http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/12/us/hillary-clinton-has-pneumonia-what-that-means.html 2016-09-12 14:17:32 Hillary Clinton Has Pneumonia: What That Means A common lung infection that most healthy people overcome, pneumonia can be serious for people 65 or older. === Hillary Clinton Here are some facts about the illness: what it is, what it does and how people recover. Pneumonia is a common lung infection that affects millions of people each year. It is most often caused by bacteria, though viruses account for up to one-third of the cases in the United States each year, When germs reach the lungs, the immune system responds by sending cells to attack them. Those cells can cause air sacs in the lungs, known as While pneumonia is a common lung infection that most healthy people overcome, the illness can be more serious for people age 65 or older, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Mrs. Clinton is 68. The illness also tends to be more serious for infants, young children and people with other health problems. The severity of symptoms depends on the type of pneumonia a person has, as well as the person’s age and overall health. Typical symptoms include coughing, Bacterial pneumonia can drive the body’s temperature as high as 105 degrees Fahrenheit, resulting in sweating, While treatment for pneumonia can act quickly, related fatigue can last for a month or more, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Bacterial pneumonia can be treated with In the statement, Mrs. Clinton’s doctor did not identify the type of pneumonia the candidate has, but said she was prescribed antibiotics and advised to rest. It can take as little as a week for a healthy young person to feel normal again, according to the lung association. But it can be weeks before a middle-age person fully regains strength. Older adults are also one group that is more likely to have complications in recovery.