21/08/2024
Chest infection:
Signs and symptoms of a chest infection
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
wheezing
a high temperature (fever)
a rapid heartbeat
chest pain or tightness
feeling confused and disorientated
What causes chest infections?
A chest infection is an infection of the lungs or airways. The main types of chest infection are bronchitis and pneumonia.
Most bronchitis cases are caused by viruses, whereas most pneumonia cases are due to bacteria.
These infections are usually spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes. This launches tiny droplets of fluid containing the virus or bacteria into the air, where they can be breathed in by others.
The infections can also be spread to others 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.
Certain groups of people have a higher risk of developing serious chest infections, such as:
babies and very young children
children with developmental problems
people who are very overweight
elderly people
pregnant women
people who smoke
people with long-term health conditions, such as asthma, heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, cystic fibrosis or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
people with a weakened immune system β this could be due to a recent illness, a transplant, high-dose steroids, chemotherapy or a health condition, such as an undiagnosed HIV infection
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 (see below).
While you recover at home, you can improve your symptoms by:
getting plenty of rest
drinking lots of fluid to prevent dehydration and to loosen