4. A Pounding Heart
As the battle picks up the pace and the body declares all-out war on the infection, and it begins to work very hard. The heart rate can increase, and you may feel like it’s racing, despite no physical exertion taking place.
Increased heart rate can emphasize a shortness of breath, which may already be apparent as a symptom of compromised lung capacity and efficiency. The rate of breathing may also increase so that you (or the patient) are displaying a fast, shallow breathing pattern.
Combined with a raised heart rate, this can feel very uncomfortable and is a sure sign that the body is under stress from a potential pneumoniae infection.