Can Pneumonia Go Away Without Treatment?

Mild cases of pneumonia can go away on their own if you manage your symptoms and get adequate rest. Home treatment for pneumonia includes getting plenty of rest, drinking adequate fluids, steamy baths or showers, fever reducers, and avoiding smoking. In severe cases of pneumonia, hospitalization may be needed.

Pneumonia is a type of lung infection that causes cough, fever, and difficulty breathing. Pneumonia may affect one or both lungs, and can cause serious illness in young children, people over age 65, and people with other health problems.

Pneumonia Treatment

Treatment for pneumonia depends on the type of pneumonia, how sick the patient is, the patient’s age, and if other underlying medical conditions are present. 

Mild cases of pneumonia will often go away on their own by managing symptoms and getting adequate rest. Home treatment for pneumonia includes:

• Getting plenty of rest
• Drinking adequate fluids 
  • Warm beverages may help open airways
• Steamy baths or showers or use of a humidifier can help open airways 
• Fever reducers 
  • Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve) 
  • Acetaminophen (Tylenol)
  • Aspirin 
    • Do not give aspirin to children due to the risk of a serious condition called Reye’s syndrome
• Don’t smoke and avoid secondhand smoke or any other lung irritants
• Check with your doctor before taking cough medicines because coughing helps the body work to rid itself of infection

If medicines are needed, medications used to treat pneumonia include:

• Antibiotics, if the cause is bacterial
• Antivirals, if the cause is viral

In severe cases of pneumonia, hospitalization may be needed, and treatment may include:

• Intravenous (IV) fluids
• Breathing treatments
• Intravenous antibiotics
• Oxygen therapy