Amanda Wilde (Host): Pneumonia is a lung infection, and it can range from mild to life threatening, and it can affect anyone of any age. Find out about pneumonia, what causes it, how to treat it, and how to prevent it with the Director of the Infectious Disease Division at Flushing Hospital Medical Center, Dr. Javeria Shakil. Welcome to Flushing Hospital Med Talk, a podcast from Flushing Hospital Medical Center. I'm Amanda Wilde. Hello, Dr. Shakil. Thank you so much for joining us.

Javeria Shakil, MD: Good morning. Thank you so much for having me today.

Host: So glad to have an expert on pneumonia, something that has been around forever, but is hard to really understand exactly what it is. So first, can you start us off by explaining pneumonia in easy terms?

Javeria Shakil, MD: So as you mentioned earlier when you were giving the introduction, pneumonia is an infection that inflames your lungs, air sacs. These air sacs then end up getting up filled with fluid and in rare cases with pus and they can cause symptoms such as cough, fever, chills, difficulty breathing. That is actually what pneumonia does to the lungs. It's a disease which is caused by a various virus or bacteria.

Host: So it can be a viral or bacterial infection.

Javeria Shakil, MD: That's actually correct. If it's caused by a virus, we use the term viral pneumonia. If it's caused by a bacteria, we use the term bacterial pneumonia.

Host: Are there other types of pneumonia?

Javeria Shakil, MD: There are other types of pneumonia. It can also be caused by certain fungus. And in that case, we call it a fungal pneumonia. And there is another term. That I'm sure you might have heard or not, it's called walking pneumonia.

Host: Yeah, which doesn't sound quite as bad as pneumonia, is that, am I right to think of it that way?

Javeria Shakil, MD: That is correct. That is correct. That's a mild form of pneumonia.

Host: Okay, it sounds a little gentler, like you'll get around, but you'll still have pneumonia.

Javeria Shakil, MD: Yes, hence the term walking pneumonia comes, it's because people generally tend to go by their day to day activities. It does not affect them as much as the regular other types of pneumonia, hence the term walking pneumonia comes for it.

Host: So is pneumonia something you can pass from one person to another?

Javeria Shakil, MD: Yes, as pneumonia is caused by a virus or a bacteria; it can go in the same way that other virus or bacteria can spread. Usually it happens through secretions from cough or if a person who is infected sneezes or talks loudly and it releases small particles in the air. People can inhale those particles and then contract pneumonia.

The other way that it can happen is if they touch a contaminated surface that was, that had that infection or infected material on that surface and you touch your hand and then with the same hand, accidentally you touch your nose or your mouth, you can contract pneumonia too. Though I must say this is a less likely form of contracting pneumonia, but still it can happen.

Host: So it sounds a lot like what we learned about COVID, it's coming through droplets in the air when people are laughing or sneezing or even talking.

Javeria Shakil, MD: COVID is another virus and, you know, COVID can cause pneumonia too. So it's just like that.

Host: Okay, so other illnesses like COVID can lead to the development of pneumonia.

Javeria Shakil, MD: Yes, it can. All these virus such as influenza, we will see, you know, we are in fall and winter and we see a rise in the influenza virus. We see people get, then tend to get, pneumonia after that. So all these viruses and other certain illnesses can lead to the development of pneumonia as well.

Host: So what are the most common symptoms of pneumonia, or can someone actually not have symptoms?

Javeria Shakil, MD: First, let me explain to you the more common symptoms of pneumonia. The first one that is very common that we see early on is cough. People may have cough that may produce mucus, which may be clear or which may have yellow or greenish color. Then there is fever. Fever can be as low as 100.4 to go as high as 105, which we rarely see, to be honest with you. A very important symptom and that should absolutely at no question that should be ignored is shortness of breath. Shortness of breath presents because these, as I was telling, the air sacs get filled with water and or pus.

And this shortness of breath usually gets worsened with activity, with coughing. So that's a very important symptom and that should not be ignored at all. Another symptom that can happen is chest pain, especially during activity when somebody's coughing or breathing heavily, they might get some chest pain. Shaking chills, fatigue, sweating. These are the common symptoms of pneumonia. And yes, there might be certain cases and certain examples where, you know, pneumonia may not present with the typical symptoms, especially in mild cases or in, you know, certain population, like the elderly or very young kids or people who have weakened immune system, it may not initially show the same exact symptoms that I just discussed.

Host: Well that actually leads to my next question, which is, who is most at risk for developing pneumonia and, or developing complications from that pneumonia?

Javeria Shakil, MD: So again, as I mentioned earlier people who have weakened immune system, people who have underlying lung diseases, children usually younger than two years of age, elderly people who are on certain medications, people who have underlying medical problems that they are taking certain medications that can weaken their immune systems; they are at a high risk of developing pneumonia and therefore at a high risk of developing the complications of pneumonia.

Host: Now how does someone know if they have pneumonia? I mean, we've talked about symptoms that if you have them, they're going to be pretty intense it sounds like, including shortness of breath and chest pain and cough and mucus. But is there a test to confirm, oh, this is what it is?

Javeria Shakil, MD: Yes, definitely. Other than the symptoms that I mentioned, That's a variety of symptoms. It can range from cough to shortness of breath and everything. Not necessarily that one person will have all those symptoms. Every person will respond differently, especially depending on what type of bacteria or viral or what type of pneumonia they have.

Some will have very little symptoms, some will not. And, other than the examination that is done at their doctor's office, we have certain tests that we can run in the blood and also a chest x-ray is done to confirm that. And apart from that, we might take a sample of the phlegm to analyze what is growing in that to confirm the diagnosis.

Host: Let's talk a little bit about prevention or minimizing risks. Is there a vaccine, first of all, for pneumonia?

Javeria Shakil, MD: Yes, there is a vaccine that can be taken. And, uh, there are certain criteria that are recommended of certain age groups and certain medical conditions for sure that, that vaccine is recommended.

Host: And what can all of us do to minimize the risks of getting pneumonia? I mean, we were, we alluded to COVID earlier. I mean, obviously you want to hand wash and be as germ free as possible. Is there anything else we can do?

Javeria Shakil, MD: Yes. The biggest one you just mentioned, hand hygiene, washing your hands. We go out in crowded spaces. We don't know what we touch. So make sure we wash the hands. That I think is a very important prevention in any disease, not just pneumonia, wearing masks around especially sick people.

If you know somebody's sick, you have to just wear a mask. Covering your mouth while sneezing and coughing. Quit smoking if you are smoking and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Drink plenty of fluids, exercise. All these little factors, they help a lot in the long run.

Host: Because you're building that immune system.

Javeria Shakil, MD: Yes and you're preventing further spread of it.

Host: Now, if someone does develop pneumonia, what should they do? For example, we were talking about walking pneumonia being milder. Well, does that mean you can walk to your job and function normally, go to the store, or should you stay away from other people?

Javeria Shakil, MD: Walking pneumonia is definitely a milder form, but that does not mean that you should go and do all these strenuous things that you normally do in your day to day. You definitely need to rest. You need to see your doctor. Walking pneumonia can be caused by virus or it's usually caused by a bacteria called mycoplasma pneumoniae.

And in that case, you will need antibiotics. So you should go and see your doctor and see what type and what they will be able to tell you and then they will be able to give you the appropriate treatment.

Host: And what forms of treatment there to address pneumonia? 

Javeria Shakil, MD: Pneumonia, usually you have the antibiotics. That's usually taken when you, especially if you have bacterial pneumonia. Sometimes we see a viral pneumonia that can develop into a bacterial pneumonia. But even if you have a flu influenza virus or something like that, your doctor might prescribe you certain antiviral medications to prevent for development of pneumonia and to take care of it in the very early phase.

Host: Well, it's been around forever, and it looks like it will be with us a while longer, would you say?

Javeria Shakil, MD: Oh yes, definitely.

Host: An ancient disease.

Javeria Shakil, MD: Yes.

Host: And has it gotten worse in any ways over time? Has it evolved at all?

Javeria Shakil, MD: We have seen a lot more virus and a lot more bacteria that can cause it. And as we see that, we are making more and more medications to take care of that. So, it has evolved in the sense that we are seeing more organisms causing it, but at the same time, we are seeing, more medications coming to take care of that as well.

Host: Well thank you for this guide and information on how to understand pneumonia, Dr. Shakil.

Javeria Shakil, MD: Thank you very much. I'm happy to be with you today.

Host: Dr. Javeria Skakil is the Director of the Infectious Disease Division at Flushing Hospital Medical Center. If you are experiencing symptoms of pneumonia, you should see your physician for appropriate treatment options. To schedule an appointment with a physician at Flushing Hospital Medical Center, please call 718-670-5486.

For more information about the services Flushing Hospital offers, visit our website at flushinghospital.org/podcasts. All content of this podcast is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult a medical professional before adopting any of the suggestions discussed in this podcast. This is Flushing Hospital's Med Talk, a podcast from Flushing Hospital Medical Center.