Favorite Oscar-winning actress Diane Keaton died of pneumoniaaccording to a statement from her family shared with People magazine.
It is unclear whether she had any medical conditions that contributed to this. her death on Saturday at 79.
Here's everything you need to know about the lung infection, its causes and how it led to Keaton's death.
What is pneumonia?
Pneumonia is an infection in which the sacs of one or both lungs become inflamed. according to the Mayo Clinic.
According to the clinic, these air sacs fill with fluid or pus, causing a cough with phlegm or pus, fever, chills and difficulty breathing. The severity of the disease can range from mild to life-threatening, and in severe cases can lead to death.
It is more serious in infants and people over 65, according to the Mayo Clinic. People with underlying health conditions or weakened immune systems are also at higher risk of severe pneumonia.
What causes pneumonia?
Pneumonia can be caused by a variety of pathogens, such as bacteria or viruses.
The immune system usually prevents these germs from causing an infection in the lungs, but some can still evade the body's defenses even if a person is in good health, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Dr. Ben Singer, a pulmonologist at Northwestern Medicine, said some types of pneumonia are caused by bacteria, but they are most often caused by respiratory viruses such as the cold, flu or Covid.
Walking pneumonia is caused by a bacteria and is a milder form of the disease, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Patients can develop pneumonia during their hospital stay and for other reasons, according to the Mayo Clinic. Hospital-acquired pneumonia may be more serious because the bacteria may be resistant to antibiotics and patients may already have a weakened immune system.
People on ventilators are more vulnerable to contracting pneumonia in hospital, so many people who have had early Covid variants died of pneumonia– said Singer.
It's also possible to get aspiration pneumonia, which occurs when someone inhales food, drinks, vomit or saliva, and is more likely in people whose gag reflexes don't function normally, such as if they have a brain injury or trouble swallowing, or if they use drugs or alcohol, according to the Mayo Clinic.
What are the symptoms of pneumonia?
Symptoms can range from mild to severe.
In some cases, symptoms may be similar to colds and flu but last longer and include:
- Chest pain when breathing or coughing.
- Confusion or changes in mental consciousness (in elderly patients).
- Cough, which may be accompanied by sputum production.
- Fatigue.
- Fever, sweating, chills.
- Body temperature is lower than normal (in older patients and people with weak immune systems).
- Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea.
- Dyspnea.
Patients with pneumonia may experience complications including sepsis or bacteria in the bloodstream, difficulty breathing, fluid around the lungs, and abscesses in the lungs.
Dr. Humberto Choi, a pulmonologist at the Cleveland Clinic, also noted that other complications can occur, such as pulmonary embolism, arrhythmias, or even encephalopathy, which can affect the brain.
Those with trouble breathing, chest pain, a fever of up to 102 degrees Fahrenheit, or a persistent cough should seek medical attention, according to the Mayo Clinic.
How does pneumonia lead to death?
“It's true that pneumonia tends to be more severe in people who are very, very young—that is, infants—or older people, and that seems to be the age group that tends to experience severe illness, but it can certainly affect anyone,” Singer said.
In Keaton's case, even if she didn't have an underlying condition, “that doesn't mean that perfectly healthy people can't get seriously ill from pneumonia,” Singer said.
Pneumonia is also a very common cause of sepsis, where “a severe infection causes the body to overreact to try to treat the infection,” Singer said. “The body tries to kill the infection, but the result is harm to the body itself.”
Both can happen quickly. When the lungs fail, it causes a syndrome called acute respiratory distress syndrome, or ARDS, which attacks the body very quickly, as does sepsis, which can progress within hours and become life-threatening.
Choi noted that low oxygen levels can progress over minutes to hours, and other complications, such as cardiac arrhythmia associated with pneumonia, can occur “very suddenly and out of nowhere.”
How to prevent and treat pneumonia?
Practicing good hygiene and maintaining a healthy immune system can help protect against pneumonia.
The Mayo Clinic says vaccines are recommended for children ages 2 to 5 to prevent certain types of pneumonia. In 2024, the CDC's independent panel of advisers voted 14 to 1 in favor. reduce the age for routine pneumococcal vaccination to 50 years.
Doctors warn that vaccines only protect patients against certain types of pneumonia, not all.
On the one hand, there are vaccines that prevent viruses that cause pneumonia, such as influenza, Covid and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, Singer said.
There is also a vaccine that targets the specific bacterium that causes most cases of bacterial pneumonia, but it is typically recommended for older adults and people with underlying health conditions, Singer said. The vaccine is not given annually, but a doctor can advise whether a person needs a booster shot after the first shot, he added.
