Pneumonia without typical symptoms – Answering patients’ questions

  The typical clinical symptoms of pneumonia are fever, cough, shortness of breath, chest congestion, and weakness. The typical clinical symptoms are usually present in 80% of patients. However, there are some people who do not have typical symptoms after pneumonia. For example, elderly patients, while suffering from pneumonia, never have coughing and shortness of breath, but only exhibit weakness, mental fatigue, and reduced or refusal to eat. Therefore, although pulmonary infections are the greatest nemesis of elderly patients, they are not taken seriously by all physicians in clinical practice and are even missed. Therefore, pneumonia with atypical clinical symptoms is also seen, which is related to the physical and muscular immune function. However, blood tests and chest radiographs are the natural weapons to detect “stealth” pneumonia. These two most “routine”, simple and inexpensive tests are the most important and basic tests that confirm the detection of many diseases. If the doctor does not prescribe these two tests when you go to the hospital, it only means that one, your disease does not need to be done in the doctor’s experience; and the doctor is not the right choice for you.