What are the symptoms
The symptoms are similar to having flu or a chest infection but will either come on suddenly or may progress slowly over several days.
The main symptoms are:
- A cough – may be dry or productive (brings up phlegm)
- A high temperature – shivering and sweating
- Difficulty breathing or getting out of breath quicker than normal
- Chest pain which gets worse when coughing or breathing
- Loss of appetite
More severe cases include:
- Coughing up blood
- Nausea and vomiting
- Rapid heartbeat
- Breathing quicker
- Confusion
- Low blood pressure
When to refer to the GP
Pneumonia shares symptoms very close to other chest infections such as bronchitis and COPD flare ups, so it's always best if the person speaks to their GP who can listen to their chest and carry out other tests.
If the customer is presenting symptoms that are severe such as rapid breathing, confusion etc. (see above list) then it’s really important to seek urgent medical attention where they can carry out a chest x-ray and various other tests.