But here's the tricky part: It's really tough for you (and sometimes even doctors) to determine whether your cough is caused by pneumonia<\/a> or something less severe. "Most pneumonia coughs usually are difficult to distinguish from regular coughs," Shweta Sood, MD, a pulmonologist and assistant professor of clinical medicine at Penn Medicine, tells Health.<\/em><\/p>\n While it may be difficult to distinguish pneumonia from a cold or allergies from cough alone, there are clues that you can (and should) pay attention to that can help signal if you're deal with a true pneumonia cough. Here, pulmonologists break down the signs that can show your cough is due to pneumonia—and how to help get rid of it. <\/p>\n Pneumonia is usually caused by bacteria, virus, or fungus, but each often causes a cough, along with other uncomfortable symptoms. <\/p>\n Anyone can develop pneumonia, but factors like having a weakened immune system, being very young or very old, and certain lifestyle habits like smoking and heavy alcohol use can raise your risk, MedlinePlus says. <\/p>\n RELATED: COVID-19 Can Cause Pneumonia—Here's What to Know, According to Experts<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n The symptoms of pneumonia can vary a little, depending on what is causing the infection, Raymond Casciari, MD, a pulmonologist at St. Joseph Hospital in Orange, California, tells Health. <\/i>In general, he says, pneumonia in the US is most commonly caused by either a bacteria or a virus, and the symptoms can be slightly different.<\/p>\n When pneumonia is caused by bacteria, the Cleveland Clinic<\/a> says symptoms can include:<\/p>\n Viral pneumonia symptoms include the following, per the Cleveland Clinic<\/a>:<\/p>\n RELATED: What Is Multifocal Pneumonia? Here's What to Know, According to Doctors<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Keep this in mind: "The cough itself isn't necessarily different, but a cough in the setting of pneumonia-like symptoms is concerning," Khalilah Gates, MD, pulmonary and critical care specialist at Northwestern Medicine, tells Health. <\/i>Meaning you (and your doctor) should take into account other factors to see if you could, in fact, be dealing with pneumonia, like whether you have a fever and loss of appetite.<\/p>\n The cough itself, though, can signal that something is off. "It is a new cough or a cough that has changed from the patient's usual cough that alerts physicians to investigate it further to figure out if there is a pneumonia," Dr. Sood says. Dr. Casciari adds that pneumonia coughs tend to sound "deeper" than regular coughs. <\/p>\n As far as what you actually cough up with pneumonia, that can depend on what type of pneumonia you have and what stage it's in. With early-stage viral pneumonia, you may not cough up anything. But if your viral pneumonia has progressed or you're dealing with a bacterial pneumonia, it's likely to be "more productive of mucus," Dr. Casciari says. Meaning, you should be able to cough up something.<\/i> It can be greenish or yellowish in color, Dr. Casciari says.<\/p>\n "Usually, patients with pneumonia don't cough forever and nothing happens—they cough and something comes out," Dr. Casciari says. In addition to mucus, a pneumonia cough can be bloody. "Blood-tinged mucus is always abnormal and needs to be diagnosed," Dr. Casciari says. "But a severe cough for any reason can cause a blood vessel to break and mucus to be blood-tinged."<\/p>\n![\"Pneumonia-Cough-GettyImages-1227312292\"](\"https:\/\/imagesvc.meredithcorp.io\/v3\/mm\/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.onecms.io%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F12%2F2021%2F09%2F10%2FPneumonia-Cough-GettyImages-1227312292-2000.jpg\")
Pneumonia-Cough-GettyImages-1227312292<\/span> resource. Pneumonia can range from mild to severe, and it all depends on a slew of factors, including the type of germ that caused the infection, your age, and how healthy you are overall.<\/p>\nWhat are the most common symptoms of pneumonia?<\/b> <\/h2>\n
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What does a<\/b> pneumonia cough sound (and look) like?<\/b> <\/h2>\n