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Pneumonia and your lungs

Illustration of lungs with pneumonia

Most pneumonia occurs when a breakdown in your body's natural defenses allows germs to invade and multiply within your lungs. To destroy the attacking organisms, white blood cells rapidly accumulate. Along with bacteria, they fill the air sacs within your lungs (alveoli). Breathing may be labored as air sacs become inflamed and filled with fluid. A classic sign of pneumonia is a cough that produces thick, blood-tinged or yellowish-greenish sputum.
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