Af and chest infections

[StoneHenge1]

Are u in danger if other than your af you are healthy 50 year old if you get a viral or bacterial chest infection?

[Beancounter Volunteer]

Hi Stonehenge

Remember I am not medically qualified, so I think the answer is that any other conditions can interact with the AF and both are likely to make each other slightly worse, so more tired from the AF exhausted from the virus etc.

But I am not aware of any more dangerous than average interaction between the two.

Be well

Ian

[Peddling in reply to Beancounter]

I agree, in my experience any illness I have is exacerbated by AF. I had the worse dose of flu in December than I have ever had, in spite of the flu jab. I also feel that any viral infection is heightened. That's not to say that age too plays it's part in recovery.

[CDreamer]

I found that if I had an AF episode when I had a virus or infection I just felt a whole lot worse but don't think I was ever in danger.

I think a serious chest infection could be a problem but it could be with or without AF. Again not medically trained so might be a question for your doctor.

[irene75359]

I had pneumonia in January and fully expected to have an AF episode (although I have only had three since September 2015). Sure enough, I did, but I had read so much on this forum of how illness can trigger an attack I wasn't as alarmed as I might have been.

[ILowe]

I live in the centre of a big city next to a main road on a hill, so pollution is high and is the probable cause of many chest infections. Last year, I got fed up of them -- even high vitamin D levels seemed to be not protecting me (that was a cure in past years). So I took some Ampicillin, I think. Then, 10 days after the infection cleared it came back.

This was ridiculous says I to myself. Why? What is happening? What are you coughing up? Sometimes mucus that is white and sometimes infected mucus -- far more than is normally produced in healthy lungs. So, I looked back in my health diary for when I had over 6 months treatment from a specialist. He had prescribed an anti-inflammatory, inhaled Miflasone, low dose. I knew I could tolerate it, so I went out and bought some [one of the great benefits of living in an advanced country which does not have needless restrictions and lo and behold, within 3 days the problem diminished significantly. I kept going for a month. That worked!

So, take-home lesson. If you have chronic bronchitis then ask if inflammation is the cause, then ask the doctor to give you an inhaled anti-inflammatory. I now have added it to my collection of "on demand" medicines, along with Salbutamol and the medicines for PIP.

[starry-eyes]

I don't think danger is the word but any type of virus infection makes my heart work harder and makes me feel more likely to have an episode. Answer is to rest until well again!