Also known as atypical pneumonia, walking pneumonia is a type of bacterial infection that usually occurs at the lower respiratory tract, although it sometimes affects the upper respiratory tract. This is less severe compared to other forms of pneumonia and its symptoms can be treated with over-the-counter medications. The symptoms will usually start to develop two weeks after being exposed to the bacteria. There are also instances when the bacteria will incubate for a month. Below are the 10 most common signs and symptoms of walking pneumonia.
1. Inflammation
One common symptom that is linked to walking pneumonia is inflammation. When a patient develops this condition, the tissue of the throat will become inflamed because of the presence of bacteria. In fact, inflammation is an early sign of this infection, which will slowly develop when the body starts to activate its immune defenses.
Other symptoms will follow after the inflammation, which can include dry cough and pain in the throat when swallowing. A common type of walking pneumonia is known as the mycoplasma pneumonia, which usually has milder symptoms compared to some other types of pneumonia.
