"The different types of pneumonia can sometimes require very different treatments," Thomas Monaco, MD, assistant professor of medicine-pulmonary at the Baylor College of Medicine, tells Health. <\/em>"For example, one group of bacteria that causes pneumonia<\/a> may not respond to the same antibiotic as another group, and antibiotics will not help at all if the cause of the pneumonia is due to a virus or some of the more uncommon causes of pneumonia."<\/p>\n Again, there's not one type of pneumonia, and each form has a slightly different cause. Here's a breakdown of the different types of pneumonia, according to experts. <\/p>\n RELATED: 3 Main Pneumonia Causes to Know, According to Doctors<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Bacterial pneumonia is pneumonia that's caused by bacteria—most commonly, Streptococcus<\/em> pneumoniae. <\/em>This is a bacteria that normally lives in your upper respiratory tract that can make its way down into your lungs and cause an infection, Raymond Casciari<\/a>, MD, a pulmonologist at St. Joseph Hospital in Orange, Calif., tells Health<\/em>. Bacterial pneumonia infects more than 900,000 Americans each year, according to the American Lung Association<\/a> (ALA), and you can develop this form of pneumonia on its own or after you've had a virus, like the cold or flu. <\/p>\n Streptococcus<\/em> pneumoniae <\/em>isn't the only type of bacteria that can lead to bacterial pneumonia—Dr. Casciari lists off Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Chlamydophila pneumoniae, <\/em>and Legionella pneumophila <\/em>as other possible causes. <\/p>\n "We have very good and specific antibiotics to treat bacterial pneumonia," Dr. Sood says. "We need to first identify the bacteria and use the antibody that's specific for that bacteria."<\/p>\n Viral pneumonia is caused by a virus, and there are plenty that can make you sick, Medline Plus<\/a> says. Those include:<\/p>\n Unfortunately, antibiotics don't treat viral pneumonia, but there are some medications that may help if the infection is caught early, including antiviral drugs and corticosteroids, to try to help reduce inflammation, Dr. Casciari says. In more severe cases, you may need supplemental oxygen as a treatment. For milder cases of the illness, though, Dr. Sood says that your doctor will probably recommend that you rest at home and get plenty of fluids. <\/p>\n You do have the option, however, to prevent some of the viruses that can cause pneumonia—the flu, measles, and COVID-19 all have vaccines available<\/a> to prevent severe illness. <\/p>\n RELATED: Double Pneumonia Is an Infection in Both Lungs—Here's What to Know, According to Doctors<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Fungal pneumonia isn't common in most parts of the US, and people are usually infected when they breathe in certain fungal spores, Dr. Casciari says. However, there is a condition called valley fever, which is a type of fungal pneumonia caused by the fungus Coccidioides<\/em>, which lives in soil in the southwestern U.S.<\/p>\n Fungal pneumonia is usually more of a concern for people with weakened immune systems, like those who have diabetes, AIDS, or cancer, Marc Sala, MD, a pulmonologist at Northwestern Medicine, tells Health<\/em>. <\/p>\n Treatment usually involves antifungal medications like fluconazole, Dr. Casciari says.<\/p>\n To be fair, the term "walking pneumonia" isn't necessarily a true medical diagnosis, but doctors (and many people) know what the phrase means <\/p>\n "What it implies is that whatever the cause of your pneumonia is, it's not severe enough to put you in bed," says Dr. Casciari. Dr. Sood echoes that statement, saying that, with walking pneumonia, you can feel sick, "but you're still able to do most activities."<\/p>\n Walking pneumonia can come from any of the main causes of pneumonia—bacterial, viral, or fungal—according to Dr. Casciari. But the CDC says it's most commonly the result of an infection by the Mycoplasma pneumoniae<\/em> bacteria, which causes milder infections in the respiratory system. <\/p>\n RELATED: A Pneumonia Cough Might Sound and Look Different Than Other Coughs—Here's How<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Chemical pneumonia is caused by a toxin that you inhale, Reynold A. Panettieri, Jr., MD, professor of medicine at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and director of the Rutgers Institute for Translational Medicine & Science, tells Health. <\/em>"Classic chemical pneumonia was caused by chlorine gas, which was used as a weapon in World War I," he says. But it's possible to get chemical pneumonia from other things, including by accidentally breathing in large amounts of fumes from cleaning supplies, pool equipment, or even air fresheners, if they're sprayed directly into someone's airways, Dr. Casciari says. "These things can physically irritate the lungs," he explains. <\/p>\n For treatment, you'll first need to get away from the source that's injured you. "If your eyes are burning, your lungs are, too," Dr. Casciari says. Then, doctors will usually provide supportive care until your lungs can heal themselves. "That might involve supplemental oxygen, fluids, and even mechanical ventilation," Dr. Casciari says.<\/p>\n Aspiration pneumonia is an infection that can happen when you accidentally inhale substances into your lungs, like your own stomach acid or food particles. That causes inflammation and "sometimes this injury can be followed by a secondary bacterial infection," Dr. Monaco says.<\/p>\n This condition is more common in people who have a brain injury, neurological disorder, trouble swallowing, or have used drugs or alcohol—anything that can interfere with the gag reflex that would help keep these substances out of the lungs, Dr. Casciari says. <\/p>\n Treatment for aspiration pneumonia varies: "If the aspiration is small in amount and there is no sign of a secondary infection, we usually treat it supportively with oxygen and prevention of further aspiration," Dr. Monaco says. "Most patients recover fully." If there's a lot of stuff in your airways, you may need a breathing tube and a procedure called a bronchoscopy to help remove everything, he says, adding that antibiotics may also be needed.<\/p>\n![\"6-Different-Types-of-Pneumonia-Explained-By-Doctors-GettyImages-478188273\"](\"https:\/\/imagesvc.meredithcorp.io\/v3\/mm\/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.onecms.io%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F12%2F2021%2F09%2F21%2F6-Different-Types-of-Pneumonia-Explained-By-Doctors-GettyImages-478188273-2-2000.jpg\")
6-Different-Types-of-Pneumonia-Explained-By-Doctors-GettyImages-478188273<\/span> (CDC), and it can cause mild to severe illness in people of all ages. <\/p>\nBacterial pneumonia <\/h2>\n
Viral pneumonia\u00a0<\/h2>\n
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Fungal pneumonia <\/h2>\n
Walking pneumonia <\/h2>\n
Chemical pneumonia <\/h2>\n
Aspiration pneumonia <\/h2>\n