Definition

Pneumonia (pronounced noo-MOAN-ya) is an infection of the lung. It can be caused by a great many different agents, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. In the United States, pneumonia is the sixth most common disease leading to death. It is also the most common fatal infection acquired by patients in hospitals. In developing countries, pneumonia is one of the two most common causes of death. Diarrhea is the other.

Description

The healthy human lung is normally free of disease-causing microorganisms, such as bacteria and viruses. The body has immune system (a complex defense system) is designed to keep it that way. For example, hairs in the nose trap large particles carried along by the air we breathe in. The epiglottis is a kind of trapdoor in the larynx (windpipe; pronounced LAYR-inx) that keeps food and other swallowed substances from entering the lungs. Mucus, a thick liquid...