Chest infection symptoms

Some chest infections are mild and clear up on their own, but others can be severe and life threatening. What causes chest infections? Check if you have a chest infection. Chest infections often follow colds or flu.

In many cases, you may be able to ease symptoms with home remedies while you wait for.

Although most are mild and get better on their own, some can be serious or even life-threatening. Learn more about chest infection symptoms and treatments. Pneumonia and bronchitis are the most common chest infections. Many signs of a chest infection can overlap. Both acute bronchitis and pneumonia can initially appear as flu or cold symptoms , for instance.

When the two conditions share a symptom, the one caused by pneumonia will usually be worse. Unlike colds, chest infections may need additional treatment, including antibiotics in the case of bacterial infections such as pneumonia.

So, what symptoms should we look out for? It can strike suddenly or come on slowly over a few days. A chest infection can be serious for these people.

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. At the end of the breathing tubes in your lungs are clusters of tiny air sacs. If you have pneumonia, these tiny sacs become inflamed and fill up with fluid.

Your doctor may take your medical history, examine you, and may order blood tests, a test of your phlegm, or a chest x-ray. They might do a lung function test or take a swab to work out the cause of your infection. Often chest infections don’t need any medical treatment. In addition, chest -related symptoms that you attribute to a common cold may actually be caused by a primary bacterial infection.

These symptoms must be evaluated by a physician for proper diagnosis and treatment. The common cold is usually no cause for concern, but it can sometimes lead to more serious issues. WebMD shares tips on how to know when to call a doctor. Bronchitis may be either acute or chronic.

Acute bronchitis is very common.

It often develops from a cold or other respiratory infection. Chronic bronchitis is a more serious condition, involving a constant irritation or inflammation of the lining of the bronchial tubes, often due to smoking. Diagnosis of a chest wall infection usually starts with a physical exam and a review of the patient’s medical history and symptoms. Imaging diagnostic tests such as a chest x-rays look at the soft tissue and bones in the body to find out if there is inflammation in the chest wall.

People with COPD are at higher risk of lung infection due to a reduced ability to clear bacteria, dust, and other pollutants. Having COPD simultaneously with a lung infection can seriously exacerbate your COPD symptoms and make breathing much more difficult, and it may also lead to other serious complications that can potentially damage the lungs and even be life-threatening if left. Keep reading to learn more about the signs and symptoms of lung infection and COPD here.

However, with most bacterial chest infections. An acute upper respiratory infection (URI) is a contagious infection of the upper respiratory tract.