Do you have a runny nose with pneumonia?

Written by Wang Chun Mei
Pulmonology
Updated on April 26, 2025
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In clinical settings, pneumonia patients exhibit varying accompanying symptoms depending on the type of pneumonia. Particularly in very young infants, the early symptoms might primarily include nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, and even fever, without obvious coughing symptoms. In some newborns, pneumonia can be diagnosed through auscultation at this stage. In adults, certain types of pneumonia, such as those caused by viral infections, may not receive timely and effective anti-infective or antiviral treatment initially. In these cases, the condition can worsen and spread, leading to pneumonia, with some patients also experiencing symptoms of a runny nose. Of course, conditions like most cases of mycoplasma pneumonia, bacterial pneumonia, and lung abscesses that cause pulmonary inflammation usually do not involve a runny nose. Therefore, in clinical practice, if pneumonia is accompanied by a runny nose, it is usually due to specific circumstances of the illness.

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Can pneumonia recur?

Can pneumonia recur? It should be decided based on an individual's constitution. If one has normal immunity and a good constitution, generally, it will not recur after recovery. If one is frail or has low immunity, there is also a certain chance of recurrence clinically. Therefore, it is important to timely adjust the constitution and enhance immunity. One should drink more water, quit smoking and alcohol, avoid exposure to smoke, dust, second-hand smoke, and irritating chemicals, and do more aerobic and endurance exercises. This can help improve the body's immune capabilities and aid in disease recovery.

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Pediatric pneumonia nursing measures

The nursing measures for children's pneumonia include ensuring indoor air circulation, maintaining a temperature between 18 to 24 degrees Celsius, and keeping humidity at 60%. Nutritionally rich diets should be provided. For severely ill children who have difficulty eating, parenteral nutrition can be given. Nursing care should include regular changes in position to reduce lung congestion, frequent back patting to help absorb inflammation and expel phlegm, isolation to prevent cross-infection, and attention to the replenishment and correction of water and electrolytes. Electrolyte imbalance should be addressed, and proper fluid supplementation can also help in opening the airways, but it is important to ensure that the infusion rate is not too fast as it may increase the burden on the heart.

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Is pneumonia contagious?

Pneumonia can be divided into many types, including viral pneumonia, bacterial pneumonia, and those caused by special bacteria such as tuberculosis bacillus, and atypical bacteria such as Legionella, Mycoplasma, Chlamydia, etc. Generally, pneumonia does not cause large-scale disseminated transmission, because most people have normal immune systems that can resist these less virulent bacteria; however, in populations with lower immunity, inhaling droplets from patients with bacterial pneumonia can potentially lead to pneumonia. However, pneumonias caused by "SARS", anthrax, pneumonic plague, etc., are highly contagious and can cause large-scale transmission through droplets, and these are strictly controlled infectious diseases in our country. In cases of open tuberculosis, the patient's sputum and cough droplets might contain the pathogen, which could then infect those in close contact. Infectious pneumonia typically has an abrupt onset, with an incubation period of 2-10 days, and fever as the initial symptom, generally above 38℃, possibly accompanied by chills, coughing, scant sputum, occasional bloody sputum, palpitations, shortness of breath, and in some cases, difficulty breathing. It may also be accompanied by muscle soreness, headaches, joint pain, fatigue, and diarrhea.

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The difference between Mycoplasma pneumonia and Chlamydia pneumonia

Mycoplasma pneumonia and Chlamydia pneumonia are clinically similar, making them difficult to distinguish from each other as both have similar symptoms and treatment options. Treatments such as erythromycin and quinolones can be used for both. The main difference between them lies in the laboratory tests. If tests for pneumonia, Mycoplasma antibodies or antigens are positive, then it is diagnosed as Mycoplasma pneumonia. If tests for Chlamydia pneumonia antibodies are positive, or if a throat swab test detects Chlamydia, then it is diagnosed as Chlamydia pneumonia.

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How is pneumonia treated?

Pneumonia is a respiratory tract infectious disease that requires the timely selection of antimicrobial drugs and anti-inflammatory treatment, as well as the choice of symptomatic treatment medications. Symptoms of pneumonia include fever, headache, nausea, sore throat, cough, expectoration, chest pain, and difficulty breathing. The pathogens causing the infection vary, and so do the antibiotics used to treat them. For common bacterial infections, penicillin antibiotics or cephalosporin antimicrobial drugs can be selected. During an acute fever phase, antipyretic analgesics may be chosen or physical cooling methods may be employed.