Following a respiratory tract infection, Pope Francis was diagnosed with double pneumonia. According to the BBC, the pontiff is particularly susceptible to pneumonia and is currently in a critical posiiton.

According to the lung health experts at Asthma & Lung UK, more people die from pneumonia in the UK than anywhere else in Europe. The charity states: “The condition, usually caused by a bacterial infection or a virus such as flu, leads to the tissue in one or both lungs to swell or become inflamed.

“While mild pneumonia can be treated with medication at home, in some cases, pneumonia can be life-threatening and require hospital treatment.”

The symptoms of double pneumonia to look for

Double pneumonia, put simply, is pneumonia that is in both of your lungs. According to Healthline, the infection inflames the air sacs in your lungs, or the alveoli, which fill with fluid or pus. This inflammation makes it hard to breathe.

The symptoms of double pneumonia include:

• a cough – you may cough up yellow or green mucus (phlegm)
• shortness of breath
• a high temperature
• chest pain
• an aching body
• feeling very tired
• loss of appetite
• making wheezing noises when you breathe – babies may also make grunting noises
• feeling confused – this is common in older people

The NHS urges that if you have these symptoms for three weeks or more, are coughing up blood, struggling to breathe or have chest pain that happens when breathing our coughing, you should call NHS 111.

How to treat pneumonia at home

If you have mild pneumonia that can be treated at home, the NHS recommends taking the following steps:

• rest until you feel better – try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people if you have a high temperature or do not feel well enough to do normal activities

• drink plenty of fluids

• take paracetamol or ibuprofen to help with pain or a high temperature

• cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze

• put used tissues in the bin as quickly as possible

• wash your hands regularly with water and soap