You may associate pneumonia with the melodrama of a soap opera:
prolonged hospital stays, oxygen tents, and family members
whispering in bedside huddles. It's true that pneumonia can be
serious. But more often pneumonia is an infection that can be
easily treated at home without a hospital stay. What Is
Pneumonia? Pneumonia (pronounced: noo-mow-nyuh) is an infection
of the lungs. When someone has pneumonia, lung tissue can fill
with pus and other fluid, which makes it difficult for oxygen in
the lung's air sacs to reach the bloodstream. With pneumonia, a
person may have difficulty breathing and have a cough and fever;
occasionally, chest or abdominal pain and vomiting are symptoms,
too. Pneumonia is commonly caused by viruses, such as the
influenza virus(flu) and adenovirus. Other viruses, such as
respiratory syncytial virus(RSV), are common causes of pneumonia
in young children and infants. Bacteria such as Streptococcus
pneumoniae can cause pneumonia, too. People with bacterial
pneumonia are usually sicker t