When Should You See A Doctor
If you suspect you have the symptoms of pneumonia, you should seek immediate medical assistance, especially if you have chest pain after pneumonia. You need to understand that pneumonia is a serious illness and can cause serious complications when left untreated for long enough. It can have life-threatening complications in people older than 65 years. Be sure to talk to your doctor if you have the following symptoms:
- Cough with phlegm and high fever
- Shortness of breathing o other breathing difficulties
- Severe chest pain
- Feeling confused, tired and irritated
Additional Tips On How To Stop Coughing At Night
A warm tea can definitely help to soothe cough at night. Take a warm cup of herbal tea before going to bed. Any sort of warm liquid can help. Make sure the liquid does not contain caffeine. A licorice root tea is very much effective to stop cough as it is a natural remedy for throat inflammation. It also soothes the airways and loosens mucus in throat.
Blowing air is also a frequent cause to worsen your cough at night. Do not sleep in such a way that you get the air from fan and air conditioner blowing directly into your face. If you want air flowing through your bedroom, place the fan opposite to your bed or you can simply get air from ventilation.
Give up smoking. Smoke can also prove to be an irritant to the throat. Strictly avoid second hand smoking.
Watch your necessities. Keep everything you need at the night time like a glass of water, lozenge, cough medicine or anything that helps when you start coughing at night.
Gargle with salt and water to clear throat and stop coughing at night. But be careful, do not swallow.
Sleep when you feel sleepy and try breathing through your nose before sleeping.
Practice breathing exercises if you cant breathe through your nose.
You can also suck lozenge to calm down the cough on your throat and get a good night sleep.
How Do The Lungs Work
Your lungs main job is to get oxygen into your blood and remove carbon dioxide. This happens during breathing. You breathe 12 to 20 times per minute when you are not sick. When you breathe in, air travels down the back of your throat and passes through your voice box and into your windpipe . Your trachea splits into two air passages . One bronchial tube leads to the left lung, the other to the right lung. For the lungs to perform their best, the airways need to be open as you breathe in and out. Swelling and mucus can make it harder to move air through the airways, making it harder to breathe. This leads to shortness of breath, difficulty breathing and feeling more tired than normal.
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How To Regain Strength After Pneumonia
If you have pneumonia, the first priority is clearing the infection causing it.
This means following your doctor’s treatment plan very closely. Yes, getting plenty of rest. And, yes, taking every single pill in the bottle of antibiotics your doctor prescribed you if your pneumonia is bacterial in nature.
But, even after your primary symptoms fade away, you may be left feeling lousy, with low energy and/or dealing with a cough that just won’t quit. In some cases, you may feel weak for months.
Can Breathing Vicks Vaporub Cause Pneumonia
The research paper, Exogenous lipid pneumonia related to long-term use of Vicks VapoRub® by an adult patient: a case report, was published in BMC Ear, Nose and Throat Disorders. ELP is a rare condition that results from the aspiration or inhalation of material of animal, vegetable or mineral origin.
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How To Stop Coughing At Night So You Can Get Some Sleep
Constant hacking keeping you awake? These doctor-approved tips will give you relief.
Dealing with a cough is bad enough during the day. But anyone whos ever had a cold, the flu, or allergies knows that the hacking can get even worse at nightkeeping you tossing and turning when you could really use that extra shuteye to, you know, recover.
But lets back up. When you cough, your body is responding to some type of irritant in your throat or airway, whether it be an allergen like dust or mucus in your throat from a cold, Diondra Atoyebi, DO, a Georgia-based family medicine physician at Piedmont Physicians Monroe Family Practice, tells Health. Coughing at night is super common, and its caused by those same irritants.
Soothe Your Nighttime Cough
Coughs that nag you all day long are bad enough. But when they keep you awake all night, you can feel downright awful. How can you calm down your cough so you can get the sleep you need?
Youre in luck. There are plenty of treatments for nighttime coughs that can help. Most of the time, home remedies or over-the-counter treatments can work wonders. But if those dont help, your doctor can prescribe a stronger cough medicine that includes something to make you drowsy.
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Why Does It Take So Long To Recover From Pneumonia
You can’t see the damage pneumonia causes, but you certainly feel it.
The air sacs in your lungs become inflamed during pneumonia, leading to soreness and pain. If the infection and inflammation progress, your lungs may fill with fluid and dead lung tissue, leading to the green, yellow or even bloody mucus you cough up. This fluid may also affect how well oxygen is able to transfer into your bloodstream, leading to difficulty breathing.
“Once the infection is cleared with treatment, your body still has to deal with removing all of the fluid, damage and debris left behind in your lungs. This can take a few weeks, resulting in a lingering cough and reduced lung capacity,” explains Dr. Lee. “During this time, you may find physical exertion more tiring than usual.”
A more severe case of pneumonia can cause even more damage to your lungs, which can be significant and even permanent in some cases.
“After severe pneumonia, lung capacity is reduced and muscles may be weak from being so ill. Significant weight loss can further contribute to weakness and other health conditions may be aggravated due to the stress placed on the body during illness. These are all things your body will need time to recover from,” says Dr. Lee.
In fact, it may take another several months for you to fully heal and regain strength.
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 cant 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 have trouble breathing, have a high fever or feel worse.
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How Can I Tell If I Have Pneumonia Versus The Common Cold Or The Flu
Do I have a cold or could it be the flu or even pneumonia? Its tough to tell the difference but critical to know when to seek medical care
Watch for these ongoing symptoms that occur in pneumonia:
- Serious congestion or chest pain.
- Difficulty breathing.
- A fever of 102 or higher.
- Coughing that produces pus.
Pneumonia symptoms last longer than cold and flu. If your symptoms arent severe, its okay to try such home remedies as getting more rest, drinking more fluids and taking some over-the-counter medicines and see what happens. But if you dont see improvement in your symptoms after three to five days, or if you are experiencing more serious symptoms such as dizziness or severe difficulty breathing, see your healthcare provider. Dont let it go. Pneumonia-like symptoms in very young children or in adults older than 65 are a cause for concern. Also, pneumonia can cause permanent lung damage if left untreated for too long. And always seek immediate care if you experience chest pain or have breathing difficulties.
The Science Behind A Cough Thats Worse At Night
Why do coughs get worse at night? There are a number of reasons why they do or at least why they seem to.
Gravity The number one factor that makes your cough worse at night is simple: gravity. Mitchell Blass, MD, a physician with Georgia Infectious Diseases, says, When we lie down, mucus automatically begins to pool. The best way to counteract this gravitational pull is elevation. Sleep with a pillow propping you up a little, Dr. Blass suggests. It will help keep the mucus from collecting in the back of the throat.
A dry, indoor environment Dry air can aggravate an already irritated nose and throat, making your nighttime cough worse. To relieve a dry air cough, you can try a humidifier to put moisture back into the air and make it easier to breathe, but be sure to take proper care of the unit.
Humidifiers are not always safe, warns Blass. If the water you put in it isnt sterile, you run the risk of cycling the germs back into the air or breeding other diseases. The last thing people with a cold or flu want is to experience complications, says Blass. Bacterial infections can set in. Many flu-related deaths are caused by pneumonia that hits after people think theyre over the flu. To ensure you use a humidifier safely, be sure to carefully follow all the directions that come with it.
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Things People Dont Tell You About Pneumonia
While many of you mightve thought I have been on a hiatus due to winning the lottery and spending the past month enjoying my new home in Italy, Ive actually just been sick. Really, really sick. How sick, you ask? So sick that I couldnt even read. THAT sick.
You see, I went home to Texas for a quick, early Christmas visit with family in mid-December and came back with the worst gift ever: H1N1 flu.
Its an evil, evil virus, folks. As in fetal position for six days. And then for me, it quickly turned into pneumonia, with a side of kidney and liver failure. I spent many days in the hospital. Christmas and New Years never happened, really.
Basically, you know those stories you read in the newspaper about previously healthy people who get the flu and die unexpectedly? Well, that was ALMOST me. I was one of the lucky ones who pulled through.
Its been two weeks since I got out of the hospital now, and Im still on oxygen. Which makes me feel about 90 years old, and is something that I never dreamed Id need in my 40s.
Here are a few other things that no one ever told me about pneumonia.
1. When you are in the throes of pneumonia, before the antibiotics start to kick in, every time you cough, you will feel as though someone is reaching down through your lungs and pulling out your soul. And the sound will be violent. Horribly violent.
Have you ever had H1N1 and/or pneumonia? Whats been your experience?
Questions To Ask Your Doctor
- I have a chronic condition. Am I at higher risk for pneumonia?
- Do I have bacterial, viral, or fungal pneumonia? Whats the best treatment?
- Am I contagious?
- How serious is my pneumonia? Will I need to be hospitalized?
- What can I do at home to help relieve my symptoms?
- What are the possible complications of pneumonia? How will I know if Im developing complications?
- What should I do if my symptoms dont respond to treatment or get worse?
- Do we need to schedule a follow-up exam?
- Do I need any vaccines?
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How Long Does It Last
It takes a certain amount of time to start to feel sick after getting exposed to a germ. This length of time is called the incubation period, and it depends on many things, especially which bug is causing the illness.
With influenza pneumonia, for example, someone may become sick as soon as 12 hours or as long as 3 days after exposure to the flu virus. But with walking pneumonia, a person may not feel it until 2 to 3 weeks after becoming infected.
Most types of pneumonia clear up within a week or two, although a cough can linger for several weeks more. In severe cases, it may take longer to completely recover.
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How To Treat A Pneumonia Cough
If you’re uncomfortable, you should call your doctor, whether you suspect that you have pneumonia or not. A painful cough can be a sign of a range of health issues, and it’s really a good idea to get it checked out if it’s bothering you and isn’t getting better, Dr. Gates says. You should also seek help ASAP if you have a high fever and “significant” shortness of breath, she says.
If your doctor diagnoses you with bacterial pneumonia, they’ll likely prescribe an antibiotic to treat your infectionand your cough. If it’s viral and caught early, they may prescribe an anti-viral medication and, if it’s fungal, they’ll likely have you take an antifungal medication, Dr. Casciari says. Of course, those medications treat the underlying infection and, while they should help you to feel better, it may take a little time for your cough to clear up.
In the meantime, doctors say there are a few things you can do to help your cough:
Just keep this in mind, per Dr. Gates: “The cough probably won’t get better until the actual pneumonia is treated.”
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Coronavirus Update: How To Contact A Gp
It’s still important to get help from a GP if you need it. To contact your GP surgery:
- visit their website
Treatment will depend on the cause of your chest infection.
It will either be caused by:
- a virus this usually clears up by itself after a few weeks and antibiotics will not help
- bacteria a GP may prescribe antibiotics
Antibiotics are only used to treat bacterial chest infections. They’re not used for treating viral chest infections, like flu or viral bronchitis. This is because antibiotics do not work for viral infections.
A sample of your mucus may need to be tested to see what’s causing your chest infection.
Improving Your Sleep Environment
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Apply A Lukewarm Compress Or Take A Lukewarm Bath
Submerging your body in a lukewarm bath might help you bring down your body temperature.
You can also use a lukewarm compress to help cool your body from the outside inward if a bath is not convenient. Although it may be tempting to use a cold compress, the sudden temperature shift can cause chills. A lukewarm compress provides a more gradual, comfortable temperature change.
Chills may come on before or during a fever. They typically subside after your fever breaks. This may last up to a week, depending on when you begin treatment for pneumonia.
Do Viruses Live Longer In Cold Temperatures
Beuther: It turns out that the cold air actually allows the virus to survive longer. And those particles that blast out when you sneeze kind of dry up and get smaller in the cold, so they can disperse much farther. So the virus lives longer, it disperses better, its transmitted better when its cold outside.
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