Pre-empt a chest infection?

[-Butterfly-]

I've had enough chest infections to know the starting signs of a chest infection, peak flow starts to drop, funny taste when I cough, persistent but not yet chesty cough.... There's no point seeing the GP yet as I know if be told my chest is clear, peak flow is fine (I have a high PB) , but i wondered if there's anything I could be doing now to minimise the impact or even head it off?

In the past when I was taking seretide, I had an asthma action plan that would have kicked in through the drop in peak flow but the plan was never updated and now I take sirdupla which I know isn't licensed at any more than 2 puffs twice a day.

I have started taking 2 puffs of ventolin every 4 hours in the hope it will not only help peak flow, but open my airways to try and cough up the bugs.

Any other suggestions?

[Pegleg13]

I would only use the amount you use all the time, if your peak flow does drop I would then have an extra puff during the day and I would use a spacer just make sure it’s getting to where it should.

[EmmaF91 Community Ambassador]

Steam bowl/hot bath etc... helps to clear/cough up anything that’s starting to collect in your lungs or sinuses...

Also possibly a multivitamin just to try and ‘boost’ your immune system to either stop or reduce the ‘level’ of infection you may end up getting, or reduce recovery time...

Or cross your finger and toes and just pray that your bodies making a mountain out of a molehill, that you’re not getting sick, your bodies just trying to make you paranoid that you are (🤧🤥🤫😅🤣)!!!

Hope this helps and that you manage to head off being ill

Emma x

[-Butterfly- in reply to EmmaF91]

Hot bath sounds a great idea, especially in this cold weather! Will definitely give that a try 😊

I already take a multivitamin so I'll go for the crossing fingers and toes 😂😂

Hopefully it'll clear off, I'm avoiding sicky people too, don't need any bonus germs!

[sarries22]

High dose of vit c and also Echinacea tablets help me when I feel a cold coming on. Seems to keep the cold at bay. Worth a try perhaps.

[-Butterfly- in reply to sarries22]

Absolutely worth a try, thank you

[Taztarr]

Hope this is helpful. Is an NHS video on how to clear your chest through breathing techniques and minimal coughing. I, personally, have found it very useful.

m.youtube.com/watch?v=kC-H8...(Not working as expected?)

[DeanSamson]

Hi Butterfly,

Your symptoms sound like what I had 2 years ago, I went on for 6 years having the same feeling my first noticeable symptom was the horrid taste mucus. I was at the docs every 4 to 6 weeks and I was perscribed prednisolone and antibiotics most times. I kept getting told it's my genetic make up this is the way it is going to be. Until I seen a difference doctor who sent me to the respiratory clinic who changed my inhalers from seritide250 to symbicort and respimat and since then I haven't had antibiotics since. The respiratory clinic said that I have never had chest infections it was down to my asthma not being controlled well enough. Do you think yours could be a similar issue?

Thanks

[-Butterfly- in reply to DeanSamson]

Glad you got sorted in the end, but 6 years is a long time!!

It's possible, only, symptom wise I've been generally ok for a bit, except during exercise ... which can be a sign of uncontrolled asthma ...🤔 so it might be worth a discussion with my gp

Thank you

[Hidden]

I have had chest infections regularly, especially after being exposed to diy dust (I can't wear a dust mask as it makes my glasses steam up and I can't see). I started using a salt inhaler a couple of months ago and I have been busy with diy and my chest is fine. I can only assume that the salt is stopping the bacteria from getting a hold.

[-Butterfly- in reply to Hidden]

Ill have a look into this too thank you. I haven't heard of salt inhalers.

[Hidden in reply to -Butterfly-]

Holland & Barrett do a salt pipe as they call it, it's plastic and can't be refilled or you can get ceramic refillable ones on ebay, amazon etc, you fill it with Himalayan pink salt.

[Hidden]

Hi -Butterfly-

Our general advice to avoid chest infections is quite broad and about keeping you healthy overall, so drink less alcohol, eat a balanced diet, with plenty of fresh fruit and veg and exercise regularly.

There's a bit of information here about chest infections. bit.ly/2Gc8IEI

the other thing to look for is phlegm and mucus, Green phlegm’s more likely to be a sign of a bacterial infection than yellow phlegm (though you can’t tell just by looking). bit.ly/2oxO1Mt

Hope that helps,

Dita

[Cavair]

Hi, a couple of years ago i was put on Azithromycin by my chest consultant after moving area 2 years ago...the previous consultant was investigating a lung nodule when the new one took over. Azithromycin is an antibiotic but i only take it 3 x a week and it works by killing off the older neutrafils in the blood as they normally die off every 28 days so they werent working effectively to combat infections...thus it helps the new neutrafils to work more effectively. In past years i was having one infection after another. I had had 13 courses of Doxycycline over the course of one year as others werent doing the job. In the past 2 years i have had hardly any chest infections, mainly one a few weeks ago., and then i had to have Doxy as Amoxycycline doesnt work on me anymore,

So even though Azithromycin is an antibiotic it works in a different way and i have been much better for it with lifelong asthma. Ask you GP, i was told not to worry about that its an antibiotic for the long term as it works in a more efficient way.

On a side note, the previous consultant was saying i would have to have the nodule cut out to do a full biopsy (possible cancer) but the new consultant did scans as to have surgery would have major complications. After 3 years of monitoring she decided it was just inflammation. Its still a weakness in my right lung, but ive not been left far worse!