Difference Between Walking Pneumonia and Pneumonia

Pneumonia is one of the most common and severe respiratory disorder. The condition occurs due to inflammation in the lungs (excluding the bronchi). The inflammation is caused due to bacterial, viral or fungal infections. It is a common misconception that pneumonia is fatal, which is untrue.

It is true that pneumonia can lead to death, however, not every type of pneumonia leads to it. Walking pneumonia is one of the types of pneumonia which is not life-threatening. Here we will know more on these two conditions and also find out the difference between the two.

Before taking a look at the difference between these two condition, we should know what exactly is pneumonia and walking pneumonia. As mentioned above, pneumonia or the regular pneumonia is an inflammation of lungs caused due to external agents. It can be mild, severe to even, life-threatening. The regular or ordinary pneumonia is found in children, adults and older people (and is more common in older people).

Certain factors like smoking, exposure to air borne pollutants, low immunity, hospitalization in ICU and surgery can increase a person's risk for contracting pneumonia. Symptoms of pneumonia are similar to the symptoms of other respiratory disorders like bronchitis, etc. Fever, chills, shortness of breath, cough, chest pain, muscle pain, fatigue, etc are some of the major symptoms of pneumonia.

On the other hand, walking pneumonia, also known as mycoplasma pneumonia or atypical pneumonia, is a milder type of pneumonia. As it is caused due to bacteria known as Mycoplasma pneumoniae, it is known as mycoplasma pneumonia. You must be wondering why is this type of pneumonia known as walking pneumonia.

Well, 'walking' is a lay man's term (non medical term) used to describe a milder form of pneumonia. It is known as 'walking' pneumonia as when suffering from this condition, a person can 'walk' around and does not have to get hospitalized. This type of pneumonia is found usually in children. Let us take a look at the difference between the two conditions.

You must have noted that regular pneumonia can be caused due to bacterial, viral or fungal infections. Other parasites are also believed to cause pneumonia in people. Secondly, self induced causes include smoking, exposure to pollution, etc. On contrary, walking pneumonia is caused only due to an infection caused due to the bacterium Mycoplasma pneumoniae.

Therefore, we observe that the major difference between two is the agent causing either of these condition. Secondly, when comparing walking pneumonia vs pneumonia, walking pneumonia is a milder form of pneumonia, while regular pneumonia can be mild to severe to life-threatening, walking pneumonia is never life-threatening and never requires hospitalization.

When talking about the difference between pneumonia and walking pneumonia, another factor worth mentioning is about the signs and symptoms of these conditions. As the symptoms of walking pneumonia are fairly mild, the condition is ignored and is rarely diagnosed properly in its early stages. The person may cough for a couple of weeks due to walking pneumonia; but thinking that he is suffering from common cold or sore throat.

Walking pneumonia is treated with the help of antibiotics (as it is caused due to bacterial infection); whereas pneumonia treatment depends on the cause of it. Sometimes, a mild form of walking pneumonia can clear itself by over-the-counter medications. However, it is wise to consult the doctor before taking any medications.

Along with differences, these two conditions also share several similarities. Therefore, if you experience any symptoms that do not subside within a couple of days, you should consult the doctor immediately and undertake proper treatment.