Chest infection

What is a chest infection?

A chest infection is an infection of your lungs. The infection causes your lungs to swell up and fill with fluid or mucus, causing a cough and making breathing difficult. Chest infections are more common in the autumn and winter months and commonly follow a cold or flu.

Chest infections can be caused by either a virus or bacteria. They often get better on their own, but in some cases can be serious and even life-threatening.

There are two main types of chest infection:

• Bronchitis — is an infection of the large airways of the lungs (bronchi)
• Pneumonia — is an infection of the smaller air sacs in the lungs (alveoli)

What causes a chest infection?

Chest infections are caused by viruses or bacteria. Bronchitis is most commonly caused by a virus and pneumonia is usually caused by bacteria.

Viruses and bacteria can spread from one person to another via infected droplets in the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. They can also be spread by touching contaminated surfaces, such as hand-to-hand contact, or touching an object or surface an infected person has touched and then touching your mouth or nose.

Who can get a chest infection?

Anyone can get a chest infection, but some people are more likely to develop bronchitis or pneumonia including:

• Babies and young children
• The elderly
• Smokers
• People with chronic (long-term) health conditions, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or diabetes
• People with a weakened immune system due to medication like chemotherapy or diseases such as HIV
• People who are very overweight or obese
• Pregnant women

Are chest infections contagious?

Chest infections aren’t usually as contagious as other types of infections such as colds or flu, but the viruses or bacteria that cause chest infections can be spread through the air to other people when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

What are the symptoms of a chest infection?

Chest infection symptoms may vary from person to person and can range from mild to severe.

Symptoms of a chest infection may include:

• A cough — often with yellow, brown or green mucus (phlegm)
• Difficulty breathing such as rapid or shallow breathing, wheezing and shortness of breath
• Feeling generally unwell
• Chest pain or tightness when breathing in
• Fever (a temperature above 38C)
• Fatigue
• Loss of appetite
• Fast heart rate
• Body aches
• Headache
• Blueness around the lips (cyanosis)
• Coughing up blood or blood-stained mucus
• Feeling confused or disoriented

When should I see a consultant?

Most viral chest infections get better on their own after about a week to ten days. If your symptoms are severe and long-lasting, or you are in a high-risk group, you may need medical treatment.

Make an appointment to see your consultant if:

• You feel very unwell, or your symptoms are severe — including chest pain, difficulty breathing, coughing up blood, blue-tinged skin or lips, confusion, or drowsiness
• Your symptoms are getting worse or not getting better
• You have a weakened immune system
• You have a chronic (long-term) health condition such as diabetes, asthma, heart disease or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• You are over 65 years of age
• Your child is under five years of age and has symptoms of a chest infection
• You are pregnant

How is a chest infection diagnosed?

Your consultant can usually diagnose a chest infection by asking about your symptoms, examining you and listening to your chest using a stethoscope.

In some cases, they may order tests such as a chest X-ray to see how bad your chest infection is, blood and sputum (phlegm) tests to see what is causing your chest infection or breathing tests to assess how your breathing is affected.

How are chest infections treated?

Most chest infections are caused by a virus and get better on their own without treatment. If your chest infection is caused by bacteria, you may need treatment with antibiotics which you can usually take at home. Severe chest infections may need to be treated in hospital.

How to treat a chest infection at home

Some things you can do at home to ease your symptoms and help your recovery include:

• Get plenty of res
• Drink lots of fluids such as water, fruit juice, tea and soup — this helps to prevent dehydration and loosens the mucus in your lungs, making it easier to cough up. Warm drinks such as hot water with honey and lemon can also help soothe a sore throat
• Take any prescribed medications such as antibiotics as instructed by your consultant
• Take over-the-counter painkillers like paracetamol or ibuprofen to relieve headaches, body aches or a sore throat and bring down a fever
• Avoid cough medicines — coughing helps get rid of the phlegm from your lungs and there is little evidence that cough medicines work
• Breathe in steam from a bowl of hot water (this is not suitable for babies or young children due to the risk of scalding), inhale steam from the shower or use an air humidifier to make breathing easier
• Prop yourself up with extra pillows while sleeping to make breathing easier
• Don’t smoke — if you can’t quit completely, at least stop smoking until you feel better

Antibiotics

If your chest infection is caused by bacteria, your consultant may prescribe antibiotics. Make sure you finish the whole course of antibiotics, even if you feel better. Stopping your antibiotics early may mean the infection can come back and may be harder to treat. Antibiotics do not work if your chest infection is caused by a virus.

Can you prevent chest infections?

Chest infections can’t always be prevented, but there are some things you can do to lower your risk of developing a chest infection or spreading the virus or bacteria to others.

Lifestyle changes

Changes to your lifestyle can improve your overall health, strengthen your immune system and reduce your risk of developing a chest infection. Some recommended lifestyle changes include:

Stop smoking

Smoking damages your lungs and weakens your immune system, making it harder for your body to fight the infections that cause chest infections. Stopping smoking also has numerous benefits for your overall health and reduces your risk of serious illnesses like lung cancer and heart disease.

Find out more information and support on stopping smoking.

Stick to safe limits when drinking alcohol

Drinking too much alcohol for a prolonged period of time can weaken your immune system and make you more susceptible to infections including chest infections.

Current guidelines on drinking alcohol within safe limits include:

Not regularly drinking more than 14 units of alcohol a week, ideally spread over three or more day

Aim for at least two consecutive alcohol-free days per week

Follow a healthy diet

A healthy, nutritious, balanced diet such as the Mediterranean diet can strengthen your immune system and reduce your risk of developing chest infections. For more information on following a healthy diet, make an appointment with a registered dietician.

Good hygiene

The germs that cause chest infections are commonly spread through coughing and sneezing. Practising good hygiene can help reduce the risk of passing the viruses or bacteria that cause chest infections to others.

To lower the risk of spreading germs to others:

• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your inner elbow when you cough or sneeze
• Throw away used tissues immediately
• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water
• Avoid contact with other people as much as possible if you have symptoms of a chest infection
• Wash any utensils or items that you have been in contact with in hot, soapy water

Vaccinations

If you have an increased risk of getting a chest infection, your consultant may recommend having a vaccination to protect against flu and pneumococcal infections (the bacteria that can cause pneumonia).

Your consultant may recommend a vaccination for:

• People aged 65 and over
• Babies and young children
• People with chronic (long-term) health conditions
• People with weakened immune systems

The flu vaccination is also recommended for pregnant women.

Get help with Circle Health Group 

At Circle Health Group we offer a range of specialist consultations and treatment options for many conditions including chest infections and other breathing problems. 

If you would like to learn more about our treatment options, book your appointment online today or call a member of our team directly on 0808 189 4921.