Dr. Greene’s Answer: The word pneumonia sounds alarm bells in
many parents. It is understandably disturbing, because some
pneumonias are quite serious, particularly in those whose immune
system is vulnerable (newborns, the elderly, and people with
AIDS). The good news is that the great majority of pneumonias in
children and adolescents are easily treatable. Pneumonia simply
means inflammation in the lung. It can be caused by
microorganisms, viruses, chemical irritants, or foreign bodies.
The phrase “walking pneumonia” refers to a group of pneumonias
that, even if untreated, would not usually need bed rest or
hospitalization. They can, however, make someone feel miserable
with a severe cough, fever, chills, headache, and abdominal pain
and they can last a long time. When physicians diagnose someone
with walking pneumonia, they are usually referring to an
infection with an organism called Mycoplasma pneumoniae. (Apart
from being a pain, mycoplasmas are kind of cool. They are the
smallest self-replicating biolog