![]() ![]() you feel very unwell or your symptoms are severe.If there's a flu outbreak in your local area and you're at risk of serious infection, your GP may also prescribe antiviral medication. Your GP will usually only prescribe antibiotics if they think you have pneumonia, or you're at risk of complications such as fluid building up around the lungs ( pleurisy). They only work if the infection is caused by bacteria, rather than a virus. Coughing actually helps you clear the infection more quickly by getting rid of the phlegm from your lungs.Īntibiotics aren't recommended for many chest infections. using an air humidifier or inhaling steam from a bowl of hot water – to ease your cough (hot water shouldn't be used to treat young children with a cough, due to the risk of scalds - running hot water briefly in a bathroom, to create steam, and bringing your child into it, after draining the hot water away, might be a safer alternative)Īvoid cough medicines, as there's little evidence they work.raising your head up with extra pillows while you're sleeping – to make breathing easier.drinking a warm drink of honey and lemon – to relieve a sore throat caused by persistent coughing.treating headaches, fever and aches and pains with painkillers – such as paracetamol or ibuprofen.drinking lots of fluid to prevent dehydration and to loosen the mucus in your lungs, making it easier to cough up.While you recover at home, you can improve your symptoms by: You won't usually need to see your GP, unless your symptoms suggest you have a more serious infection (see below). Many chest infections aren't serious and get better within a few days or weeks. people with a weakened immune system – this could be due to a recent illness, a transplant, high-dose steroids, chemotherapy or a health condition, such as an undiagnosed HIV infection.people with long-term health conditions, such as asthma, heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, cystic fibrosis or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).This happens if you cough or sneeze onto your hand, an object or a surface, and someone else shakes your hand or touches those surfaces before touching their mouth or nose.Ĭertain groups of people have a higher risk of developing serious chest infections, such as: The infections can also be spread to others. These droplets can then be breathed in by others. This launches tiny droplets of fluid containing the virus or bacteria into the air. These infections are usually spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes. ![]() Most pneumonia cases are due to bacteria. ![]() Most bronchitis cases are caused by viruses. The main types of chest infection are bronchitis and pneumonia.
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