If you have a chest infection, here are a few tips that you may find useful.
Take steps to bring up the phlegm that is in your lungs
Bringing up the phlegm that forms in your lungs when you have a chest infection is important, as it will make it easier for you to breathe comfortably and help to reduce the frequency with which you experience violent coughing fits and end up choking on this mucus. However, the phlegm that the lungs produce when you are suffering from this type of infection is often very thick, which can make it harder to cough up. Fortunately, there are several things that you do can do to make this process easier.
First and foremost, drink lots of water and other fluids; this will thin out the phlegm and make it less unpleasant and easier to bring up. Secondly, buy an expectorant syrup from your local pharmacy; this medication is designed to loosen the phlegm and encourage it to come out of the lungs. Thirdly, when a coughing fit occurs, do not try to suppress it, even if you are in a social setting, as this is an opportunity to remove some of the phlegm from your lungs. Last but not least, consider investing in a humidifier for your bedroom, as breathing in the moist air will prevent the phlegm in your lungs from becoming too dry to cough up.
Recognise when it is time to go to a medical centre
It is important to recognise when it is necessary to go to a medical centre in this situation. For example, if you are asthmatic and your chest infection is making your respiratory condition worse, to the point where you are finding it hard to breathe, then you should head to a medical centre and obtain antibiotics as soon as you can. Likewise, if you are pregnant, it is important to seek medical attention for a respiratory infection, as, if left untreated, it could increase the chances of you experiencing premature labour and of your baby being underweight when they are born. Furthermore, the high temperature that usually accompanies a chest infection could affect your baby's development if you are still in the early stages of pregnancy.
Getting antibiotics to resolve your infection and medication to lower your temperature from a doctor at the medical centre should help to prevent these complications from occurring.
Hello! My name is Bobby and I am a 66-year-old man who lives alone in Melbourne Australia. I am in pretty good health at the moment but over the last couple of years, I have had several medical conditions which needed professional attention. I am not a big fan of going to the doctors, but this time I got lucky and was assigned to a really friendly nurse who explained exactly what was going on during the diagnosing and treatment of my health problems. I learnt lots of useful things so I decided to ask my grandson to help me start this blog so I could share my knowledge with other people.