Patient information from BMJ


Pneumonia: questions to ask your doctor

Last published:Feb 01, 2022

If you've been diagnosed with pneumonia, you may want to ask your doctor some questions to find out more about your illness.

Here are some suggestions:

  • Are there treatments that can help me feel better?

  • Do I need to take antibiotics?

  • Do I need to stay in hospital?

  • Can my family and friends catch pneumonia from me?

  • What should I be eating and drinking?

  • When can I go out or go back to school or work?

  • How long will my coughing last?

  • How long will it be before I feel like my usual self?

  • Should I have a chest x-ray to see if the pneumonia has gone away? If yes, when should I have this x-ray?

  • How will I know if I am getting worse? If I do get worse, how will I know when to come back to see you or seek emergency treatment?

  • Is there any particular reason why I got pneumonia? Is my immune system working properly?

  • What can I do to keep from getting pneumonia again?

  • Should I get the pneumonia and flu vaccines?

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