Nicole Richie Hospitalized with Pneumonia

Nicole Richie was hospitalized today with pneumonia at LA’s Cedar Sinai Hospital. Richie, 28, had been battling what she called a cold for over a week. Monday, she appeared quite subdued at a court date where she was trying to get restraining orders against two paparazzi. Her lawyer told the judge she was not feeling well.

Pneumonia is an infection in one or both of the lungs. Many small germs, such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi, can cause pneumonia.The infection causes your lungs’ air sacs, called alveoli, to become inflamed. The air sacs may fill up with fluid or pus, causing symptoms such as a cough (with phlegm), fever, chills, and trouble breathing. Pneumonia can be a complication of upper respiratory infections, such as colds or flu, because the mucus in the airways is an excellent growth medium for germs.

Source: NHLBI

Doctors listening to the chest with a stethoscope may hear a bubbling or crackling sound (called rales) or a harsh rumblings (called rhonchi) if pneumonia is present. Confirmation of the disease is made with an x-ray, which will show an area of increased “whiteness” in the infected area (normal lung tissue is mostly black on x-ray).

Symptoms of pneumonia can be mild to severe. Treatment is dependent on the organism causing the pneumonia- viruses can be treated symptomatically or with anti-viral medications, bacteria with antibiotics specific to the organism present. >Pneumonia tends to be more serious for:

• Infants and young children.
• Older adults (people 65 years or older).
• People who have other health problems like heart failure, diabetes, or COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease).
• People who have weak immune systems as a result of diseases or other factors. These may include HIV/AIDS, chemotherapy (a treatment for cancer), or an organ or bone marrow transplant.

For more information: