Pneumonia
What is pneumonia? Causes, symptoms and risks
Pneumonia is a type of chest infection. We look into the symptoms, causes and risks. Learn more here.
How is pneumonia diagnosed and treated?
Find out how pneumonia is diagnosed and treatments available.
Recovering from pneumonia
Most people make a full recovery from pneumonia. On this page, find out what you can do to help your recovery.
How do you prevent pneumonia?
On this page we go over some things you can do to reduce your risk of pneumonia.
Pneumonia in children
Pneumonia is an infection in the lungs. It can affect people of any age, but babies and young children are at higher risk because their immune systems are not yet fully developed.
Call 999 if:
- you’re struggling to breathe
- you’re coughing up blood
- your lips, tongue or face turn blue
- you feel cold and sweaty, and your skin is pale or blotchy
- you have a rash that does not fade when you roll a glass over it
- you collapse or faint
- you become confused or very sleepy
- you’ve stopped peeing or are peeing a lot less than normal.
Get support
Our helpline is closed from 1pm on Wednesday 24th December 2025 and re-opens at 9:15am on Friday January 2nd 2026. Our supporter care line is also unavailable during this period. If you have a flare-up of your lung condition symptoms, contact your GP or healthcare professional or 111 for advice. Always dial 999 in an emergency.
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