Chronic pneumonia is an inflammation of the lungs that persists for an extended period of time, without a sudden onset. In contrast, acute pneumonia develops quickly and usually lasts less than three weeks. Classically, pneumonia is caused by infection with bacteria, viruses, or fungi that colonize the lungs and cause irritation. Treatment requires providing medication to kill the organisms and offering supportive therapy if the patient has difficulty breathing or develops other complications.
People can develop chronic pneumonia at any age. The symptoms can onset so slowly that people may not realize they have pneumonia for days or weeks. Signs of chronic pneumonia can include coughing, wheezing, fatigue, difficulty breathing, fever, night sweats, and chest pains. People do not have to have a history of chest cold or known exposure to infectious organisms to develop pneumonia as this condition can be acquired in any number of places.
In patients with a chronic case of pneumonia, blood testing usually shows unusually high levels of white blood cells and other signs of chronic inflammation. The lungs can appear obstructed on X-rays and if they are imaged with an endoscopy procedure, changes can be seen in the airways and the insides of the lungs, showing that chronic inflammation has resulted in redness, excessive production of mucus, and other changes to the respiratory tract.
Some doctors start a patient with chronic pneumonia on antibiotic medications immediately. Others may request a sample from the lungs for the purpose of culturing the organisms to find out what is causing the infection. Doing a culture can help a doctor identify the correct medications to use, minimizing wasted time with ineffective medications. Cultures can be especially important if there is a concern about a possibility of infection with drug resistant organisms that will not respond to common drugs. Ventilation is sometimes needed for patients with pneumonia if they experience extreme difficulty breathing and medications may be given to open up the airways and help wheezing patients breathe more freely.
Infection with chronic pneumonia can cause long-term damages. Lung capacity may be permanently impaired and patients can be left with scarring and other problems that cause difficulty breathing in the future. Recovery time from this type of pneumonia can be longer than patients might expect as the lungs need to heal after the infectious organisms are killed off. It is important to complete courses of recommended medications, follow directions about rest, and comply with other directions designed to protect lung health.