How do you tell if you have pneumonia?

Pneumonia announces itself as a chest infection that will not stay mild: a cough (dry or bringing up mucus, sometimes yellow, green, or blood-streaked), shortness of breath, a high temperature, chest pain that worsens on breathing or coughing, an aching body, and exhaustion out of proportion to a cold. Symptoms can start suddenly or creep in over days. The separating clues from an ordinary cough or flu: breathlessness doing things that are normally easy, and feeling properly ill rather than sniffly. Older adults can present quietly - confusion may be the main sign, sometimes without much fever or cough. The answer to can-you-tell-yourself is honestly no: a clinician confirms pneumonia by listening to the chest, checking oxygen levels, and often a chest X-ray, and treatment depends on the type (antibiotics for bacterial cases). Do not sit on it: see a doctor same-day for the pattern above, and call emergency services for severe breathlessness, blue or grey lips or face, coughing up blood, confusion, or chest pain with faintness. High-risk people - over 65, babies, pregnant women, anyone with heart or lung disease or a weak immune system - should seek advice early rather than late. Pymander is a free AI doctor, 24/7 by text, that can help you weigh the symptoms before you go.