How To Clear Chest Infection Without Antibiotics

Check If You Have A Chest Infection

Chest infections often follow colds or flu.

The main symptoms are:

• a chesty cough you may cough up green or yellow mucus
• wheezing and shortness of breath
• chest pain or discomfort
• aching muscles
• tiredness

These symptoms can be unpleasant, but they usually get better on their own in about 7 to 10 days.

The cough and mucus can last up to 3 weeks.

What Is A Sinus Infection

Sinusitis, or a sinus infection, is a common problem. It happens when your sinuses become inflamed. Sinuses are hollow spaces located behind the bones of your face. You have sinuses in your:

• Cheeks.
• Behind your forehead and eyebrows.
• On the sides of your nose bridge.
• Beyond your nose, in front of your brain.

Most often, viruses infect the sinuses, causing inflammation. You may feel or have:

• Postnasal drip, when you feel mucus dripping into your throat.
• Green mucus from your nose.
• Stuffiness or congestion.
• Fever.
• Headaches.

If you have these symptoms lasting longer than 7-10 days, or if your symptoms worsen after 5-7 days, you may have a bacterial infection. Please see your healthcare provider for a diagnosis. Antibiotics may be needed to clear up a sinus infection in this case

Can Chest Infections Be Prevented

You can reduce the risk of getting a chest infection, or of passing one on, by:

• washing your hands with soapy water after coughing, sneezing and using tissues
• covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze, and dispose of used tissues in the rubbish bin straight away
• not attending work, school or day care while feeling unwell

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Best Natural Home Remedies For Chest Infections

3 natural remedies for chest infections include:

• Inhale steam from a bowl of hot water . The added moisture helps break down mucus. Menthol crystals can be added to the water to help decongest.
• Drink hot peppermint tea. Peppermint contains menthol that helps thin mucus.
• Wear a face mask or a scarf if cold outside as cold air may cause shortness of breath.

Slather On A Vapor Rub

Vapor rubs also contain decongestive ingredients, but theyre applied topically instead of ingested.

In one 2010 study, researchers studied children who received either vapor rub treatment, petrolatum ointment, or no medication. Vapor rub scored the highest in providing relief from cough and congestion.

The ointment didnt relieve symptoms significantly better than no treatment at all. So, its thought that the combined camphor and menthol of a vapor rub supplies the most symptom relief.

You can purchase vapor rubs at any drug store. Common OTC chest rubs that contain camphor and menthol include:

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Are Upper Respiratory Infections Contagious

Yes, upper respiratory infections are contagious. They pass from person to person through respiratory droplets or hand-to-hand contact. People who have an upper respiratory infection can pass it to others through:

• Sneezing or coughing without covering their nose and mouth. This sprays germs into the air. Other people can breathe in those germ-filled droplets.
• Sneezing or coughing into their hand and then touching someone elses hand. The droplets are now on the other persons hand. When that person touches their nose, mouth or eyes, the infection enters their body.

Take A Hot Steam Shower

The steaming process produces instant relief for clogged nose and dilutes the chest cold. In other words, it dissolves or breaks up mucus in the lungs and throat.

For stunning results fill a bowl with very hot water.

Keep your head in the bowl and cover your head with a towel. This traps in the steam. Inhale the steam as deeply as you can.

This eases the chest congestion and gives you relief.

A hot shower can also ease congestion and refreshes you.

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Ive Had Treatment For My Chest Infection But Im Still Having Symptoms What Should I Do Now

The cough from a chest infection is usually the last symptom to go and could last up to three weeks, even after treatment. If you find you’ve still got a cough after your chest infection has cleared up, this might be a sign that your airways are still inflamed, so its worth seeing your doctor.

You should also see a doctor if:

• your asthma is waking you at night
• you feel like your chest infection has cleared up, but youre still having asthma symptoms three or more times a week
• your chest infection doesnt get completely better after a course of treatment.

You should phone 111 or 999 if you:

• feel your chest infection symptoms get worse at any point
• develop a fever

• stopping smoking get help to quit smoking.

Avoid colds and flu

Try to protect yourself from other infections like colds and flu, as this will make a chest infection less likely. Our page on colds and flu has lots of practical ideas you can follow to protect yourself against them.

Next review due November 2023

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Symptoms Of Chest Infections

Pneumonia is more common in winter and spring. 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
• Coughing with brown or green-coloured phlegm
• Fever
• Blue colour around the lips
• Stomach pain
• A child may vomit, have diarrhoea and be irritable or lethargic.

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How To Treat Bacterial Infection With Tea Tree Oil

In 2006 Jan, a study published on the Clinical Microbiology Reviews released the evidence that tea tree oil had the antibacterial activity. In fact, there has been a lot of studies that proved the useful antibacterial property of this natural oil, despite the differences among their methods, the study results are still quite similar and consensus. Although this powerful essential oil is famous for its anti-viral than antibacterial functions, it is quite effective in fighting against a wide range of vaginal and skin infections triggered by bacteria. Tea tree oil, which could be applied onto our skin directly or be smeared inside your vaginal canal, helps destroy bacterial activities. It always needs to be adequately diluted to avoid the chances of skin burning. As this essential oil is very potent, it could be used for curing and controlling even a chronic infection but does not cause any harmful side effect at all.

To get more information about tea tree oil, you are supposed to visit How To Use Tea Tree Oil article

When Children Need Themand When They Dont

If your child has a sore throat, cough, or runny nose, you might expect the doctor to prescribe antibiotics. But most of the time, children dont need antibiotics to treat a respiratory illness. In fact, antibiotics can do more harm than good. Heres why:

Antibiotics fight bacteria, not viruses.

If your child has a bacterial infection, antibiotics may help. But if your child has a virus, antibiotics will not help your child feel better or keep others from getting sick.

• The common cold and flu are both viruses.
• Chest colds are also usually caused by viruses.
• Bronchiolitis is particular type of chest cold that often causes wheezing and can make young infants very sick. It is also caused by a virus.
• Most sinus infections are caused by viruses. The symptoms are a lot of mucus in the nose and post-nasal drip.
• Mucus that is colored does not necessarily mean your child has a bacterial infection.

Antibiotics do not help treat viruses and some infections.

The flu is always caused by a virus. For these cases, antibiotics may be needed. There are special medications that can be used in some cases to fight the flu virus. Sometimes infants and children get bacterial infections on top of the flu. When a child has BOTH the flu and a bacterial infection, antibiotics may be needed.

Sometimes bacteria can cause sinus infections, but even then the infection usually clears up on its own in a week or so. Many common ear infections also clear up on their own without antibiotics.

02/2013

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How To Treat Bacterial Infection With Baking Soda

As you know, baking soda is used for numerous purposes varied from cooking to taking care of health and beauty. How to treat bacterial infection with baking soda is what we would like to show you next. In accordance with a study on the antibacterial property of sodium bicarbonate , which was published in August, 2006 in the Journal of Food Science, baking soda was proved to have the powerful antibacterial activity. Thanks to the ability to regulate the PH balance of your skin and body, home remedy baking soda is able to treat many infections caused by bacteria such as respiratory infection, bacterial skin infection, and intestinal tract infection. Moreover, when you mix a half teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of water, it can help to treat respiratory infections and stomach infection. Another way to use this kitchen staple on how to treat bacterial infection is that you can pour a cup of the ingredient into a tub of lukewarm water. This treatment can be used daily as a rinsing and soaking agent.

What To Avoid When You Have Bronchitis

One of the most important things to do when you have bronchitis is to avoid things that will irritate your lungs.

• No smoking. You should steer clear of smoking of any kind anyway but especially with bronchitis or other conditions that affect your lungs.
• Fires. Whether its a cozy fire in your fireplace, a camp fire or being in an area where there are controlled burns or wildfires, smoke will definitely worsen your condition.
• Dust. Inhaling dust and other allergens around your home can stir up trouble so keep your windows closed and keep your house clean, dusted and vacuumed. Wear a mask while cleaning and consider an air filter for your home.

Keep an eye on your local weather, too. Local news and other outlets, like the National Weather Service, will often report your local air quality index, which tracks the level of pollution in the air in your community. The higher the index number, the worse the air quality is, meaning you should stay inside with an air filter on and windows closed.

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How Long Is Pneumonia Treated With Antibiotics For

In most cases, a 5 day course of antibiotics is sufficient and will be more successful if the course is completed. You should always complete the full course of antibiotics even if you start to feel better. Bacterial pneumonia can become resistant and may come back if you stop taking the antibiotics before the course ends.

Hospital treatment may involve two different antibiotics at the same time. In some cases, your doctor may increase the course length of your first antibiotic or prescribe a different antibiotic to kill the infection.

How Long Do Upper Respiratory Infections Last

Upper respiratory infections typically last one to two weeks. Most of the time, they go away on their own. Over-the-counter pain medications can help you feel better. Make sure you drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated.

If your symptoms last longer than two weeks, talk to your healthcare provider. You may have another condition that is causing the symptoms, such as pneumonia or bronchitis.

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How To Prevent Chest Infections

Chest infections spread when you cough or sneeze tiny droplets into the air, which other people breathe in, so cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze, wash your hands regularly and throw away used tissues.

Also:

• Quit smoking, as it damages your lungs.
• Limit alcohol, as it weakens your lungs natural defences against infections.
• Eat healthily to strengthen your bodys immune system.

What Causes Pneumonia

Many kinds of bacteria and viruses can cause pneumonia.

The most common type of pneumonia is community-acquired pneumonia, which is when pneumonia affects somebody who is not already in hospital. The most common cause of community-acquired pneumonia is a bacterium called Streptococcus pneumoniae but there are many other causes. Community-acquired pneumonia is much less contagious than flu or a cold, because most peoples immune systems can kill the bacteria that causes it before they can cause an infection. Most people with community-acquired pneumonia are unlikely to give the disease to another person.

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What Is The Outlook

Infection of the large airways in the lungs usually clears without any complications. Occasionally, the infection travels to the lung tissue to cause a serious lung infection .

If you have pneumonia and are well enough to be looked after at home, your outlook is very good. If you need to be looked after in hospital, the outlook is still usually good – but not quite as good. The outlook is also not as good for people who also have long-term illnesses such as lung disease, heart failure or diabetes.

What Is Chest Congestion

Chest congestion causes difficulty in breathing and occurs due to the inflammation of the lower respiratory tract. It is caused by the accumulation of mucus and fluids in the lungs.

When the mucus membranes that line the airways become overactive, it results in chest congestion.

When you breathe in bacteria, dust or virus, the mucosa cells become irritated and inflamed.

The inflammation of the mucosal cells leads to impairment of daily activities. It results in a headache, chest congestion, and stuffy nose.

Chest congestion causes a lot of discomforts such as tightness of chest and pain. It results in labored breathing and hampers peaceful sleep.

The symptoms include a runny nose, wheezing, heavy snoring, shortness of breath and dizziness.

To be relieved naturally from all these discomforts, I will be discussing some awesome natural remedies which are efficient and gives you stunning results.

Check out this chest congestion relief product we find it best on the market.

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How Are Chest Infections Treated

Often chest infections do not need any medical treatment. But in some cases, antibiotics are needed. Only bacterial infections respond to treatment with antibiotics they will not help viral infections. If you are prescribed antibiotics you must take the full course even if you feel better after 2 to 3 days.

Pneumonia can be life threatening for some people. Babies, young children and older adults may need to be looked after in hospital if they have pneumonia.

If you have a chest infection, you can look after yourself by:

• getting plenty of rest
• taking pain relief medicine if needed, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen for pain and fever
• not smoking and limiting your exposure to cigarette smoke

Inhaling steam and raising your head with a pillow in bed can help to ease the symptoms. You can also talk to your pharmacist about whether a decongestant medicine might help.

Critical Role Of Pneumococcal Vaccine In Preventing Pneumonia

In children aged three months to four years, the most common type of bacterial pneumonia is Strep. pneumoniae. In children greater than age four, it remains in the top three most common types. The pneumococcal vaccine series, started at two months of age, significantly reduces the rates of bacterial pneumonia from Strep. Pneumoniae. The vaccine is usually administered during wellness or prevention visits and cannot be given to a child with a fever. This emphasizes the need for healthcare access globally.6

With global vaccination rates currently plateauing, the challenges of diagnosing and treating community acquired pneumonia are even more pertinent for prevention of severe respiratory illness. Vaccine uptake challenges can be overcome with global measures to increase the access and use of vaccines. Addressing vaccine use and providing education about common pneumonia symptoms can aid in early diagnosis of pneumonia and lower the rate of severe respiratory illness and prolonged hospitalization.

References

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Home Remedies For Congestion

Outside of medications, there are other home remedies you can try to clear up your chest congestion.

• Stay hydrated. Mucus is 90% water and can get thicker when youre dehydrated.
• Use a humidifier, face steamer, or vaporizer.
• Soothe your face with a warm, moist washcloth or breathe in with your face over a bowl of hot water.
• Try deep breathing and positional exercises.
• Try rinsing your sinuses with a nasal irrigation device or nasal spray.
• Prop yourself up when sleeping or lying down.

How Can A Chest Infection Be Prevented

There are measures you can take to help prevent chest infection and to stop the spread of it to others. For instance, washing your hands regularly reduces the chance of germs getting into your system.

You can pass a chest infection on to others through coughing and sneezing. So if you have a chest infection, it’s important to cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze and to wash your hands regularly. You should throw away used tissues immediately.

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Best Natural Cures For Chest Infection

• 7. Homeopathic Remedies

Chest infection is an infection that mainly affects the lungs of a person. Chest infection is among all age groups but it mostly affects young children and elderly people. Chest infection is either caused by virus or bacteria present in the environment. Chest infection may cause serious health complications and may even lead to death in case of pneumonia. Chest infection may vary according to its types. A person suffering from chest infection may develop acute bronchitis which is less infectious and could be cured within a week. Another is pneumonia which is severe and needs special medical attention.

A person suffering from chest infection may suffer from breathing problems, coughing problems leading to phlegm, high temperature, chest pain, stomach pain and vomiting tendencies. Natural cure is considered best to treat health problems of chest infections. Generally doctors dont prescribe medicines for chest infection only in case of chronic pneumonia because these are high dose antibiotics causing severe threats to the body parts. Naturally one can eliminate and reduce chest infection to a great extent.