What is the Connection Between H1N1 and Pneumonia?

When considering the connection between H1N1 and pneumonia, the most basic link is the fact that they are both respiratory infections. Also called swine flu, H1N1 is a type of virus called influenza, while pneumonia can be caused by viruses or bacteria. In some cases, a person may develop pneumonia while dealing with H1N1. When this occurs, pneumonia is called a complication of the flu. Unfortunately, this connection between H1N1 and pneumonia may result in serious illnesses for people who might otherwise have recovered from H1N1 quickly.

With some other types of flu, the connection between influenza and pneumonia is often more common among people who are older or those who are suffering from compromised immune systems. The connection between H1N1 and pneumonia is a bit different in this respect. While an older person or someone with a compromised immune system can still develop pneumonia as a complication of H1N1, this particular type of influenza seems to take a more serious toll on younger people. As such, younger, healthy people as well as those with compromised immune systems are typically as much or more at risk of developing H1N1 complications than older people.

While it may seem that influenza causes pneumonia, that is not really the case. Instead, a bout with influenza may cause a person's respiratory tract lining to become thinner than usual. In turn, this makes the person more susceptible to bacteria and viruses capable of causing pneumonia. H1N1 is typically harder on the respiratory tract tissues than other types of influenza. As such, the likelihood of pneumonia complications may he heightened with this particular form of the flu.

It is interesting to note that the connection between H1N1 and pneumonia does not become a problem for everyone who contracts the virus. Some people who are exposed to the virus never become ill, and most of those who do become ill will not go on to develop pneumonia. In many cases, a bout of H1N1 does not turn out to be more severe than a person might expect with another type of influenza.

Some scientists have expressed their theories about the reasons H1N1 may take a harder toll on younger people than those over 65. They assert that younger people have never experienced anything like H1N1, and therefore, their bodies are less prepared to fight it. Older people, some scientists assert, may have been exposed to viruses similar to H1N1 during their lifetimes. As such, their bodies may be better prepared to resist it.