Fruit and vegetables have vitamins and minerals that support your immune system to help you fight off chest infections. Carbohydrates give your body energy for breathing and everyday tasks. Choose high fibre or wholegrain versions, such as brown pasta and rice or wholemeal bread.
Green tea like other caffeinated drinks helps boost energy levels. It also has anti-inflammatory properties that may help reduce the severity of your symptoms if you are suffering from a chest infection. It can also be consumed with honey to further increase its impact on lowering your symptoms.
How do you tell if a chest infection is viral or bacterial?
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.
Is it better to get over a chest infection without antibiotics?
Antibiotics aren't recommended for many chest infections, because they only work if the infection is caused by bacteria, rather than a virus. Your GP will usually only prescribe antibiotics if they think you have pneumonia, or you're at risk of complications such as fluid building up around the lungs (pleurisy).
Many chest infections aren't serious and get better within a few days or weeks. You won't usually need to see your GP, unless your symptoms suggest you have a more serious infection (see below). While you recover at home, you can improve your symptoms by: getting plenty of rest.
A systematic review on the use of honey for upper respiratory infections found improvement in symptoms, reduction in cough frequency, and improvement in cough severity compared with usual care.
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.
The vitamin- C rich citrus fruits like oranges, berries, kiwi help in boosting the immune system and thus promote a speedy recovery. They also contain antioxidants that protect the body against foreign agents.
What Foods Can Increase Mucus? It might not surprise you to learn that most processed foods contain artificial sweeteners, sodium, and thickening agents—all of which can increase mucus production [4]. Dairy products, such as milk, yogurt, or ice cream can do the same.
Eat spicy foods- Foods infused with cayenne pepper or chili pepper can clear blocked sinus and bronchial tubes. Ginger- Eat a small piece of raw ginger or add it to hot water and drink it as a tea to relieve chest congestion.
Drinking club soda or hot tea with lemon, or sucking on sugar-free sour lemon drops may help break up mucus. Increase your fluid intake to 8-12 cups per day to help loosen phlegm. Mucus builds up during the night, which may make you feel nauseated in the morning.
Vicks products cannot cure the cold or flu, but they can help relieve chest congestion symptoms so you can feel better while your body heals from the cold or flu virus. When you have chest congestion symptoms, the mucus build-up in your lungs can become very thick and dense.
What is the fastest way to get mucus out of your chest?
Hold your breath for 3 to 5 seconds. Then—as you let that breath out [coughing]— cough 2 or 3 times. Push on your belly with your arms as you cough. [coughing] Breathe in slowly and gently through your nose, and repeat the coughing if you need to.
