The 13 symptoms of pneumonia never to ignore after Queen Camilla’s diagnosis

QUEEN Camilla is one of the roughly 220,000 people diagnosed with pneumonia each year in the UK.

She revealed today that it was pneumonia that forced her to miss several royal engagements after it was previously revealed she had a “chest infection”.

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Camilla, 77, is experiencing lingering tiredness as a result of pneumonia.

A royal source said: “Some days the Queen is on really good form. It’s just one of those things.”

Pneumonia is a lung infection that can affect people of all ages.

While it can make you feel quite unwell, and can become serious in some people, most recover fully with the right treatment.

Antibiotics are given when the cause is bacterial, while viral pneumonia usually goes away itself with rest and plenty of fluids.

Camilla’s case was thought to be viral.

At the start of November it was announced that Camilla had been diagnosed with a chest infection.

Dr Andrew Whittamore, Clinical Lead at Asthma + Lung UK and a practising GP said: “A chest infection is an infection that affects your lungs or airways and symptoms include a chesty cough, wheezing or shortness of breath, a high temperature of 38 degrees Celsius or above, and chest pains or discomfort.

“While most chest infections are not serious and last around three weeks, some can develop into more serious illnesses such as pneumonia or bronchitis.

“Bronchitis is inflammation of the airways in the lungs that may be caused by an infection.

“They can also worsen underlying health conditions such as asthma or COPD.”

More than 25,000 people die from pneumonia in the UK each year, according to Asthma + Lung UK.

It means the UK’s death rate surpasses all other European countries.

Pneumonia occurs when an infection causes inflammation of the air sacs in one or both lungs, which can fill with fluid or pus.

The risks of pneumonia increase in the winter.

So what are the symptoms, and when should you take action?

What are the symptoms?

Pneumonia symptoms are similar to other illnesses, but the key difference is it is particularly bad.

A chest infection can cause a cough, wheezing or shortness or breath.

When it comes to pneumonia, Dr Whittamore: “Symptoms can include a cough, difficulty breathing, a high temperature, chest pain and loss of appetite.”

According to Asthma + Lung, the common symptoms are:

• Having a cough – your cough might be dry, or you might cough up yellow, green, brown or blood-stained mucus
• Feeling weak and tired and generally ill
• Feeling like you cannot catch your breath (shortness of breath)
• Lack of appetite
• Fast heartbeat
• Sweating and shivering
• Chest pain, caused by inflammation of the thin lining between the lung an ribcage

You may also have symptoms like:

• Confusion (particularly in older people)
• Low blood pressure
• Coughing up blood
• Joint or muscle pain/an achy body
• Feeling sick or being sick

A key change from a normal respiratory illness, such as a cold or the flu, to pneumonia is the development of significant shortness of breath and chest pain.

Unlike typical colds or flus, pneumonia often causes difficulty breathing and a sharp or stabbing pain in the chest that worsens with deep breaths or coughing.

If these symptoms appear, it’s important to seek medical advice promptly.

The symptoms can develop in as fast as 24 hours, or over a more gradual period, the NHS says.

In an emergency, always call 999.

How serious can it be?

Dr Whittamore says: “Young children, those aged over 65 and those with existing lung conditions such as asthma or COPD, can be more prone to chest infections.

“They can also be more serious among these groups because the inflammation causes narrowing of the airways making it harder to breathe.

“Also, in young children and older people it may be harder for them to get rid of mucus because their body’s defenses may not be
working as well in the lungs.”

Asthma + Lung data analysed in 2022 showed there had been a total of 126,229 deaths from lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIS) over the last five years.

LRTIs include pneumonia, acute bronchitis and bronchiolitis, influenza and whooping cough, but the majority of deaths seen in this category are from pneumonia.

In England, 81.9 per cent of LRTI deaths in 2017-2021 were from pneumonia.

Of those that die, 85 per cent are over the age of 75, – age is the biggest risk factor for dying from pneumonia.

Sarah Woolnough, CEO at the charity, said in 2022 : “It’s shocking the UK has the most deaths from pneumonia in Europe.

“The state of lung health isn’t good enough and we must do better to protect people from life-threatening chest infections, such as pneumonia.”

While the elderly are the most at risk from the condition, the charity has warned that it can be life-threatening at any age.