Even with severe pneumonia, the lung normally heals and suffers little long-term damage, however there may be some scarring of the lung (rarely leading to bronchiectasis) or lung surface injury (the pleura). This can occur in any age group but is more common in people who have chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma or emphysema. Pneumonia can lead to permanent loss of lung function. If you have severe pneumonia you may need physical or occupational therapy to learn how to live with a disability. Most people who die from pneumonia do so because they cannot cope with the complications of their illness, for example if they are elderly or have another health problem. Deaths due to pneumonia are most common among older adults living in the community. The number of deaths due to pneumonia has been on the rise since the 1990s. This increase may be due to better diagnosis of pneumonia cases or increased awareness of this disease. However, it may also be due to more serious consequences of pneumonia, for example if an individual does not respond to treatment. People who survive one episode of pneumonia are likely to recover completely from subsequent episodes. However, each episode increases your risk of developing long-term health problems. For example, people who have frequent episodes of pneumonia are more likely to develop heart disease or diabetes.