What is a common symptom of pneumonia?

Shaking chills are a common symptom of pneumonia due to the body's immune response to the infection. When pathogens infect the lungs, the immune system triggers a response that can lead to episodes of fever and chills as the body attempts to fight off the infection. Shaking chills often accompany a high fever, indicating an intense inflammatory response.

In considering other symptoms, while excessive sweating can occur in some cases, it is less directly associated with pneumonia than shaking chills, which are a classic sign of systemic infection. Headaches may occur, but they are not specific to pneumonia and can arise from numerous other conditions. A dry cough can also be present, primarily in certain types of pneumonia; however, productive coughs with sputum are more characteristic of this condition. Therefore, shaking chills stand out as a distinctive indication of pneumonia, reflecting the body's acute response to the infection.