“Did getting pneumonia make my asthma worse?”

I'm sorry to hear about your episode of pneumonia. The simple answer is yes, each infection can cause progressive changes to the lungs that become more difficult to "bounce back" and can have additive damages further making your asthma more severe. Being aggressive about inhaler therapies and also working up potential triggers to your asthma (in order to avoid these in the future) are important ways to prevent additional episodes going forward. One of the best ways to fight further pneumonia risk is to get vaccinated each year for influenza and to have your pneumonia vaccination (just his June the CDC updated its guidelines with a newer vaccine with more coverage called "prevnar 20"). I would recommend you speak with your primary care provider or pulmonologist to ensure that you have the latest version of this vaccine. Beyond these measures always make sure to limit any sick contacts and to frequently wash your hands during the winter months to prevent potential spread of infections. Hope this answers your question.

Regards,

Dr. Maslonka