How long does it take to recover from pneumonia?
After you start treatment, your symptoms should gradually get better. Most people feel better in 2 to 4 weeks with treatment, but the time it takes to fully recover from pneumonia is different for everybody.
In general:
| After 1 week | your high temperature (fever) should go away. |
| After 4 weeks | your chest should feel better, and you should produce less phlegm. |
| After 6 weeks | you should cough less and find it easier to breathe. |
| After 3 months | most of your symptoms should be gone, but you might feel tired still. |
| After 6 months | you should have fully recovered. |
You can help your pneumonia recovery by following our advice about treating and managing your pneumonia well.
When to see your GP about your pneumonia recovery
Book a GP appointment if you’re worried about your recovery. If your symptoms are still affecting you after 6 weeks, your GP can refer you for a chest X-ray. This will show them if your pneumonia is gone and they will also use it to check if there are other problems with your lungs.
How can I help my pneumonia recovery?
Get lots of rest
Get lots of rest while you’re recovering from pneumonia. Try to stay at home and avoid seeing other people until you feel well enough to do your everyday activities again.
Stay hydrated
Drinking a lot of fluids can stop you from getting dehydrated. Fluids can also loosen the phlegm in your lungs and make it easier to cough up.
Use painkillers
You can use painkillers like paracetamol and ibuprofen to help with your high temperature (fever) or any pain.
If you have asthma, speak to a healthcare professional before taking painkillers like ibuprofen, aspirin, or other anti-inflammatory painkillers. These medicines could trigger your asthma symptoms. Your healthcare professional can suggest different painkillers instead, like paracetamol.
Do not use cough medicines
Do not take cough medicines if you have pneumonia. Coughing helps you recover from pneumonia. If your throat is sore from coughing, warm water mixed with honey and lemon can help to soothe it.
Stop smoking
If you smoke, we have support to help you stop.
Smoking while you have pneumonia can increase your recovery time. Smoking also damages your lungs and makes you more likely to get pneumonia again.
Sleep with your head raised
Use extra pillows to raise your head up while you sleep. This can make it easier to breathe and clear the phlegm out of your chest.
Eat well
A well-balanced diet with the right vitamins and minerals can help you to stay healthy and is essential to your immune system, which helps to fight infections in your body.
We have more advice about eating well for your lungs.
Do your lungs fully recover from pneumonia?
Most people make a full recovery from pneumonia.
However, pneumonia can sometimes cause lung conditions, for example bronchiectasis or pulmonary fibrosis.
Getting pneumonia a lot is also a symptom of some lung conditions, for example chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD).
See your GP if you’re worried about any lung symptoms, or if you feel like your pneumonia is not going away.
Can you get pneumonia more than once?
Yes, you can get pneumonia more than once.
You can help to prevent pneumonia with vaccines, lifestyle changes and good hygiene. We have more information about preventing pneumonia.
Can you exercise while recovering from pneumonia?
Regular physical activity can help you recover from pneumonia and could also help you prevent getting pneumonia again.
When you’re ready to start moving more, make sure you build up slowly, listen to your body, work at a level that’s right for you and take breaks when you need.
It’s a good idea to speak to your GP or a healthcare professional before being active again, they can give you advice about recovering from pneumonia and exercising safely.
It might feel overwhelming to think about being active while you’re recovering from pneumonia, but our Keep Active programme is designed for people with lung conditions. It has everything you need to start exercising, including step-by-step exercises and breathing technique videos. Staying active helps to keep you physically and mentally healthy.
Get support
Call or email our helpline for support with any aspect of living with a lung condition – whether you need practical advice, emotional support, or answers to health-related questions. You can also find support through our groups.
