However, people with a weakened immune system should avoid close contact with a person with pneumonia until they start to get better. This is because it can lead to serious complications, which in some cases can be fatal, depending on a person's health and age.
Read more about treating pneumonia. Complications of pneumonia are more common in young children, the elderly and those with pre-existing health conditions, such as diabetes. Although most cases of pneumonia are bacterial and aren't passed on from one person to another, ensuring good standards of hygiene will help prevent germs spreading.
A healthy lifestyle can also help prevent pneumonia. For example, you should avoid smoking as it damages your lungs and increases the chance of infection. Find out how to stop smoking. Excessive and prolonged alcohol misuse also weakens your lungs' natural defences against infections, making you more vulnerable to pneumonia. Mild pneumonia can usually be treated at home with rest, antibiotics and by drinking plenty of fluids.
More severe cases may need hospital treatment. Unless a healthcare professional tells you otherwise, you should always finish taking a prescribed course of antibiotics, even if you feel better. If you stop taking an antibiotic part way through a course, the bacteria can become resistant to the antibiotic.
Visit your GP if your symptoms don't improve within three days of starting antibiotics. Painkillers, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen , may help relieve pain and reduce fever.
Cough medicines aren't recommended as there's also little evidence they are effective. A warm honey and lemon drink can help relieve discomfort caused by coughing. Your cough may persist for two to three weeks after you finish your course of antibiotics, and you may feel tired for even longer as your body continues to recover. Drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration , and get plenty of rest to help your body recover.
Read more about stop smoking treatments and how to stop smoking. See your GP if, after following the above self-help measures, your condition is deteriorating or isn't improving as expected. Pneumonia isn't usually passed from one person to another, so it's safe to be around others, including family members. However, it's best for people with a weakened immune system to avoid close contact with a person with pneumonia until they start to get better.
Your GP will probably arrange a follow-up appointment for you about six weeks after you start your course of antibiotics. In some cases, they may arrange follow-up tests, such as a chest X-ray , if:. Some people may be advised to have a flu vaccination or pneumococcal vaccination after recovering from pneumonia. Read more about preventing pneumonia. You may need treatment in hospital if your symptoms are severe. You'll be given antibiotics and fluids intravenously through a drip, and you may need oxygen to help breathing.
In very serious cases of pneumonia, breathing assistance through a ventilator in an intensive care unit ICU may be required. Chronic bronchitis symptoms appear gradually and usually worsen over time. Acute bronchitis may also cause a low grade fever.
People with chronic bronchitis may also have frequent respiratory infections and shortness of breath. Chronic bronchitis typically occurs in adults. Acute bronchitis can develop in both adults and children. The symptoms of acute bronchitis are usually similar in adults and children. Acute bronchitis usually runs its course and clears up in a couple of weeks. There are instances when it is helpful to see a doctor, though. If people have any concerns about a cough, even if they do not have any other symptoms, they should see their healthcare provider to find the best treatment.
Anyone who has severe symptoms will need urgent care. Seek immediate medical attention if any of the following symptoms develop:. Treatment for bronchitis depends on whether the condition is chronic or acute.
Acute bronchitis does not usually require any treatment and resolves on its own. Since viruses cause most cases of acute bronchitis, doctors will not prescribe antibiotics to treat it. Plenty of fluids : Drinking plenty of water helps thin the mucus, which makes it easier to cough out of the lungs. Cough suppressants : Both over-the-counter OTC and prescription cough suppressants can reduce coughing and ease discomfort.
A humidifier : Using a humidifier or inhaling steam from a shower may help ease chest congestion associated with bronchitis. A range of humidifiers is available for purchase online. Throat lozenges : Frequent coughing from bronchitis may cause a sore throat. Sucking on throat lozenges may decrease pain. Acute bronchitis may also lead to a low grade fever.
Inhaled breathing treatments : Inhaled breathing medications, such as albuterol, relax the muscles around the airways and open them up.
Medicines can help decrease wheezing and make breathing easier. Although there is currently no cure for chronic bronchitis, treatment may help reduce the severity of symptoms and improve quality of life.
Treatment for chronic bronchitis may include some of the same treatments as with acute bronchitis. The following may also help:.
Quitting smoking : Smoking irritates the airways. Quitting smoking does not cure chronic bronchitis but may decrease the severity of symptoms and prevent progression of the disease. Inhaled steroids : Over time, chronic bronchitis may lead to changes in the lungs, including inflammation. Inhaled steroids reduce inflammation, which can improve breathing.
Oxygen therapy : Some people with chronic bronchitis may have decreased oxygen levels due to lung damage. Oxygen therapy may improve shortness of breath and exercise tolerance. Regular or frequent drinking means drinking alcohol most weeks. The risk to your health is increased by drinking any amount of alcohol on a regular basis.
Eating a healthy, balanced diet can help strengthen the immune system, making you less vulnerable to developing chest infections. If you're at an increased risk of chest infections, your GP may recommend being vaccinated against flu and pneumococcal infections a bacterium that can cause pneumonia. We will not reply to your feedback. Don't include any personal or financial information, for example National Insurance, credit card numbers, or phone numbers.
The nidirect privacy notice applies to any information you send on this feedback form. Comments or queries about angling can be emailed to anglingcorrespondence daera-ni. If you have a comment or query about benefits, you will need to contact the government department or agency which handles that benefit.
Contacts for common benefits are listed below. Call Email dcs. Call Email customerservice. Comments or queries about the Blue Badge scheme can be emailed to bluebadges infrastructure-ni. For queries or advice about claiming compensation due to a road problem, contact DFI Roads claim unit. For queries about your identity check, email nida nidirect. For queries or advice about criminal record checks, email ani accessni. For queries or advice about employment rights, contact the Labour Relations Agency.
For queries or advice about passports, contact HM Passport Office. For queries or advice about pensions, contact the Northern Ireland Pension Centre. If you wish to report a problem with a road or street you can do so online in this section. If you wish to check on a problem or fault you have already reported, contact DfI Roads. The information on this page has been adapted from original content from the NHS website. For further information see terms and conditions.
0コメント