If you have a bacterial chest infection, you should start to feel better 24 to 48 hours after starting on antibiotics. You may have a cough for days or weeks. For other types of chest infections, the recovery is more gradual. You may feel weak for some time and need a longer period of bed rest.
These symptoms can be unpleasant, but they usually get better on their own in about 7 to 10 days. The cough and mucus can last up to 3 weeks.
a virus (like viral bronchitis) – this usually clears up by itself after a few weeks and antibiotics will not help. bacteria (like pneumonia) – a GP may prescribe antibiotics (make sure you complete the whole course as advised by the GP, even if you start to feel better)
Coughing actually helps you clear the infection more quickly by getting rid of the phlegm from your lungs. Antibiotics aren't recommended for many chest infections, because they only work if the infection is caused by bacteria, rather than a virus.
you feel confused, disorientated or drowsy. you have chest pain or difficulty breathing. you cough up blood or blood-stained phlegm. your skin or lips develop a blue tinge (cyanosis)
Bronchitis usually clears up without treatment in around 3 weeks. See a GP if your symptoms last longer than 3 weeks. You may need antibiotics if your bronchitis is caused by a bacterial infection.
The symptoms of viral and bacterial chest infections are similar but the colour of any mucus coughed up may indicate the cause; white or clear mucus usually indicates a viral infection whereas green or yellow mucus suggests that the infection is bacterial.
Taking over-the-counter medications such as aspirin, acetaminophen, or ibuprofen can help relieve symptoms of bronchitis, such as fever, headache, and aches and pains.
After 2 or 3 days, mucus may change to a white, yellow, or green color. This is normal and does not mean you need an antibiotic. Some symptoms, especially runny or stuffy nose and cough, can last for up to 10 to 14 days.
Many mild chest infections will resolve on their own in about a week's time. A chest infection that's caused by bacteria will need to be treated with a course of antibiotics. Severe or complicated chest infections may require treatment in a hospital.
"Once the infection is cleared with treatment, your body still has to deal with removing all of the fluid, damage and debris left behind in your lungs. This can take a few weeks, resulting in a lingering cough and reduced lung capacity," explains Dr. Lee.
This is the more common colour to see as it can often take a while to start to clear the infected phlegm from your chest. Be aware that an old infection can become active again if it has not been fully cured.
Bacterial and Viral Infections
Infections such as the flu, acute bronchitis, and pneumonia can cause your airways to make extra mucus, which you'll often cough up. It may be green or yellow in color.
Although chest infections aren't generally as contagious as other common infections, like flu, you can pass them on to others through coughing and sneezing. Therefore, it's important to cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze and to wash your hands regularly.
If your pneumonia isn't treated, the pleura can get swollen, creating a sharp pain when you breathe in. If you don't treat the swelling, the area between the pleura may fill with fluid, which is called a pleural effusion. If the fluid gets infected, it leads to a problem called empyema.
Amoxicillin is a penicillin antibiotic. It is used to treat bacterial infections, such as chest infections (including pneumonia) and dental abscesses. It can also be used together with other antibiotics and medicines to treat stomach ulcers.
Treatment from a GP
a virus (like colds) – this usually clears up by itself after a few weeks and antibiotics will not help. bacteria (like pneumonia) – a GP may prescribe antibiotics (make sure you complete the whole course as advised by a GP, even if you start to feel better)
Untreated viral or bacterial bronchitis can turn into viral or bacterial pneumonia.
Take a steaming hot shower or hold your head over a steaming pot of water to help thin mucus and make it easier to expel. Warm steam opens and moisturizes stuffy breathing passages, and helps thin the mucus so you can cough it up and get phlegm out.
Yes, a warm bath can help relieve cold and flu symptoms to some extent, with bath water coverage across the chest area particularly helpful. In effect a hot soak in a home bathtub will assist in relaxing aching muscles, breaking a fever, and offering some relief to congestion in the chest and sinuses especially.
If you have a bacterial chest infection, you should start to feel better 24 to 48 hours after starting on antibiotics. You may have a cough for days or weeks. For other types of chest infections, the recovery is more gradual. You may feel weak for some time and need a longer period of bed rest.
Yellow phlegm is a sign that your body is fighting off a mild infection. "White blood cells are responsible for fighting infections, and as they get picked up in the mucus, they can cause it to have a yellowish hue," says Dr. Kreel.
Antibiotics can take a few days before they start to work, so you may need to wait 3-5 days before you notice improvements. Depending on the infection, it may take longer to feel fully better (like with bacterial pneumonia).