Doctors can use antibiotics to treat C. pneumoniae infections, although most people will recover on their own without medicine. Doctors can use several types of ...SkipdirectlytositecontentSkipdirectlytopageoptionsSkipdirectlytoA-ZlinkChlamydiapneumoniaeInfectionSectionNavigationCDCHomeFacebookTwitterLinkedInSyndicateDiagnosis,Treatment,andComplicationsMinusRelatedPagesOnThisPageDiagnosisTreatmentComplicationsDiagnosisDoctorsmaytesttoseeifapatienthasChlamydiapneumoniaeinfectionby:Laboratorytestthatinvolvestakingasampleofsputum(phlegm)orswabfromthenoseorthroatBloodtestTreatmentDoctorscanuseantibioticstotreatC.pneumoniaeinfections,althoughmostpeoplewillrecoverontheirownwithoutmedicine.DoctorscanuseseveraltypesofantibioticstotreatC.pneumoniaeinfections.IfadoctordiagnosesyouoryourchildwithaC.pneumoniaeinfection,theywilldecidethebesttreatment.ComplicationsC.pneumoniaeinfectionismostoftenamilddisease.However,seriouscomplicationscanoccurthatresultinneedingcareortreatmentinahospital,including:Encephalitis(swellinginthebrain)Myocarditis(swellingoftheheart)C.pneumoniaecancausechronicinfection.SomeexpertsthinkthatchronicC.pneumoniaeinfectionmightcontributetochronicconditions,suchasasthma,arthritis,andatherosclerosis(plaquebuildupinyourarteries). RelatedLinksForCliniciansandLaboratorians:TreatmentPagelastreviewed:January10,2019Contentsource:NationalCenterforImmunizationandRespiratoryDiseases,DivisionofBacterialDiseaseshomeChlamydiapneumoniaeInfectionHomeAbouttheDiseaseexpandCauses,HowItSpreads,&PeopleatIncreasedRiskSigns&SymptomsDiagnosis,Treatment,&ComplicationsPreventionHistory&DiseasePatternsFastFactsForClinicians&LaboratoriansexpandDiseaseSpecificsClinicalFeatures&ComplicationsTreatmentDiagnosticMethodsSpecimenSubmissionforDiagnosticTestingSurveillance&ReportingPublicationsFacebookTwitterLinkedInSASstatsExitNotification/DisclaimerPolicyCloseLinkswiththisiconindicatethatyouareleavingtheCDCwebsite.TheCentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention(CDC)cannotattesttotheaccuracyofanon-fe