Contents
What not to do with a chest infection
Do –
get plenty of rest drink lots of fluid to prevent dehydration and to loosen the mucus in your lungs, making it easier to cough up treat headaches, fever and aches and pains with pain relief such as paracetamol or ibuprofen drink a warm drink of honey and lemon to relieve a sore throat caused by persistent coughing raise your head up with extra pillows while you’re sleeping to make breathing easier stop smoking if you smoke
Avoid cough medicines, as there’s little evidence they work. 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.
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 ). If there’s a flu outbreak in your local area and you’re at risk of serious infection, your GP may also prescribe antiviral medication.
Read more about treating bronchitis and treating pneumonia
Can I take night nurse with antibiotics for chest infection?
Night Nurse FAQs –
Relief from cold and flu symptoms at night, including tickly, unproductive coughs, runny nose, sinus pain, fever, headache, aches and pains and sore throats. Night Nurse Liquid may cause drowsiness and should not be taken during the day. If this medication makes you drowsy, do not drive or operate machinery. Avoid drinking alcohol with Night Nurse Liquid. You should not take Night Nurse Liquid if you have already taken four doses of a paracetamol-containing medication during the day, as you can easily exceed the maximum recommended daily dose. Since many over-the-counter painkillers and cold and flu remedies contain paracetamol, it is important to check the ingredients of any medications before taking them with Night Nurse Liquid, or ask your pharmacist. An overdose of paracetamol is dangerous and can cause serious liver and kidney damage. Never exceed the recommended dose of Night Nurse Liquid. In the event of an overdose, seek immediate medical advice, even if you feel well, since delayed liver damage is a risk. Alcohol increases the risk of liver damage in the event of a paracetamol overdose. Heavy drinkers and people with alcoholic liver disease are at a higher risk for hazards from paracetamol overdose. children under 12 years of age people with severe liver or kidney disease people with chronic bronchitis people with bronchiectasis people at risk for severe breathing problems (respiratory failure) people who have taken the anti-Parkinson’s medications selegiline and rasagiline in the last 14 days or the antidepressants phenelzine, tranylcypromine, isocarboxazid or moclobemide people allergic to any of Night Nurse Liquid’s ingredients If you have any of the following symptoms, do not take Night Nurse Liquid and consult your doctor: phlegm that is green, rusty brown, yellow, blood-stained or foul smelling; short breath, wheezing or breathing difficulties; chest pain; sudden weight loss; recurrent night-time cough; pain and swelling in the calf; or a long-term, persistent cough. the elderly people with liver or kidney problems people with heart disease people who have difficulty completely emptying their bladder, for example men with an enlarged prostate gland people with epilepsy people with glaucoma people who suffer from asthma people with diabetes; Night Nurse Liquid contains 12.8mg glucose in every 20ml dose people on sodium-controlled diets; Night Nurse Liquid contains 37mg sodium in every 20ml dose people suffering from alcoholism; Night Nurse Liquid contains alcohol Night Nurse Liquid is not usually recommended for women who are pregnant. Although paracetamol is generally considered safe during pregnancy, the safety of dextromethorphan and promethazine has not been established. Seek further advice from your doctor, pharmacist or midwife. Mothers who are breastfeeding should avoid taking Night Nurse Liquid. Although paracetamol is generally considered safe during breastfeeding, it is not known if dextromethorphan passes into breast milk. Promethazine does enter breast milk and it may cause sedation, irritability or excitement in a new-born. Ask your doctor, pharmacist or midwife for further advice. Medications and their possible side effects affect individual people in different ways. The following are some of the known side effects associated with Night Nurse Liquid. Just because a side effect is listed here, does not mean that you will experience it or any effect:
drowsiness, see above feeling disorientated dizziness dry mouth blurred vision gastrointestinal disturbances such as diarrhoea, constipation, nausea, vomiting or abdominal pain Skin rash Difficulty passing urine
Talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist if you’d like additional information about Night Nurse Liquid’s possible side effects. If you think you have experienced a side effect, you can report it using the yellow card website. If you already take other medications, including herbal and over-the-counter, you should check with your pharmacist before taking Night Nurse Liquid, to ensure that the combination is safe.
- Do not take Night Nurse Liquid if you have already taken four doses of a paracetamol-containing medication during the day, as you may easily exceed the maximum recommended daily dosage.
- Many over-the-counter cold and flu remedies contain paracetamol, so be sure to check their ingredients before taking them with Night Nurse Liquid.
Ask your pharmacist for further advice. Night Nurse Liquid may cause drowsiness that can worsen if you take it with any of the following:
alcohol benzodiazepines, e.g. temazepam, diazepam sedating antihistamines, e.g. chlorphenamine, diphenhydramine, triprolidine, often found in other non-prescription cough and cold or hay fever remedies sleeping tablets, e.g. zopiclone strong opioid painkillers, e.g. codeine, dihydrocodeine, morphine tricyclic antidepressants, e.g. amitriptyline
Side effects such as dry mouth, blurred vision, constipation or difficulty passing urine may occur if you take Night Nurse Liquid with any of the following medications:
anticholinergic medications for urinary incontinence, e.g. oxybutynin, flavoxate, tolterodine, propiverine, trospium anticholinergic medications for Parkinson’s disease, e.g. trihexyphenidyl, orphenadrine, procyclidine antipsychotic medicationss, e.g. chlorpromazine, clozapine antispasmodics, e.g. atropine, hyoscine certain antisickness medications, e.g. prochlorperazine, meclozine, cyclizine muscle relaxants, e.g. baclofen tricyclic or related antidepressants, e.g. amitriptyline, maprotiline.
Cholestyramine reduces the absorption of paracetamol in the gut. It should not be taken within an hour of Night Nurse Liquid, otherwise the paracetamol will be less effective. Night Nurse Liquid 160ml has been formulated to provide complete night-time relief from the major symptoms of cold and flu, helping you get a restful night’s sleep so that your body can regain its strength and heal naturally.
Is it OK to take night nurse to sleep?
Night Nurse tablets reviews: – At the time of writing, every user who has purchased Night Nurse capsules from The Independent Pharmacy has left a 5-star review. But what were our customers so impressed by? Here’s a summary of some of their thoughts:
Users are very satisfied with Night Nurse capsules’ effectiveness at treating cold and flu symptoms — they’ve been described as a “godsend when you have a cold or flu”.Several users have commented on Night Nurse capsules’ effectiveness at improving sleep quality, with one user commenting that “taking one before bedtime really helped me get a good night’s sleep”.In fact, one user commented that Night Nurse capsules are the ” only cold remedy that really helps at night”.Many users have used this treatment more than once, with one user commenting that they’ve used it several times “knowing it will work”.*
*Please be advised that Night Nurse should not be used for more than 3 consecutive days, as there is a risk it could cause addiction.
Why is night nurse so good?
Why Does Night Nurse Make You Sleepy? – Night Nurse contains an antihistamine called Promethazine, which helps to aid sleep while decongesting and drying up runny noses for easy breathing. Night Nurse also contains Dextromethorphan which will ease your dry or tickly cough, as well as Paracetamol to relieve aches, pains, shivers, and reduce temperature.
Why has Night Nurse been recalled?
Common cough and cold remedies are being urgently withdrawn from the market and recalled on the orders of drug regulators. Twenty products including capsules of Day Nurse and Night Nurse, as well as a host of medicines manufactured by Boots and other brands, are being recalled because of concerns about a “very rare” risk of anaphylaxis.
How addictive is night nurse?
Abuse and Addiction – Because of the ingredients within Night Nurse it is possible to become addicted. Addiction is the most severe form of a substance abuse disorder and usually starts with abuse of the medication. Although it is possible to develop Night Nurse addiction and dependence even at therapeutic doses.
Why is night nurse banned in UK?
SOME of the UK’s most popular cough, cold and flu remedies are no more after suddenly being withdrawn. – What has happened? Watchdog the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has ordered some products off the shelves over worries about the potential for people to suffer a rare allergic reaction.
It says cough medicines containing the ingredient pholcodine are being recalled and withdrawn from the UK “as a precaution”. This follows assessment of the risk of “very rare” anaphylaxis – a major allergic reaction – when people who have taken pholcodine in the previous 12 months have a general anaesthetic with neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBA).
The MHRA said: “The available data has demonstrated that pholcodine use, particularly in the 12 months before general anaesthesia with NMBAs, is a risk factor for developing an anaphylactic reaction to NMBAs.” – What are NMBAs? Neuromuscular blocking drugs are also known as muscle relaxants and data suggests they are used in around half of general anaesthetics administered in the UK.
- NMBAs block the transmission of signals between motor nerve endings and skeletal muscles, preventing the affected muscles from contracting.
- One use is when a patient needs to be intubated, with the NMBA paralysing or relaxing the jaw and the vocal cords.
- Which products are being withdrawn? The following products have been recalled: Boots Night Cough Relief Oral Solution, PL 00014/0230 Boots Dry Cough Syrup 6 Years+, PL 00014/0523 Boots Day Cold & Flu Relief Oral Solution, PL 00014/0565 Cofsed Linctus, PL 00240/0097 Care Pholcodine 5mg/5ml Oral Solution Sugar Free, PL 00240/0101 Galenphol Linctus, PL 00240/0101 Galenphol Paediatric Linctus, PL 00240/0102 Galenphol Strong Linctus, PL 00240/0103 Covonia Dry Cough Sugar Free Formula, PL 00240/0353 Pholcodine Linctus Bells Healthcare 5mg Per 5ml Oral Solution, PL 03105/0059 Numark Pholcodine 5mg per 5ml Oral Solution, PL 03105/0059 Well Pharmaceuticals Pholcodine 5mg per 5ml Oral Solution, PL 03105/0059 Superdrug Pholcodine Linctus BP, PL 03105/0059 Strong Pholcodine Linctus BP, PL 03105/0060 Pholcodine Linctus BP, PL 04917/0002 Strong Pholcodine Linctus BP, PL 04917/0005 Pholcodine Linctus, PL 12965/0030 Day & Night Nurse Capsules, PL 44673/0068 Day Nurse Capsules, PL 44673/0069 Day Nurse, PL 44673/0075 – I’m due to have an anaethestic what should I do? Patients are being advised to tell their anaesthetist if they think they have taken pholcodine in the previous year and are about to undergo general anaesthetic.
The MHRA says people should also check products in their home (such as the packaging, label or patient information leaflet) to see if any contain pholcodine. It said people can talk to their pharmacist about other suitable medications for relief from coughing.
Is it better to fight a chest infection without antibiotics?
Caring for your symptoms at home – 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 restdrinking lots of fluid to prevent dehydration and to loosen the mucus in your lungs, making it easier to cough uptreating headaches, fever and aches and pains with painkillers – such as paracetamol or ibuprofen drinking a warm drink of honey and lemon – to relieve a sore throat caused by persistent coughingraising your head up with extra pillows while you’re sleeping – to make breathing easierusing an air humidifier or inhaling steam from a bowl of hot water – to ease your cough (hot water shouldn’t be used to treat young children with a cough, due to the risk of scalds – running hot water briefly in a bathroom, to create steam, and bringing your child into it, after draining the hot water away, might be a safer alternative)stopping smoking
Avoid cough medicines, as there’s little evidence they work. 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. They only work if the infection is caused by bacteria, rather than a virus.
Can you fight off a chest infection?
How are chest infections treated? – Antibiotics are sometimes (but not always) needed to treat a chest infection. It will depend on your diagnosis and the cause of your chest infection. Only bacterial infections respond to treatment with antibiotics. Antibiotics will not help infections caused by a virus.
What are the stages of a chest infection
Summary –
Pneumonia is an inflammatory lung condition that develops when the air sacs fill with fluid, blood cells, and pus. This can contribute to a persistent cough, chest pain, and difficulty breathing. This condition is typically caused by harmful bacteria — called bacterial pneumonia — or by other respiratory illnesses like the influenza virus or COVID-19. Pneumonia normally develops in four distinct stages: early congestion, red hepatization, gray hepatization, and resolution. Each phase manifests in the body and is treated slightly differently. How pneumonia is treated will vary, depending on the cause and severity of your diagnosis. It will likely involve combining prescription medications like antibiotics, with professional care like oxygen supplementation.
Pneumonia is a respiratory illness that affects around 1.5 million Americans each year. It causes inflammation and infection of the lungs, often resulting in a chronic cough and breathing difficulties. This illness can also be fatal if left untreated and accounts for over 47,000 annual deaths in the U.S.
How do you know if a chest infection is getting better?
Taking care of yourself at home – 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. Be guided by your doctor, but general self-care suggestions include:
Take your medication as directed. Even if you feel better, finish the course of antibiotics. Drink plenty of fluids. Rest for a few days. Prop yourself up on a couple of pillows at night – it will make it easier to sleep. Stop smoking, at least until you feel better, if you can’t give up at this stage. Contact your local doctor if you have any concerns or questions. Go straight to your local doctor or the nearest hospital emergency department if you (or your child) have trouble breathing, have a high fever or feel worse.
How long does a chest infection usually last?
Symptoms – Chest infections often follow colds or flu. The main symptoms are:
chesty cough – coughing up green or yellow mucuswheezing and shortness of breathhigh temperature (fever) of 38 degrees Celsius or aboveheadacheaching musclestiredness
These symptoms can be unpleasant, but they usually get better on their own in around 7 to 10 days. The cough and mucus can last for up to 3 weeks.
high temperaturenew, continuous coughloss of smell or taste
These are symptoms of COVID-19.
get plenty of rest drink lots of water to loosen the mucus and make it easier to cough up use painkillers to bring down a fever and ease headaches and muscle pain raise your head up while sleeping – use extra pillows to make breathing easier and clear your chest of mucus drink a hot lemon and honey drink to relieve a sore throat
do not let children breathe in steam from a bowl of hot water because of the risk of scalding do not give aspirin to children under 16 do not smoke – it can make your symptoms worse
Your pharmacist may suggest decongestant treatment. This can help loosen the mucus in your lungs so it’s easier to cough up. Coughing up the mucus helps clear the infection from your lungs. you have a chest infection and you:
feel very unwell or your symptoms get worsecough up blood or blood-stained mucushave a cough for more than 3 weeksare pregnantare over 65have a weak immune system – for example, if you have diabetes or you’re having chemotherapyhave a long-term health condition, such as a heart or lung condition
If your symptoms are severe you may have pneumonia. Treatment will depend on what caused your chest infection. It may be caused by a virus or bacteria.
How do you treat a chest infection at night?
If you’ve ever been diagnosed with the common cold or bronchitis, you’ve likely experienced chest congestion. Chest congestion is the result of inflamed air passages, or bronchi, in the lungs. A chest cold results from the same virus as the common cold and usually presents as a runny nose, sinus infection, or sore throat before settling into your lungs.
Hacking cough with clear, green, or dark yellow mucusChest tightness Sore throatBody aches and chills Headache Fever Shortness of breath or wheezing
The majority of these symptoms often fade in a few days, but a cough can last for weeks as your bronchial tubes heal. If you have a cough that lasts longer than 14 days, you should see your doctor. This symptom could be a sign of another illness that needs medical attention, such as pneumonia,
- The common cold and chest congestion are the result of a virus.
- The only cure for this kind of virus involves resting and waiting for the virus to clear.
- Antibiotics are only helpful in treating diseases like pneumonia and whooping cough,
- However, some home remedies and treatments can soothe your aching chest and relieve your symptoms.
Doctors suggest these home remedies for chest congestion:
Drink plenty of clear fluids to keep your body hydrated and thin the mucus inside your throat and lungs.Place a cool-mist vaporizer or humidifier in the room to soothe any lung irritation.Sleep with your head propped up on several pillows to make breathing easier and prevent mucus from accumulating in your chest overnight.Take a hot shower and breathe in the steam to ease congestion.Try an over-the-counter pain reliever like ibuprofen or acetaminophen to ease body aches and reduce fever.Use saline drops or nasal spray to alleviate congestion.Use lozenges to keep your throat moist. Use bronchodilators, which relax the muscles in your lungs and widen your bronchi to make breathing easier. Bronchodilators are often used to treat long-term conditions where your airways become inflamed and narrow, such as asthma,
Symptoms usually start to go away within seven days to two weeks if you don’t have an underlying condition like chronic pulmonary disease, Medicines like decongestants may also loosen mucus and ease other symptoms. In some cases, at-home remedies might not do the trick.
- If you aren’t feeling better after a few days, have a fever that isn’t going away, are wheezing, or can’t seem to shake the infection, make an appointment with your doctor.
- Chest congestion may indicate a condition more serious than the common cold or bronchitis.
- Children will benefit from many of the same home remedies for chest congestion, such as resting, drinking clear fluids, and breathing in cool air from vaporizers or humidifiers.
Some chest cold remedies in children should be treated with caution. Consider these home remedies for children with chest congestion:
Some over-the-counter pain medications with ibuprofen or acetaminophen are designed for kids. Follow the label’s instructions, and check the active ingredients to ensure your child isn’t taking more than the recommended amount. You should also discuss the dosage with your child’s doctor.Cough syrup may help ease chest congestion symptoms in children. Cough syrup is available at drug stores or by prescription. Like pain relievers, read the label to ensure your child doesn’t take too much at one time.Lozenges may be given to children older than four years, but don’t give them to children younger than four years.If your child is older than one year, give them a teaspoon of honey or mix the same amount in a cup with warm water. Honey helps thin mucus and loosen a cough. Some research suggests that honey is more effective at reducing a severe cough than store-bought cough syrup. However, do not give honey to infants younger than one year because it can lead to a sickness known as infant botulism,Try squeezing saline drops in your child’s nose to loosen mucus, then insert a rubber bulb syringe to gently suction the nostrils and remove excess mucus.
The Food and Drug Administration doesn’t recommend over-the-counter cold medications for children younger than four years. You should also avoid giving children aspirin, which can cause a rare but life-threatening condition called Reye’s Syndrome,
Is sleep the best thing for a chest infection?
What should you not do when you have pneumonia? – While recovering from pneumonia, do not overexert yourself, as this will only make your recovery time longer. The best thing to do is rest until you feel better. It would help if you also stayed at home to avoid infecting others.
How do you sleep with a chest infection?
How to get a good night’s sleep with a pneumonia diagnosis? – Inadequate sleep can lead to a longer recovery time and a higher risk of complications. So what can you do to improve your sleep while recovering from pneumonia? Here are some tips: Elevate your head Sleeping with your head elevated can reduce coughing and improve breathing.
- Use an extra pillow or a wedge pillow to elevate your head and chest while sleeping.
- Stay hydrated Dehydration can make pneumonia symptoms worse and make it harder to sleep.
- Be sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day.
- Use a humidifier A humidifier can help keep the air moist, making breathing easier and reducing coughing.
Be sure to keep the humidifier clean to avoid the growth of bacteria.
Practise good sleep hygiene Stick to a regular sleep schedule, avoid caffeine and alcohol in the evening, and create a sleep-conducive environment by keeping your bedroom dark, quiet and cool. Medications
Adhere to the medications prescribed by your doctor. For example, in addition to antimicrobial treatment, your lung specialist will prescribe medications that can help reduce symptoms of pneumonia.