The main symptoms of a chest infection can include: a persistent cough. coughing up yellow or green phlegm (thick mucus), or coughing up blood. breathlessness or rapid and shallow breathing.
Check if you have a chest infection
a chesty cough – you may cough up green or yellow mucus. wheezing and shortness of breath. chest pain or discomfort. a high temperature.
The symptoms of pneumonia can develop suddenly over 24 to 48 hours, or they may come on more slowly over several days. Common symptoms of pneumonia include: a cough – which may be dry, or produce thick yellow, green, brown or blood-stained mucus (phlegm)
Symptoms of chest infections
It can strike suddenly or come on slowly over a few days. The symptoms will depend on your age, the cause and severity of the infection, and any other medical problems you may have. Symptoms include: Fast or difficult breathing.
Although most chest infections are mild and improve on their own, some cases can be very serious, even life-threatening. A bout of infection of the large airways (bronchi) in the lungs (acute bronchitis) usually gets better on its own within 7-10 days without any medicines.
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 bronchitis is caused by a virus, you can be contagious for a few days to a week. If your bronchitis is caused by bacteria, you usually stop being contagious 24 hours after starting antibiotics. Other causes of bronchitis aren't contagious.
Acute bronchitis is something that comes up suddenly and doesn't last that long. Some people call it a chest cold. It's usually caused by the same viruses that cause colds and the flu. But it can also be a symptom of COVID-19.
When you do cough up phlegm (another word for mucus) from your chest, Dr. Boucher says it really doesn't matter if you spit it out or swallow it.
These four stages of pneumonia are congestion, red hepatization, gray hepatization, and resolution, respectively.
You can get pneumonia in one or both lungs. You can also have it and not know it. Doctors call this walking pneumonia. Causes include bacteria, viruses, and fungi.
A virus usually causes acute bronchitis. Bacteria can sometimes cause acute bronchitis. But, even in these cases, taking antibiotics is NOT advised and will not help you get better.
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.
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.
Your doctor may prescribe antibiotics if the symptoms are severe and include high fever along with nasal drainage and a productive cough. Antibiotics may also be necessary if you feel better after a few days and then your symptoms return or if the infection lasts more than a week.
The lowdown. As pneumonia progresses, it has four stages: Congestion, red hepatization, gray hepatization, and resolution. You'll typically feel worse during the first three stages before feeling better during the final stage when the immune cells clear the infection.
Even if you're coughing up yellow or green phlegm, you might not need antibiotics. Your mucus color alone can't tell you if a virus or bacteria is causing your cough. If your cough lasts longer than 3 weeks, it's time to see a healthcare provider. You may need an X-ray or antibiotics.
Is coughing up phlegm a good thing? Yes. While the presence of mucus may indicate an underlying issue, coughing up phlegm is a good thing because it helps clear irritants, allergens and infections out of your system.
A bronchitis cough sounds like a rattle with a wheezing or whistling sound. As your condition progresses, you will first have a dry cough that can then progress towards coughing up white mucus.