After Val Kilmer’s pneumonia death, what to know about the respiratory virus

Val Kilmer’s decease connected Tuesday has sparked reminders of the risks of pneumonia.

The actor, champion known for his relation arsenic Iceman successful "Top Gun" — on with "Batman Forever," "The Doors" and galore different movies — was 65 erstwhile helium succumbed to the respiratory corruption successful Los Angeles, the Associated Press reported.

Kilmer’s daughter, Mercedes, confirmed the origin of death, noting that the histrion had antecedently recovered from pharynx crab aft a 2015 diagnosis.

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What is pneumonia?

Pneumonia is defined by Cleveland Clinic arsenic an corruption successful the lungs caused by bacteria, viruses oregon fungi.

Val Kilmer’s decease connected Tuesday astatine the property of 65 has sparked reminders of the risks of pneumonia. (AP Images)

This tin origin the lung insubstantial to swell and make a buildup of fluid oregon pus successful the lungs.

Dr. Marc Siegel, objective prof of medicine astatine NYU Langone Health and Fox News' elder aesculapian analyst, said the hazard of pneumonia depends connected the underlying health conditions of the diligent and the spot of the person's immune system. 

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"Val Kilmer had a past of pharynx cancer, but we don’t cognize if helium was receiving caller attraction that would person made him immunocompromised and much susceptible to terrible pneumonia," Siegel told Fox News Digital.

"We besides don’t person accusation connected the nonstop benignant of pneumonia helium had."

Bacterial vs. viral pneumonia

Most cases of community-acquired pneumonia are bacterial oregon viral.

Bacterial pneumonia is usually much terrible than viral pneumonia, according to Cleveland Clinic. 

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It tin beryllium caused by an corruption of Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria, besides called pneumococcal disease. Other bacteria that tin origin the respiratory information see mycoplasma pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenza, Chlamydia pneumoniae and Legionella (Legionnaires’ disease), per the supra source.

"Val Kilmer had a past of pharynx cancer, but we don’t cognize if helium was receiving caller attraction that would person made him immunocompromised and much susceptible to terrible pneumonia," a doc told Fox News Digital. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

"Pneumococcus is simply a large origin of pneumonia — it tin beryllium deadly," Siegel said. "Invasive pneumococcal illness tin person a decease complaint of up to 20% successful adults."

The hazard of bacterial pneumonia increases with property and with chronic illness, the doc added.

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Viral pneumonia tin sometimes stem from viruses that see the flu, communal cold, COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial microorganism (RSV), according to Cleveland Clinic.

This benignant of pneumonia typically improves connected its own.

Viral pneumonia tin sometimes stem from viruses that see the flu, communal cold, COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial microorganism (RSV), according to Cleveland Clinic. (iStock)

In little communal cases, immoderate fungi (molds) oregon protozoa tin origin pneumonia.

"The biggest interest is that it could dispersed into the bloodstream and origin sepsis, which is decidedly life-threatening," Siegel cautioned. 

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Atypical pneumonias are caused by mycoplasma, legionella and kinds of chlamydia (not STD) and pertussis, the doc added.

Treatment and prevention

Early diagnosis and attraction is cardinal to recovery, particularly successful patients astatine risk, Siegel said.

High-risk groups see the precise young, precise old, immunocompromised people, those with chronic obstructive pulmonary illness (COPD) and radical who smoke.

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For those implicit property 60, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the pneumococcal vaccine.

"The effectual version, known arsenic Prevnar, tin enactment against 20 antithetic strains," Siegel said.