Overview
Chest infections are common, particularly after a cold or influenza. Though most are minor and get better on their own, some instances can be serious or even fatal.
Signs and Symptoms of a Chest Infection
The key symptoms of a chest infection can consist of:
- An insistent cough.
- Coughing up yellow or green mucus or coughing up blood.
- Breathing difficulty or fast and shallow breathing.
- Out of breath.
- A high fever
- A fast heartbeat.
- Chest pain or tension.
- Feeling disordered and confused.
You might also experience universal symptoms, such as a headache, exhaustion, perspiring, loss of hunger, or joint and muscle pain.
Causes Of Chest Infections
A chest infection is an infection of the airways or lungs. The leading types of chest infection are pneumonia and bronchitis. Most bronchitis circumstances are caused by infections while most pneumonia cases are a result of bacteria.
These infections are generally spread when an infected individual sneezes or coughs. This sends tiny drops of fluid containing the germ or bacteria into the air, where they can be inhaled in by others.
The infections can also be transmitted to others if you sneeze or cough into your hand, an item or a surface, and somebody else touches it prior to touching their nose or mouth.
Certain groups of individuals have an increased risk of getting severe chest infections, such as:
- Babies and young kids.
- Kids with developmental issues.
- Individuals who are overweight.
- Older people.
- Pregnant women.
- Individuals who smoke.
- Individuals with lasting health disorders, such as diabetes, heart disease, asthma, kidney disease, or cystic fibrosis.
- Individuals with a debilitated immune system – this could be due to a recent infection, chemotherapy or a health disorder, such as an undiagnosed HIV infection.