruses, and other agents, as well as exposure to certain irritants and irradiation. Oftentimes the disease follows a bout of the flu or a common cold, and the symptoms of pneumonia are frequently similar to those of these less severe illnesses, which can make it difficult for many individuals to realize that something more serious is wrong.

Patients with bacterial or viral pneumonia typically experience a cough that will not go away and may have difficulty breathing, fever, chest pain, fatigue, muscle pain, and chills. When the disease is caused by mycoplasma or fungi, however, few symptoms are usually present, and those that are tend to occur in relatively mild forms.

The likelihood that an individual will contract pneumonia depends upon many different factors, as does the severity of the disease when it does occur. Risk of the disease is particularly elevated for the elderly and for very young children whose immune systems are still in an immature state. Similarly, anyone who has a compromised immune system due to other diseases, such as HIV or AIDS, or to certain medications are also more likely to develop pneumonia.

Treatment for pneumonia varies depending upon the cause, with antibiotics being the primary therapy utilized for bacterial and mycoplasma forms. Bed rest and the ingestion of lots of fluids are usually recommended for other varieties of the illness, though over-the-counter medications may also be used to provide symptomatic relief. With adequate treatment, most healthy individuals recover fully from pneumonia. However, more than 60,000 Americans die of the disease each year.

When inflammation of the lungs is persistent or recurs periodically after treatment, the condition is generally referred to as chronic pneumonia rather than simply pneumonia. Chronic pneumonia tends to develop more slowly than other types of the illness, often over the course of several weeks. An array of microorganisms, including several types of bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and helminths, as well as other non-infectious causes may be responsible for an individual developing the disease. Many of the microorganisms that cause chronic pneumonia are only endemic to certain areas, a fact that often aids in narrowing down the identity of the causal agent.

Chronic Pneumonia at 40x Magnification - Inhabitants of certain locales experience an increased risk of contracting pneumonia from agents that are endemic in those areas. For example, a pneumonia-causing fungus common in the Ohio and Mississippi River Valleys most commonly affects individuals living in those regions.

Chronic Pneumonia at 20x Magnification - A number of factors can place individuals at an increased risk for developing chronic pneumonia, including smoking, drinking, drug abuse, and exposure to various toxic fumes and chemicals.

Chronic Pneumonia at 10x Magnification - A variety of procedures are typically carried out to aid in the diagnosis of chronic pneumonia, including sputum smears and cultures, skin testing, serologic testing, and sometimes as a final resort invasive diagnostic methods, such as biopsy or translaryngeal aspiration.