Chest infection is one of the most common respiratory illnesses, claiming a staggering number of over 700,000 lives below five years, every year.
Approximately 2,000 people die everyday from pneumonia in particular, as per UNICEF data. Chest infection starts when harmful microorganisms like bacteria, viruses, or fungi enter your respiratory system like your lungs and airways. These germs can be gotten from droplets in the air when they cough or sneeze or when you touch surfaces that have these germs on them and then touch your face.
Once the germs enter your body, they make their way to your respiratory system, particularly targeting your respiratory system. Your immune system fights back which causes symptoms such as thick mucus production, coughing and wheezing. In this article we’re going to look at the treatment and prevention of chest infection.
Treatment For Chest Infection
Medications: Chest infection can be caused by bacteria, fungi, or viruses, and each of them has their own symptoms. In a similar manner, they each have different treatment options. For chest infections caused by bacteria, antibiotics are used to kill the bacteria and clear up the infection.
Furthermore, an infection caused by a virus, antiviral medication like oseltamivir (tamiflu) is used to treat the infection and reduce the severity of the illness. If the infection is due to fungi, antifungal medication fluconazole (Diflucan) is used to tackle the fungus and clear the infection.
Rest and Hydration: Drinking a ton of fluids like water, teas, or soups will help you stay hydrated and it makes it easier to get rid of the mucus. Taking a rest or sleep can allow your body to fight off the infection.
Oxygen Therapy: Sometimes chest infections can get really serious and it becomes hard to breathe. In that case, oxygen therapy becomes an option. This treatment option helps give you extra oxygen to help you breathe better.
Bronchodilator: If you maybe have asthma or COPD, bronchodilators can help open the airways through inhalation, making it easier to breathe.
Home Remedies: It’s possible to have dry air around your living space, and breathing in dry air can be harsh for your already inflamed lining of your airways or lungs. You can use humidifiers to moisten the air around your house.
Lastly, you can opt for an over-the-counter cough suppressant which will help subside the amount of coughing episodes you have, and also help you sleep better at night.
Prevention of Chest Infection
Vaccination: There are a couple of vaccinations available for chest infections like flu vaccine and pneumonia vaccine. These vaccines will help protect you from getting these infections. Also, if you’re elderly, you should really consider taking this vaccine.
Healthy Lifestyle Habits: You have to exercise regularly, and eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains to help boost your immune system which in turn will help you fight against bacteria.
Avoid Smoking: It’s no news that smoking can harm your lungs in that it irritates the lining of the lungs and makes them inflamed. Also you have to avoid places where people smoke or places where garbage or woods are burnt.
Good Hand Hygiene: Make sure to wash your hands with water and soap. Make sure you get in between your fingers to remove any germs that might be hiding in there. However , you may not always have access to water which is why you need to carry around a hand sanitizer to kill the germs. The aim of this is to remove those germs that you have unknowingly collected from different surfaces.
Wear a Mask: Allows carry around a mask, in case you find yourself in an environment with sick people. Wearing a mask will prevent the droplets from an infected person from getting into your system.
Bottom Line
Chest infections happen more often than you might think. Every year, over 700,000 kids under five die from them, and around 2,000 people die daily just from pneumonia. These infections kick off when harmful germs like bacteria, viruses, or fungi get into your lungs or airways. You can catch them from droplets in the air when someone coughs or sneezes or from touching surfaces with these germs and then touching your face.
However, this illness can be tackled through different treatment options depending on the infection’s cause. Sometimes, if the infection makes it hard to breathe, oxygen therapy can provide extra oxygen to help. For those with asthma or COPD, bronchodilators can help open up the airways.
