Pneumonia and fever: what to know

Pneumonia commonly presents with fever because the immune system is responding to infection in the lungs. Chills, sweating, cough, breathlessness, chest discomfort, fatigue, and coughing up phlegm may occur alongside it. Fever may be mild or pronounced, and its presence or absence does not confirm or exclude pneumonia. Influenza and COVID-19 can produce a similar pattern, so a clinician may need to examine your breathing and chest.

Rest and drink small, frequent amounts of fluid unless a clinician has advised fluid restriction. Wear light clothing, keep the room comfortable, and follow label directions for any fever medicine that is safe for you. Record when fever rises, whether it settles, and how your breathing changes. Contact a clinician promptly if fever continues, returns after settling, or appears with worsening cough or breathlessness.

Get emergency help for difficult breathing, blue or grey lips, confusion, collapse, severe chest pain, or unusual difficulty waking. Seek urgent medical advice if you cannot drink, are vomiting repeatedly, or are becoming markedly weaker. Pneumonia can occasionally trigger sepsis, particularly when the whole body begins to respond severely to infection.

Ask what may be causing the fever, whether you need a chest examination or oxygen check, how to use fever medicine safely, and which symptoms mean you should seek help again.