10 Signs of Pneumonia
Reviewed: Dr. Gromatzky
Pneumonia Sign #5: Shortness of Breath
We rely on our lungs to be able to breathe. They inhale and exhale air as they inflate and deflate, and their linings have evolved to help us absorb as much oxygen into our blood as possible. These linings contain countless tiny air sacs that help increase the surface area to maximize oxygen absorption.
Pneumonia affects these air sacs directly, hindering their ability to absorb oxygen from the air we breathe. This means that patients with pneumonia can find it much harder to breathe than usual. You should treat unexplained shortness of breath as an emergency regardless of the suspected cause.
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