Cats Cardiovascular and Respiratory Problems
Read our tips on how to treat chest infection in children to help relieve some of your child’s symptoms. You can take steps to improve recovery time like deep breathing exercises and slowly increasing activity levels. Pneumonia is a serious lung disease and can take time to get fully better. Most people fully recover from pneumonia, but it can lead to complications and death.
- For example, if you need treatment for anything else, including teeth problems.
- In children and teenagers, steroids can sometimes cause growth to slow down, so they’ll need to have their height checked regularly.
- Common viruses that cause chest infections are often the same as those that cause the common cold and the flu.
- A bacterial chest infection usually begins more quickly than if its viral.
- The infection can be caused by bacteria or viruses, which spread in the same way as other infections, through coughs and sneezes.
If you think you need to see a specialist, please discuss this with your doctor. There is no directory of bronchiectasis specialists across Europe, but if you have difficulty finding an appropriate specialist please contact European Lung Foundation. Chat online anonymously to others who understand what you are going through.
What happens to you when you get to hospital?
The most important guidance is to maintain good hygiene and follow the advice of your doctor or clinical specialist, and to let them know if your condition worsens or does not get better. Many NHS Trusts and NHS Boards have established Community Respiratory Teams and Services where specific patients can be referred to receive specialist help and support. With respiratory infections it is important to follow the ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ advice. If you smoke, one of the best things you can do to prevent a chest infection is to stop.
The clinical signs of infection are fever, nasal discharge, sneezing, conjunctivitis, ocular discharge, eye or mouth ulcers and drooling saliva. A number of infectious agents can cause upper respiratory infections, the most serious are feline herpesvirus, feline calcivirus and Chlamydia psittaci. Several drugs can be used to reduce blood pressure, amlodipine is probably most frequently used, in some circumstances benezapril is invaluable. Prompt treatment is required for cats with sudden onset blindness if sight is to be recovered.
Intravenous antibiotics
Chest infections are more likely to take hold when you are recovering from another infection, such as the flu. This is one of the reasons why good hygiene is so important when your child is ill, as it can prevent exposure to secondary infections. Babies and young children are more likely to develop chest infections, because their lungs and immune systems are not yet mature. Other groups who are at higher risk include older people, pregnant women, and people with other health conditions such as asthma.
Other medicines, food and drink
Bisphosphonates, which are used to treat osteoporosis in post-menopausal women, have been shown to help treat osteoporosis in cystic fibrosis. Researchers are examining the benefits of high doses of vitamin D and calcium. If you suffer from cystic fibrosis-related diabetes you will need to balance your food intake with suitable diabetic treatment like tablets or insulin.
Other types of medical treatment
There are more than 100 different strains of this bacteria – some are more likely to cause severe infection than others. Recovery time is dependent on the type of chest chest infection you have, the severity of your symptoms, your age and your overall health. There is no set rule for how long your chest infection will last but there are guiding principles based on historical data and national averages. More than 400,000 people are diagnosed with pneumonia in the UK every year.
Some mild cases of pneumonia can be treated at home with antibiotic medicine but this should be at the direction of your doctor. You can find your nearest clinic to see a Medicspot doctor today or learn more about how we can help with chest infections. If you are in hospital you will usually be isolated into your own room to reduce the likelihood of the bug spreading to other patients in the hospital.
Sometimes these breathing difficulties can tire your child out or make it harder for them to eat and drink properly. I am on antibiotics at the moment and off sick (feeling guilty!). Then sinus thing and finally horrendous stabbing headache caused doc thinks by sinus compressing a nerve. I have been told that might need steroids and clearly can be combined with antibiotics.
How to avoid spreading chest infections
Steroid treatment can stop the body producing natural hormones, which can be dangerous if you get ill, have an accident or need an operation. Keeping the card with you will help any other doctor who treats you to manage your care correctly. If you’re taking high doses of steroids, or if you’re on them for more than three weeks, you’ll need to carry a steroid card. This will have information on your dose and how long you’ve been taking them for.
What are the symptoms of pericarditis?
Dr Yogeswaran also works on training future generations of GPs as a GP trainer. Speak with your GP who will be able to examine your chest and provide you with relevant treatment. To stay updated with your baby’s routine immunisations, steroids in uk for sale the NHS provides a handy timeline of vaccinations required for your baby and throughout their childhood. If your baby is over the age of 1, you could try giving them a warm drink of lemon and honey to help with their coughing.