Pneumonia symptoms in an adult?

[SprocketAndTubbs]

Hiya

Does anybody have any advice or experience of Pneumonia please?

My best friend's DS was diagnosed with Pneumonia last Wednesday, she's a single mum and I offered to take her other DS out for the day on Saturday.

Since Sunday I have been unwell, fine within myself but I have developed a heavy / wheezy chesty cough, literally overnight. This is unusual for me. I also have a searing pain down the right hand side of my chest, which feels like I have heartburn, but it's constant.

I googled the symptoms of Pneumonia, but I don't have a fever or confusion (well no more than usual!) and I am nowhere near as ill as my pal's poor DS, who was convulsing and was very withdrawn before being given strong anti-biotics.

To be honest, it's really sore but I don't want to waste the doctor's time if it could be something trivial. I understand that ultimately only my GP can make a diagnosis but any experience of these symptoms would be greatly appreciated. I don't want to make a fuss and am worried how I will cope with Christmas if I am poorly but I am driving myself mad with the coughing - I'm scared to cough because it's so painful afterwards but can't help it IYKWIM.

Thanks in advance

Hi, if it's sudden onset chest infection you should see a GP asap, especially if you have a pain in your chest (unless you think that you have pulled a muscle coughing). Pneumonia in adults should mean a fever but not always, but if you are feeling breathless, have difficulty finishing sentences or pain on breathing in you should seek medical attention as soon as possible. Otherwise it may be bronchitis, but that normally follows an earlier infection. You could try phoning NHS Direct for advice?

Thanks Salvo, I think I will ring NHS Direct, I was worried about over reacting. I don't have a fever, but the pain is really quite uncomfortable.

Fingers crossed and thanks again

i have had pneumonia twice. Does it hurt when you breathe in or out.
I had a really high temp and was coughing up buckets of green phlegm.My ears were bright red because i was so hot. I literally laid with my patio doors open in the middle of winter. Probably the worst thing i could do but my temp was over 40 and i felt ike i was going to die.I could hardly walk upstairs. if i laid in the bath with my head under the water ,i could hear my chest rattling.was ill for 2 months with it

It's horrible. I have just recovered from it, back to work this week. was off a fortnight and should have taken longer. yes the burning in the chest that you describe, I had pleurisy as well so couldn't breathe in properly because I had a stabbing pain through my chest. Dry cough that wouldn't stop, generally felt dreadful.
Best of luck to all.

yes GB you should have taken longer off work. Surely you arent fit after 2 weeks. I was still in bed at 2 weeks,just so weak. Dont do too much

I was off only a week after, (was in hospital a week, on oxygen for 4 days of that, then on AntiB's) mine was the result of complications from Swine Flu, my lung collapsed then was rushed into hospital and diagnosed with pneumonia.

I couldn't breathe in without severe sharp pain, which was there all the time, sharper on breathing in than out.

2 weeks on, feel normal now, but at the time had been ill for 4 weeks altogether, high temperature, coughing, dark green mucus.

i guess there are differing degrees of pneumonia and different strains. I carried on working when i probably had it and exacerbated the problem i think. But my boss was a swine and kept saying i just had a cough.

i caught a second bought 3 months later because i was so run down ( double pneumonia i think it was classed as)

Just to say thanks again, I contacted NHS Direct last night and I am going to my GP this morning on their advice (they wanted me to go to the out of hours doc last night, but I didn't have anybody to look after DS who was already in bed ).

They think I have a bad chest infection / am run down but not Pnumonia - phew! as the symptoms you all have describe sound horrendous. I hadn't realised how relatively easy it is to develop Pneumonia or that it was contagious until last night

Thanks again

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