can chest infections be prevented?

[liliaannemiles]

just wondering because ive caught a cold, which results in me having occasional wheeziness. i really dont want to get a chest infection so ive been taking vitamin d & c, andrographis and apple cider vinegar. does this stuff actually help or am i just doing it for nothing? cold isnt gone yet. thanks.

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Hi Lilliannemiles,

I think the only thing you can do to reduce the risk of a chest infection is to live as healthy a lifestyle as possible. Eat a good varied diet and do your best to keep yourself physically fit and a good weight. Get enough sleep and try to keep stress levels down (not always easy, I appreciate that).

It's impossible to say whether a cold is going to result in a secondary infection. If you do get a cold, pamper yourself a bit. Get as much rest as you can, drink plenty of fluids and try to eat well. Exercising when you have a cold is not recommended. Various people have their favourite tipple to help with a cold: hot honey and lemon drink or hot honey and ginger drink (the latter being my preferred choice:-)).

Hope some of this helps

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One other thought: when I have a cold I use olbas oil (a decongestant which is inhaled), and Vicks vapour rub (which I put on my chest at night - feels disgusting but does seem to help). I know not all asthmatics can tolerate menthol, but if your asthma can cope with these, you could try them.

[ingemaria]

Hi,

The best way to reduce the risk of getting a chest infection(and other infections) is frequent hand washing and using alcohol hand gel. We pick up gems with our hands and then touch our face and the germs invade. I assume Vit D & C are safe to take if taking in the correct dosage, especially Vit D as it is not water soluble and too much can have serious side effects (calcium build up in the blood). I would be careful with andrographis as there is no evidence that it actually help prevent infections and the side effects generally and of long term use are unknown. There have been no medical trials as far as I know. It might be best to get advice re andrographis from a lung consultant. And as MaggieHP said, a healthy diet (with plenty of vegetables and fruit) and exercise and avoiding stress (if possible) is important too. Of course, it is also advisable to stay away from people with colds and chest infections.

I hope this is of some help.

Ingemaria

[Minushabens]

Exactly what they said - be as healthy as you can; plenty of fruit, veg (note to self - mushy peas on your pork pie in the pub doesn't really count). But ultimately, chest infections are caused by viruses getting into your respiratory system & while being healthy might give you the best chance of fighting the virus, it won't stop you getting them altogether sadly.