Caring for your symptoms at home Many chest infections aren't serious and get better within a few days or weeks. You won't usually need to see your GP, unless your symptoms suggest you have a more serious infection. While you recover at home, there are things you can do to improve your symptoms.
Chest infections are common, especially after a cold or flu during autumn and winter. Although most are mild and get better on their own, some can be serious or even life-threatening.
Often viral cases of pneumonia begin as congestion and cough with or without fever in the first few days. When a doctor listens to the lungs and finds breathing sounds are not clear on either side of the chest, a viral cause over bacterial is even more highly suspected.
The symptoms of viral and bacterial chest infections are similar but the colour of any mucus coughed up may indicate the cause; white or clear mucus usually indicates a viral infection whereas green or yellow mucus suggests that the infection is bacterial.
Get plenty of rest to help your body recover. Drink lots of water to loosen the mucus so it is easier to cough up. Take medication like paracetamol or ibuprofen to lower your fever and relieve headaches and muscle pains. Elevate your head and chest at night with extra pillows to clear your chest of mucus.
There are a number of chest infection symptoms that mean you should see a GP even if you do not have any other lung problems. If your symptoms get worse, you should look out for these warning signs. They include: If a fever, wheezing or headache becomes worse or severe.
It could be a sign of something more serious, such as bronchitis or pneumonia, so stay at home and call your doctor right away.
If your pneumonia isn't treated, the pleura can get swollen, creating a sharp pain when you breathe in. If you don't treat the swelling, the area between the pleura may fill with fluid, which is called a pleural effusion. If the fluid gets infected, it leads to a problem called empyema.
Most people will be contagious for up to 2 weeks. Symptoms are usually worse during the first 2 to 3 days, and this is when you're most likely to spread the virus.
An antibiotic such as amoxicillin is prescribed when pneumonia is suspected. Once pneumonia is diagnosed, it's best to start treatment within four hours. Infection with a germ (bacterial infection) is a common cause and antibiotics kill bacteria. Amoxicillin is usually effective against the most common causes.
Stage four: Resolution
The final stage of pneumonia occurs between days eight to ten. This is the recovery phase of pneumonia, where the immune cells and enzymes fight the infection, allowing the alveoli to work better. The macrophages clear pus from the infected area.
Bronchitis and pneumonia are two lung infections with similar symptoms. In some cases, bronchitis can turn into pneumonia. This occurs when an infection spreads from the airways to the air sacs in the lungs. It is also possible for a person with bronchitis to develop a separate pneumonia infection.
Will I get antibiotics? Both pharmacists can write prescriptions, so if after examining you they feel you have a bacterial infection they are able to write you a prescription for the most appropriate treatment. Many conditions are caused by viruses and do not require antibiotics.
“Because pneumonia is a lung infection, it typically has more respiratory symptoms, while the flu is accompanied by muscular aches and pains and fatigue,” she explains. The flu usually comes on suddenly, while pneumonia takes longer to develop and can be a complication from the flu.
Vicks VapoRub — a topical ointment made of ingredients including camphor, eucalyptus oil and menthol that you rub on your throat and chest — doesn't relieve nasal congestion. But the strong menthol odor of VapoRub may trick your brain, so you feel like you're breathing through an unclogged nose.
Is Vicks Vaporub good for bronchitis? Vicks VapoRub can help to improve breathing and the ability to rest when you're dealing with bronchitis congestion. It can be especially effective in children.
Your doctor will listen to your lungs with a stethoscope. If you have pneumonia, your lungs may make crackling, bubbling, and rumbling sounds when you inhale.