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5 unexpected ways you can catch pneumonia

Throwing up and poor oral hygiene are two surprising ways to pick up a lung infection.

Updated on October 3, 2024

mature man sick with pneumonia
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Together with the flu, pneumonia is a top cause of death in the United States, according to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. Part of what makes pneumonia so lethal is that it isn’t just one disease. Instead, it’s a general term for infections in the lung.

“Technically, pneumonia is an inflamed lung, and the inflammation comes from an infection,” says ThomasShow More

toothbrush, tooth brush, dental hygiene, oral health
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Mistreating your teeth

You should brush and floss for more than just a beautiful set of pearly whites. Poor oral hygiene is associated with an increased risk of pneumonia. That’s because an unhealthy mouth has more bacteria.

“The more bacteria in the mouth, the higher the risk of pneumonia,” says Grookett. These germsShow More

cold, flu, sick, sick day, sick in bed, senior man
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Problems swallowing

More people with Parkinson’s disease—a debilitating brain condition that impairs movement—die of pneumonia than any other cause. That’s because of difficulty swallowing, a condition known as dysphagia. This makes it easier for foreign particles like food or saliva to end up in the lungs instead ofShow More

person entering bathroom
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Throwing up

Vomiting can cause either pneumonia or pneumonitis, which is similar to pneumonia. “Pneumonitis is just inflamed lung, while pneumonia is an infection,” says Grookett. Chemical pneumonitis happens when you inhale something that irritates the lungs. Gastric acid is the most common cause ofShow More

leaky water heater
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Contaminated water

Bacteria love warm, wet places—and some of the warmest and wettest are large, poorly maintained building water systems. They could be contaminated by the Legionella bacterium, which causes a form of pneumonia called Legionnaire’s disease. Other possible sources of Legionella include:

bird, pigeon, feeding birds
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Fungus

It’s not just bacteria and viruses that cause pneumonia. In rare cases, fungi can also give you a lung infection. “People who develop fungal pneumonia usually have weak immune systems: organ transplant recipients, alcoholics, people with diabetes,” says Grookett.

A number of fungi can causeShow More

Slideshow sources open slideshow sources

Center for Disease Control and Prevention. National Center for Health Statistics: Leading Causes of Death. Page last reviewed September 6, 2022.
Center for Disease Control and Prevention. National Center for Health Statistics: Pneumonia. Page last reviewed September 6, 2022.
American Lung Association. Trends in Pneumonia and Influenza Morbidity and Mortality. November 2015.
World Health Association. Pneumonia in children. November 11, 2022.
Son M, Jo S, et al. Association between oral health and incidence of pneumonia: a population-based cohort study from Korea. Scientific Reports. 10, Article number: 9576 (2020).
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Oral hygiene to fight pneumonia. May 7, 2019.
Zimmerman S, Sloane PD, et al. Effectiveness of a Mouth Care Program Provided by Nursing Home Staff vs Standard Care on Reducing Pneumonia Incidence: A Cluster Randomized Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2020 Jun 1;3(6).
Zimmerman S, Sloane PD, Ward K, et al. Effectiveness of a Mouth Care Program Provided by Nursing Home Staff vs Standard Care on Reducing Pneumonia Incidence: A Cluster Randomized Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2020;3(6):e204321.
Mayo Clinic. Oral health: A window to your overall health. October 28, 2021.
Dickson RP, Erb-Downward JR, et al. Bacterial Topography of the Healthy Human Lower Respiratory Tract. mBio. 2017. 8:1.
Science Daily. New study shows how bacteria get into the lungs. February 21, 2017.
Won JH, Byun SJ, et al. Risk and mortality of aspiration pneumonia in Parkinson’s disease: a nationwide database study. Scientific Reports. 11, Article number: 6597 (2021).
American College of Gastroenterology. Dysphagia. Accessed October 3, 2024.
Mayo Clinic. Dysphagia. September 20, 2022.
MedlinePlus. Swallowing Disorders. Last updated August 31, 2016.
Payne M & Morley JE. Dysphagia, Dementia and Frailty. The journal of nutrition, health & aging. 2018. Volume 22, pages562–565.
Merck Manual Consumer Version. Aspiration Pneumonia and Chemical Pneumonitis. Medically reviewed September 2022.
MedlinePlus. Chemical pneumonitis. Reviewed August 3, 2020.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Legionella (Legionnaires' Disease and Pontiac Fever): Causes, How it Spreads, and People at Increased Risk. Page last reviewed March 25, 2021.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Legionella (Legionnaires' Disease and Pontiac Fever): Prevention. Page last reviewed January 3, 2022.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Legionella (Legionnaires' Disease and Pontiac Fever): Outbreaks. Page last reviewed March 25, 2021.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Legionella (Legionnaires' Disease and Pontiac Fever): Diagnosis, Treatment, and Complications. Page last reviewed March 25, 2021.
MedlinePlus. Legionnaires’ Disease. Last updated August 2, 2018.
Li Z, Lu G, and Meng G. Pathogenic Fungal Infection in the Lung. Frontiers in Immunology. July 3, 2019.
American Lung Association. What Causes Pneumonia? Page last updated November 17, 2022.
MedlinePlus. Pneumonia. Last updated June 20, 2021.

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