What seemed like a cold now comes with breathlessness and chest pain, and pneumonia comes to mind. The NHS describes pneumonia as inflammation of the lungs, usually caused by an infection. Symptoms can start suddenly or develop over a few days, and most people get better in 2 to 4 weeks. Bacterial pneumonia is usually treated with antibiotics, and you should contact your doctor if you don’t feel any better after 2 to 3 days of taking them. At home, rest and drink plenty of fluids, but don’t take cough medicine — coughing helps clear the infection. Adults over 65, babies and people with heart or lung conditions are at higher risk. This sets out the NHS page “Pneumonia”.
1. Most people get better in 2 to 4 weeks. No better after 2 to 3 days of antibiotics: contact your doctor. Finish the course.
2. Rest, fluids, paracetamol or ibuprofen; no cough medicine — coughing helps clear the infection.
3. Choking or gasping, blue lips, coughing up blood, sudden confusion: call 999.
Symptoms — NHS
- Cough, shortness of breath
- Fever, chest pain
- Body aches, extreme tiredness, loss of appetite
- Wheezing
- Confusion — common in older people
- Babies may make grunting noises
Where colds and flu end is covered in cold or flu and common cold; the CDC lists pneumonia as a serious flu complication in the flu post.
Caring for yourself at home — NHS
| Type | What the NHS says | Worth noting (our gloss) |
|---|---|---|
| Do | Rest; stay home with a high temperature or if too unwell for normal activities | — |
| Do | Drink plenty of fluids | — |
| Do | Paracetamol or ibuprofen — if you’ve been told it’s safe for you | A cue to check if you have conditions or take medicines |
| Do | Cover coughs and sneezes, bin tissues quickly, wash hands with soap and water | — |
| Don’t | Take cough medicine — coughing helps clear the infection | Unlike the usual cold habit |
| Don’t | Smoke | — |
Bacterial pneumonia is usually treated with antibiotics; finish the full course even if you feel better, and contact your doctor if you’re no better after 2 to 3 days.
Where to go — NHS
| Where | When | Worth noting (our gloss) |
|---|---|---|
| Urgent GP or 111 | A cough lasting up to 3 weeks; yellow or green phlegm | — |
| Urgent GP or 111 | Chest pain that comes and goes or comes with breathing or coughing; shortness of breath | — |
| 999 or A&E | Severe difficulty breathing — choking, gasping, unable to speak | — |
| 999 or A&E | Skin, lips or tongue pale, blue or blotchy | — |
| 999 or A&E | Coughing up blood; sudden confusion, such as not knowing where you are | — |
| 999 or A&E | A baby you can’t wake or who feels floppy | — |
Don’t drive yourself to A&E, and bring your medicines. Coughs in general are covered in cough.
Who is at higher risk, and prevention — NHS
- Adults over 65; people with cardiovascular disease or a long-term lung condition
- Babies and young children with pneumonia; people who are very unwell or not improving on antibiotics
| Vaccine (UK) | Who the NHS lists | Worth noting (our gloss) |
|---|---|---|
| Pneumococcal | Babies, adults over 65, people at higher risk | Korean eligibility not checked |
| Flu | Pregnancy, adults over 65, some long-term conditions, people at high risk of catching or spreading it | Korea: flu vaccination post |
| RSV | Adults 75 and over, some 65 to 74 with weakened immunity or a long-term lung condition, pregnancy from 28 weeks | See the RSV post |
| COVID-19 | A seasonal vaccine for people at increased risk | — |
These are UK NHS groups and may differ from Korea’s national programme (our view). Korean free flu groups are in flu vaccination, and RSV in RSV symptoms. The NHS adds that stopping smoking lowers your risk of pneumonia.
Checklist
- ☐ Cough with breathlessness, chest pain and fever?
- ☐ Rest and fluids; no cough medicine
- ☐ Finish antibiotics; no better after 2 to 3 days: call your doctor
- ☐ Choking, blue lips or confusion: 999
- ☐ Over 65: check pneumococcal and flu vaccines
Questions that remain
How long does the cough last?
The page only says most people get better in 2 to 4 weeks; it doesn’t give separate figures for the cough or tiredness.
Why no cough medicine?
The NHS says coughing helps clear the infection.
Sources
- NHS — Pneumonia — source (page shows: reviewed 17 July 2026, next review 17 July 2029; checked 14 October 2026). Definition, symptoms, 2 to 4 weeks, home care, antibiotics and 2 to 3 days, 111 and 999, over 65, vaccines (75, 65 to 74, 28 weeks).
- Not read. Korean agency guidance on pneumonia and pneumococcal vaccine eligibility.
- What we added. The “worth noting” column.
Where else to check
- Your doctor — for a cough with breathlessness or chest pain.
- A public health centre — Korean pneumococcal vaccine eligibility.
Written on 14 October 2026. The content is from the NHS; the glosses are ours. It does not replace diagnosis or treatment.
