This guide is designed for people with chest infections or those seeking information about them. Here, you'll learn about chest infection symptoms, treatment options, and when to see a doctor. We'll also explore how nebuliser therapy can aid your recovery.
Chest infections are inflammations of the airways (bronchi) or tiny air sacs (alveoli) in your lungs. When the air sacs are inflamed, it's called pneumonia. When the airways are inflamed, it's called bronchitis or bronchiolitis. Bacterial infections are more likely to cause pneumonia, while viruses typically cause bronchitis (inflammation of the bronchi) or bronchiolitis (inflammation of the bronchiole).
Chest infections often develop after a cold or flu and therefore, early warning signs might be like a cold. However, with a chest infection, symptoms tend to last longer. In most cases, they should improve within 10-14 days.
Common chest infection symptoms include1:
A productive cough helps clear your airways by expelling mucus. An unproductive cough is dry and irritating, offering no relief.
A chest infection itself isn't contagious, but the viruses or bacteria that caused it can be. These viruses or bacteria are spread through droplets released when coughing, speaking, or sneezing. To avoid spreading them, limit contact with others while you have a chest infection. If you can´t avoid contact, consider wearing a mask.
Be especially cautious around:
These groups are more vulnerable to complications.
Most viral chest infections improve on their own within 1-2 weeks with proper care. Here are some self-care tips to manage your symptoms at home:
Avoid cough suppressants. Coughing is a valuable reflex that helps your body get rid of viruses and other irritants. There's also no evidence they're effective for chest infections2.
If the chest infection is viral, antibiotics won´t be useful as they only work against bacteria. If your chest infection is bacterial, your doctor will prescribe antibiotics. They are very effective against bacterial pneumonia. It's crucial to finish the entire course of antibiotics, even if you start feeling better.
A nebuliser delivers medication or saline solution directly to your airways. It can help with:
For a dry cough, inhale isotonic saline 2-4 times a day. If you have a cough with phlegm, use hypertonic saline 2-4 times a day. With an efficient nebuliser, each inhalation session takes around 5-7 minutes for 2.5 ml of solution.
Some sources advise using an air humidifier or a steam bath to moisturise the airways2. However, you should know that our body fluids contain 0.9 % salt. If you just inhale steam, the steam contains less salt than our body fluids and is therefore "hypotonic". This could even lead to irritation of our airways because the steam will reduce the salt concentration in the mucus. There will be water flowing from the mucus into the cell as the body always tries to balance the salt concentration on both sides (osmosis). It doesn´t help to put salt into the water as salt has a much higher boiling temperature and you would only breathe in hot steam coming off the water. Especially for children, there is a risk of burns from the hot steam.
Since viruses are the main culprit behind chest infections, they can be challenging to avoid completely. However, you can take the following steps to minimise your risk:
While most chest infections improve with rest and home care, seek medical attention if you experience severe symptoms. If you fall into one of the high-risk categories (over 65, chronic health conditions, weakened immune system, pregnant), it's best to see a doctor sooner rather than later.
Here are some additional signs to watch for:
If you have a chest infection and feel very unwell or your symptoms worsen or don't improve, either consult a GP or call 111.
Chest infections can affect either your airways or the tiny air sacs in your lungs. While rest, fluids, and self-care are essential for recovery, a nebuliser with saline solution can be a helpful tool to manage your symptoms. Use isotonic saline for dry coughs and hypertonic saline for coughs with mucus. If your symptoms are severe, see a doctor to ensure proper diagnosis and treatment.
References and further information
[1] https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/chest-infection/
[2] https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/conditions/chest-infection#toc-2
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