According to the World Health Organization,
pneumonia claims the lives of about 2.6 million people worldwide each year,
including roughly 460,000 children under the age of 5.
The Global Coalition Against Child Pneumonia
has designated November 12 as"World Pneumonia Day"to raise awareness about this serious disease.
November 12,2025
marks the 17th World Pneumonia Day.
Let’s take this opportunity to learn about pneumonia,
take steps to prevent it,and protect our lung health.
01
Pneumonia is Not a Severe Cold
Pneumonia is a serious lung infection.Its symptoms—cough,fever,loss of appetite,and difficulty breathing—can resemble those of a common cold.Because of this,many people mistake pneumonia for a severe cold,delaying proper diagnosis and treatment.In reality,the two conditions are quite different.
The common cold is usually caused by viruses and primarily affects the upper respiratory tract(nose,throat,and larynx).Symptoms often include a runny nose,sneezing,and sore throat,with generally mild overall effects on the body.
Pneumonia,in contrast,is an infectious inflammation of the alveoli,small airways,and lung tissue.It can be caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae,the novel coronavirus,influenza viruses,Mycoplasma,Chlamydia,and other pathogens,directly impairing the lungs’ability to exchange gases.As a lower respiratory tract infection,severe cases can lead to respiratory failure.
Certain groups are at higher risk and should take extra precautions:
1.Infants and young children:Their immune systems are still developing.
2.Older adults:Declining physical function and common underlying health issues increase vulnerability.
3.People with chronic diseases:Conditions such as COPD,diabetes,or hypertension raise the risk of severe illness.
4.Smokers:Damage to the respiratory mucosa reduces the body’s natural defenses.
02
Hydrogen-Oxygen Therapy Protects Lung Health
Medically,pneumonia is defined as inflammation of the lung tissue.Numerous studies have shown that hydrogen–oxygen gas has anti-inflammatory[1],antioxidant[2],and anti-apoptotic[3]properties,with its anti-inflammatory effects being especially significant.
Research on Hydrogen–Oxygen and Its Anti-Inflammatory Effects
Key research studies include:
Document 1:“Hydrogen Alleviates Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Acute Lung Injury and Inflammatory Response in Mice”
Document 2:“The Role of Hydrogen in the Prevention and Treatment of Coronary Atherosclerotic Heart Disease”
Document 5:“Hydrogen Alleviates Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Acute Lung Injury and Inflammatory Response in Mice”
Document 13:“The Effect of Hydrogen on Cerebral Ischemia–Reperfusion Injury”
Document 16:“Combination of Hydrogen and Tetrandrine Inhibits Silica-Induced Pulmonary Fibrosis by Attenuating Epithelial–Mesenchymal Transition and Inflammation via NF-κB/NLRP3 Signaling Pathway”
Document 18:“Hydrogen–Oxygen Therapy Facilitates Recovery from Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Omicron Variant Infection”
Document 25:“An Overview of Molecular Hydrogen as an Adjunctive Therapy for COVID-19 Infection”
Document 44:“Inhalation of Hydrogen–Oxygen Mixture as an Adjunct to Home-Based Exercise for Elderly Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis”
Document 45:“Effect of Hydrogen Gas on the Incidence of Pulmonary Complications after Thoracoscopic Radical Resection of Lung Cancer in Patients”
Document 47:“Hydrogen–Oxygen Inhalation Improves Deafness After Radiotherapy for Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma”
Document 48:“Hydrogen Inhalation Promotes Recovery in Patients with Persistent Vegetative State After Cerebral Hemorrhage”
Document 49:“Hydrogen Improves Postoperative Delirium and Cognitive Dysfunction in Elderly Patients”Document 51:“Hydrogen-Induced Airway Mucus Barrier Disruption Enhances Nebulized RNA Delivery to Reverse Pulmonary Fibrosis”
Since 2014,a research team led by Academician Zhong Nanshan has studied the role of hydrogen–oxygen mixed gas as an adjunct therapy for conditions such as airway narrowing,bronchial asthma,and acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD).Multicenter clinical studies during the COVID-19 pandemic have shown that hydrogen–oxygen therapy can significantly relieve symptoms such as cough and shortness of breath in COVID-19 patients while improving blood oxygen levels.
More recently,a post-marketing Phase IV clinical study led by the National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Diseases on Asclepius Meditec’s products found that hydrogen–oxygen therapy reduced the frequency of acute COPD exacerbations by 80%..A subgroup analysis of patients with pulmonary nodules also showed a statistically significant reduction in nodule volume,indicating improvement.
As an innovative intervention,hydrogen–oxygen therapy shows promising potential in preventing and treating respiratory diseases and chronic conditions in older adults.Several leading hospitals and medical institutions in China have already established Hydrogen–Oxygen Clinics or"Hydrogen-Oxygen Experience Centers",and it is expected that even more patients will benefit from this therapy.
References: [1]Zhang J, Zhang J, Han L, Wu S, Li J, Eaton EN, Yuan B, Reinhardt F, Li H, Strasser PC, Das S, Liu Donaher J, Khalil MI, Jiang H, Deuschel A, Lin D, Sebastiany C, Maranga M, Shubitidze S, Liu X, Lambert AW, Zhang Y, Liu Y, Sui L, Elmiligy S, Pozza U, Günsay R, Mishra R, Velarde J, Iyer S, Henry WS, Weiskopf K, Feng G, Oni TE, Watnick RS, Li X, Weinberg RA. Inflammation awakens dormant cancer cells by modulating the epithelial-mesenchymal phenotypic state. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2025 Sep 9;122(36):e2515009122. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2515009122. Epub 2025 Sep 3. PMID: 40901881; PMCID: PMC12435312.[2]Cai WW, Zhang MH, Yu YS, et al., 2013. Treatment with hydrogen molecule alleviates TNFα-induced cell injury in osteoblast. Mol Cell Biochem, 373(1-2):1-9. [3]Chen HG, Han HZ, Li Y, et al., 2020. Hydrogen alleviated organ injury and dysfunction in sepsis: the role of crosstalk between autophagy and endoplasmic reticulum stress: experimental research. Int Immunopharmacol, 78:106049.
