Chest infection or ‘silent killer’? GP issues urgent warning over 4 signs your ‘bug’ might be more sinister

HAVING a thorax corruption is not retired of the norm for this clip of twelvemonth - but a GP has warned erstwhile it could beryllium a motion of thing much sinister.

It's estimated astir one successful 5 radical volition get a cough this winter, with cold, flu and thorax infections successful precocious circulation.

A chesty cough that lingers with greenish oregon yellowish phlegm tin usually beryllium attributed to a thorax infection.

Other symptoms see wheezing, shortness of breath, thorax symptom and discomfort, aching muscles, a headache, tiredness, and a precocious somesthesia (38˚C oregon above)

Someone with a thorax corruption volition typically consciousness unwell for up to 10 days and mightiness request antibiotics, but they should usually statesman to consciousness amended aft 3 weeks.

But GP Andy Whittamore, who's besides objective pb astatine Asthma + Lung UK, warned immoderate radical are mistakenly told they person a thorax infection, erstwhile it could beryllium pointing to thing perchance much serious.

He explained: "A thorax corruption occurs astir commonly erstwhile the lungs go infected with either a respiratory microorganism oregon a bacterial infection, and they are acold much apt to hap successful winter erstwhile flu and colds are rife."

But Dr Whittamore added the colder aerial besides weakens the immune strategy and tin trigger asthma attacks and flare-ups of different lung conditions similar chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) oregon bronchiectasis.

COPD is simply a communal lung illness that causes restricted airflow and breathing problems, and it's often described arsenic a 'silent killer' due to the fact that astir patients are asymptomatic successful the aboriginal stages.

There are 4 main symptoms to look retired for:

• shortness of enactment - this whitethorn lone hap erstwhile exercising astatine first, and you may sometimes aftermath up astatine nighttime feeling breathless
• a persistent chesty cough with phlegm that doesn't spell distant
• frequent thorax infections
• persistent wheezing

Bronchiectasis is simply a chronic lung information that causes the airways of the lungs to widen and thicken, making it hard to determination aerial successful and retired of the lungs.

Dr Whittamore warned: "Sometimes radical are mistakenly told they person a thorax corruption when, successful fact, their symptoms are much aligned to an precocious respiratory tract corruption [infections of parts of the assemblage progressive successful breathing].

"In patients with asthma and COPD oregon different lung conditions, an exacerbation of symptoms mightiness beryllium misdiagnosed arsenic a thorax infection.

"Equally, these patients mightiness beryllium displaying signs of an underlying lung information that has not yet been picked up."

Chest infections tin make into pneumonia

In immoderate cases cases a thorax corruption tin make into pneumonia, which whitethorn necessitate infirmary admission.

Pneumonia is simply a lung corruption that causes the aerial sacs successful the lungs to capable with fluid oregon pus, making it hard to breathe.

Dr Whittamore advised: "Common symptoms of pneumonia are a cough, trouble breathing, a precocious temperature, thorax pain, and nonaccomplishment of appetite.”

Most radical get amended successful 2 to 4 weeks, but babies, older radical and radical with bosom oregon lung conditions are astatine hazard of getting earnestly ill.

Chest corruption oregon lung cancer

Some symptoms of thorax infections and lung cancer are similar, specified arsenic coughing and shortness of breath.

But 1 of the distinctive differences is idiosyncratic with lung crab whitethorn commencement to cough up blood, said Dr Whittamore.

Other signs that tin travel this are fatigue, nonaccomplishment of appetite, and unexplained value loss.

Dr Whittamore said: "The occupation is that, initially astatine least, immoderate of the symptoms of lung crab tin mimic different illnesses oregon infections but the champion people of enactment is to talk to your GP if you are acrophobic astir your breathing and different symptoms that don’t improve.

"If you person a cough that has lasted for much than 3 weeks, past you should get checked arsenic a substance of urgency. 

"It mightiness beryllium down to a elemental infection, but it is indispensable to regularisation retired different overmuch much superior causes specified arsenic lung cancer, pneumonia, oregon a clot connected the lung.

"If determination is simply a anticipation that you whitethorn person lung cancer, you volition beryllium referred for a thorax X-ray and perchance a CT scan.

"The quicker lung crab is diagnosed, the much attraction options are past available."

The NHS successful England is presently rolling retired a lung crab screening inaugural called the Targeted Lung Health Check programme, wherever existent and erstwhile smokers aged betwixt 55 and 74 are invited for a lung check, specifically to regularisation retired lung cancer.

For much accusation connected thorax infections oregon concerns astir breathing, sojourn www.asthmaandlung.org.uk oregon telephone the charity helpline connected 0300 222 5800.

Further accusation connected lung crab is disposable from the NHS.