Recognize the Symptoms of Pneumococcal Disease

Your temperature rises to help your body fight off the germs that caused the infection. A fever can be a symptom of a mild ear infection, or a more serious illness like pneumonia or meningitis. Pneumonia causes chills with a fever. Even though you feel hot, your brain thinks you're cold. Your body shakes to warm itself. Call a doctor if your fever is higher than 103 degrees Fahrenheit (adults over the age of 65 should seek care if their fever reaches 101 degrees). If you have symptoms like a stiff neck, confusion, or shortness of breath, call 911 and seek immediate care. Older adults with pneumonia may show signs of confusion instead of the usual symptoms.

Coughing is a way to push germs and mucus out of your airway. The most likely reason for a cough is a cold, flu, or allergy. It's also a symptom of pneumococcal diseases like pneumonia and sinus infections. With a sinus infection, mucus running down the back of your throat triggers a dry cough. A pneumonia cough is loose. It may bring up yellow, green, or sometimes blood-colored mucus.

Pneumonia makes the tiny air sacs in the lungs swell and fill with fluid. As the infection spreads, it also inflames the chest lining. The swelling makes it hurt to breathe deeply or cough. Because chest pain also signals a heart attack, be alert. Call 911 or go to the emergency room if you have severe pain that feels like pressure or tightness in the center of your chest, or the pain spreads to your arms, back, neck, or jaw.

Pneumococcal meningitis starts when bacteria get into the fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord. It's different from meningitis caused by viruses or fungi. Swelling from the infection puts extra pressure on the brain. Your neck feels stiff because of inflammation around the spinal cord. Meningitis is a serious infection that can lead to complications like hearing loss, seizures, and brain damage if it’s not treated. Call 911 for a stiff neck, especially if you also have a sudden high fever, intense headache, or seizures.

A few pneumococcal diseases cause confusion when they affect the brain.

• Meningitis makes the brain swell up, which leads to confusion and trouble thinking. 
• Pneumonia lowers the amount of oxygen in the blood. Your brain needs oxygen to work. 
• Bacteremia is a blood infection. When bacteria get into the bloodstream, the immune system may overreact and trigger a serious infection called sepsis, which can cause confusion. Blood pressure drops, and less blood and oxygen reach the brain.
   

Viruses like a cold or the flu cause most sore throats, but bacteria are another possible reason for this symptom. Usually, a sore throat is from a mild illness like a sinus infection or an ear infection. Children with an ear infection will also cry, pull on their ears, or act fussier than usual. A sore throat from a virus often clears up on its own. Throat pain from a bacterial infection may need treatment with antibiotics. 

Pain or pressure behind your forehead, nose, or eyes could be from a sinus infection. When bacteria get into your sinuses, they cause painful swelling, plus a stuffed and runny nose. Sometimes your ears or teeth will hurt, too. Ear pain is also a symptom of an ear infection. Adults may have pain and trouble hearing or fluid leaking from the ear. Antibiotics treat both an ear infection and a sinus infection.

A pounding head could be from a sinus infection or meningitis. Sinus headaches feel like a dull ache in your forehead. The pain might spread to your cheekbones, nose, and eyes. It hurts more when you bend over because gravity increases the pressure in your head. A meningitis headache is very painful. The pain may travel from your head down your back or to other parts of your body. Any new, severe headache needs quick medical attention.

Pneumonia inflames air sacs in your lungs that move oxygen from the air you breathe into your bloodstream. The air sacs fill with fluid, making it hard to breathe. Your body has to work harder to pull in more oxygen, making you breathe faster. You may feel short of breath and tire out easily during exercise. Sometimes pneumonia reduces lung capacity — how much air your lungs can hold. Even after you get over the infection, you may still have trouble breathing.

Sweating goes with pneumonia symptoms like a high fever and chills. Your immune system raises your body temperature to fight the infection. When your fever gets high, your body sweats to cool you off. Call your doctor if you have night sweats while you sleep, plus a fever, chest pain, or cough. These could be symptoms of a lung abscess, a pneumonia complication where pus collects inside the lung. You'll need antibiotics for weeks or longer to treat an abscess.