Pneumonia
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What is pneumonia?
Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs and respiratory
system. It occurs when the microscopic air-filled sacs of the
lungs (known as alveoli) become inflamed and flooded with
fluid.
The term "double pneumonia" means that infection has
occurred in both lungs.
Many people get pneumonia following an upper respiratory
infection such as a cold or the flu. A person who's getting
pneumonia may think their cold or flu has just gotten worse and
may not realize they've developed pneumonia.
Pneumonia caused by bacteria usually lasts 1-2 weeks,
depending on the severity of the infection. Viral pneumonia can
last 2 weeks or longer.
You can get pneumonia more than once, and the more often you
get it the more likely you are to get it again. Each time you
get pneumonia, your risk of contracting it again increases, and
each new case is likely to be worse than the last.
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