Chest infection
Overview
A chest infection is an infection of the lungs or large airways. Some chest infections are mild and clear up on their own, but others can be severe and life threatening.
Symptoms
Chest infections often followcoldsorflu. The main symptoms are: a chestycough– you may cough up green or yellow mucuswheezing and shortness of breathchest pain or discomforta high temperatureaheadacheaching musclestiredness These symptoms can be unpleasant, but they usually get better on their own in about 7 to 10 days. The cough and mucus can last up to 3 weeks.
Treatment
If you have a chest infection, there are things you can do to ease the symptoms. get plenty of rest get plenty of rest drink lots of water to loosen the mucus and make it easier to cough up drink lots of water to loosen the mucus and make it easier to cough up raise your head up while sleeping using extra pillows to make breathing easier and clear your chest of mucus raise your head up while sleeping using extra pillows to make breathing easier and clear your chest of mucus use painkillers to bring down a high temperature and ease headaches and muscle pain use painkillers to bring down a high temperature and ease headaches and muscle pain drink a hot lemon and honey drink to relieve asore throat drink a hot lemon and honey drink to relieve asore throat do not let children breathe in steam from a bowl of hot water because of the risk of scalding do not let children breathe in steam from a bowl of hot water because of the risk of scalding do not give aspirin to children under 16 do not give aspirin to children under 16 do not smoke – it can make your symptoms worse do not smoke – it can make your symptoms worse Treatment for a chest infection will depend on the cause. A chest infection will either be caused by: a virus (like viralbronchitis) – this usually clears up by itself after a few weeks and antibiotics will not helpbacteria (like pneumonia) – a GP may prescribeantibiotics(make sure you complete the whole course as advised by the GP, even if you start to feel better) Antibiotics are only used to treat bacterial chest infections. They're not used for treating viral chest infections, like flu or viral bronchitis. This is because antibiotics do not work for viral infections. You may need a blood test or a sample of your mucus may need to be tested to see what's causing your chest infection.
Prevention
To avoid passing a chest infection on to others: cover your mouth when you cough or sneezewash your hands regularlythrow away used tissues immediately Try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people if you have a high temperature or do not feel well enough to do your normal activities. If you keep getting chest infections or you're at risk of getting one (for example, because you're over 65 or have a serious long-term health condition): ask a GP about the annualflu vaccineask if you should have thepneumococcal vaccine– this helps prevent pneumoniatry toquit smokingif you smokecut down on how much alcohol you drink