Why is pneumonia so serious?
The risk of pneumonia is that, if left untreated, it can cause serious complications, and can spread to other parts of the body.
“If there is a bacteria or a virus that infects the lungs, there’s really no way to get it out,” says Jason Turowski, a pulmonologist at the Cleveland Clinic. “That infection can rage and rage.”
The primary risk of pneumonia is that it can damage the lungs, affecting a person’s ability to get the oxygen they need. This damage usually happens because inflammation can cause a buildup of inflammatory cells in the tiny sacs of the lung that prevents oxygen from getting delivered, and carbon dioxide from getting released. “It’s causing an injury that doesn’t enable you to get the vital oxygen you need and to release the carbon dioxide your body’s making,” Turowski says.
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