5 Significant Risk Factors for Pneumonia

Every year in the United States, millions of people get pneumonia — inflammation and fluid build-up in one or both lungs caused by a viral, bacterial, or fungal infection. 

This common lung infection can range in severity from mild to serious and is responsible for more than one million hospitalizations annually. It can also be deadly: Pneumonia kills about 50,000 Americans each year and is the deadliest infectious illness among young children worldwide.

Anyone can get pneumonia at any time of year, but cases increase during cold and flu season, and people with certain risk factors are more likely to be affected. Read on as our expert team at Fivestar Pulmonary Associates explains how you can protect your health. 

When lungs are infected and inflamed

A healthy immune system filters harmful microorganisms out of the air you breathe — or expels them through mucus, sneezing, or coughing. Pneumonia occurs when bacterial, viral, or fungal invaders get past your body’s defenses and infect one or both of your lungs, causing:

• Lung inflammation and fluid buildup 
• A persistent cough (dry or productive) 
• Fever; sweating and/or chills
• Shortness of breath; a rapid heart rate
• Chest pain when breathing or coughing 
• Low energy, fatigue, and muscle pain

Pneumonia is classified by the pathogen that caused it — bacteria are the most common cause in adults, and viruses are the most common in children — as well as how it was acquired (i.e., in the community, in a hospital or long-term care facility, through ventilator use, or via aspiration).

Hospital- and ventilator-acquired pneumonia is often more serious than a community-acquired lung infection because it’s typically caused by hard-to-treat, antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Many cases of community-acquired pneumonia stem from a bacterial infection called pneumococcal disease.

Significant risk factors for pneumonia 

Anyone can come down with pneumonia, but specific risk factors make some people more vulnerable to developing a lung infection. These factors are grouped into five significant risk categories: 

1. Age

Having an immune system that’s not fully developed or one that’s been weakened by age increases your risk of getting pneumonia and experiencing more serious illness when your lungs are infected. This is why both the very young (infants and babies younger than 24 months) and adults aged 65 or older are more likely to develop pneumonia. 

Pneumonia risk is even higher for premature babies, older adults with chronic health conditions, and anyone in these age categories who doesn’t receive the recommended vaccines to protect against pneumonia (i.e., a flu shot).

2. Environment

Most people develop pneumonia when they catch an infection from someone else. Your risk of this increases if you spend a lot of time (working or living) in a crowded place such as a grocery store, restaurant, school, nursing home, college dorm, or military housing. 

Pneumonia risk is also higher for those whose home or work environment routinely exposes them to air pollution, toxic fumes, and secondhand smoke.

3. Lifestyle habits

Tobacco use — both smoking cigarettes and vaping — is a major pneumonia risk factor, as nicotine and other harmful chemicals in tobacco make it harder to clear mucus from your airways. Secondhand smoke has the same effect on those routinely exposed to it. 

Excessive alcohol consumption increases pneumonia risk through weakened immune system function; the sedative-like effects of heavy drinking can also make you more likely to breathe saliva or vomit into your windpipe and lungs, leading to an aspiration-acquired infection. 

4. Chronic conditions

Living with a serious long-term health condition like diabetes, heart failure, kidney disease, or chronic lung disease (i.e., asthma, COPD, bronchiectasis) can substantially increase your risk of pneumonia, largely because many chronic disease states alter immune system function. 

A brain or neurological disorder such as Parkinson’s disease, a stroke, or dementia increases your risk of aspiration-acquired pneumonia if they impair normal swallowing or coughing.

5. Weakened immunity

People with weakened immunity have the highest risk of developing pneumonia. Common reasons for reduced immunity include cancer treatment (i.e., chemotherapy), pregnancy, an organ or bone marrow transplant, long-term steroid use, and HIV/AIDS. 

How to decrease your pneumonia risk

Fortunately, there’s a lot you can do to reduce your chances of getting pneumonia, even if you have a higher-than-normal risk because of age, asthma, smoking, frequent close contact with others, or something else. We recommend that you:

• Practice good hygiene (i.e., proper hand washing)
• Avoid close contact with sick people whenever possible 
• Exercise and prioritize restful sleep to strengthen your immunity
• Choose nutrient-dense foods that support optimal health 
• Manage chronic illnesses to ensure they’re well-controlled
• Curb alcohol intake; seek smoking cessation support

Most importantly, we recommend getting your annual flu shot, along with any other recommended immunizations, such as the pneumococcal vaccine.

Concerned about your pneumonia risk? We can help. Call or click online to schedule a visit at your nearest Fivestar Pulmonary Associates office in Allen, McKinney, or Plano, Texas, today.