 [ Symptoms ] neck inflammation and head tension…affecting my life [ Disease ] the word clear may be referring to two things one would be listening to the lungs and not hearing any abnormal sounds like crackling that would indicate pneumonia another would be a clear x ray pneumonia not being radiologically proven it is nice to have both to prove the diagnosis but medical provider often treat things provisionally feeling they are high risk like your mother and likely to get pneumonia or clinically having all of the signs and symptoms of pneumonia without any confirmation your mother may have been admitted because of her age her medical history and the fact that she was getting worse pneumonia may just be the admitting diagnosis but may not end up being her final diagnosis