Brief Answer:
Sweating is common in moderate/severe infections
Detailed Answer:
Hi there,
Firstly, sweating is a common manifestation of a moderate to severe infection. So, it is a normal accompaniment of
pneumonia and will stop once the
lung infection is under control.
Further, you have not mentioned whether the pneumonia is in the right lung or left one. It is quite common to have little fluid in the cavity surrounding the lungs, in case of a major pneumonia. This fluid is always on the same side as pneumonia and, dries up completely once pneumonia is fully resolved.
Pneumonia is usually due to bacterial infection, though in some cases, other organisms (viruses, yeast) may be the causative agent. At the same time, in chronic smokers, malignancy may manifest in the form of pneumonia, particularly if the fluid is on the side of the unaffected lung.
I believe that you live in Canada. If you had travelled in third world countries in the recent past, there is a possibility of having contacted either,
*
tubercular infection of the lungs (manifesting as fever, cough, chills, sweating, tubercular pneumonia and/or tubercular fluid in the lungs, enlarged
spleen if the infection spreads to entire body); or,
**
malaria (which manifests as
intermittent fever with chills and sweating, intermittent headache/body pains and enlarged spleen.
If the little amount of fluid detected in the lungs, is in the unaffected lung, your doctor should look for other causes, including
tuberculosis.
In the meanwhile, I feel that there is nothing to worry. Complete resolution of pneumonia ordinarily takes 2-3 weeks, without any ensuing complications.
Hope you find my response helpful and informative. I will be happy to help you in case you have further queries.
Fond regards,
Dr. Rakesh Karanwal