Pneumonia occurs when your lungs acquire an infection. There are a variety of germs that can cause this infection, including bacteria, different types of viruses and even fungi. As you breathe in these substances, they settle into the air sacs ? called alveoli ? of your lungs. Here they grow and overtake your system?s normal defenses.
The air sacs of your lungs then fill with pus and mucus in an attempt to fight the infection. Unfortunately, this proves futile. The inflammation only makes these sacs less elastic. And this prevents oxygen from properly reaching your blood stream.
