Steroids not effective for chest infections in adults who dont have asthma or other chronic lung disease Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford

You have regular blood tests to check for any changes in the way your liver is working. Tell your doctor straight away if you have sudden and severe pain in your tummy (abdomen). Blood clots can develop in the deep veins of your body, usually the leg.

• Antibiotics do not work on viral infections (like most cases of acute bronchitis) but may be prescribed for bacterial infections (like pneumonia).
• This means they often need to be treated with more antibiotics or a more powerful antibiotic.
• A bacterial chest infection often affects people with underlying health conditions, including those with weaker immune systems and those with a recent viral respiratory infection.
• Significant mortality benefit was reported for 388 patients with severe pneumonia but the authors suggested that this finding “is probably spurious”.
• When you take your child to see a GP, they will be able to examine your child by listening to their lungs using a stethoscope and monitoring their oxygen levels.
• You should always complete the full course of antibiotics even if you start to feel better.

If you’re having an operation, you might need to stop your steroids. Don’t do this without speaking to your doctor or surgeon first though, as in some cases you might be able to carry on taking them, and you may need to have your dose changed before the operation. Sometimes steroids can cause another condition known as Cushing’s syndrome. This can cause thinning of the skin, stretch marks, and the face to become rounder, but it usually clears up once steroids are stopped.

More severe bacterial pneumonia

Bronchitis can be described as being either acute bronchitis or chronic bronchitis. 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.

Most bronchitis cases are caused by viruses, whereas most pneumonia cases are due to bacteria. Chest infections are common, especially after a cold or flu during autumn and winter. Before changing practice further trials would be helpful, to see if it is possible to replicate the findings and to clarify which corticosteroid to use, at what dose, and for whom. A more thorough assessment of potential adverse events, in people at higher risk of diabetes for example, would also help to quantify the potential downsides of a change in practice.

How quickly will the infection spread? Is there anything I can do to stop it getting worse?

This should help to prevent your baby from catching infections such as whooping cough. Another is to avoid smoking in the home or around your child as this is a major risk factor for chest infections in children. Smoking damages your lungs so can aggravate symptoms of acute bronchitis, increase the chance of a chest infection and increase the risk of developing COPD. Vaping is also likely to have a similar effect but not enough is known about it as yet.

Possible complications of a chest infection

While this is usually temporary, your doctor or nurse can offer advice and support.A potential increase in appetite means your child could feel hungrier and may eat more than usual, which can lead to weigh gain. Any they do encounter are temporary safe steroids for sale and will stop when the course is complete. They are not used for viral infections like colds and flu, or chest infections caused by viruses. Some chest infections are mild and clear up on their own, but others can be severe and life threatening.

If the pneumonia is very bad you may have to be admitted to hospital and given oxygen to help you breathe. Some people are too ill to be treated at home and need to go to hospital. Treatment for pneumonia depends on what type of pneumonia you have and how severe it is.

How to avoid getting a chest infection

With respiratory infections it is important to follow the ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ advice. Some respiratory infections can cause a cough which can last for a few days or become chronic which can last for months. It is always best to speak to your doctor if you have an ongoing unexplained cough.

What are the symptoms of COPD?

If you have epilepsy this could become worse when taking steroids. You might feel dizzy and you may feel as though the room is spinning. Let your doctor or nurse know if you have any problems with your eyes.

The Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine

All the patients were receiving antibiotics as the main treatment for their pneumonia. The main outcomes were mortality from all causes, time to clinical stability and days to discharge from hospital. Most of the time oral antibiotics will be enough but if your child is very unwell, has complications or cannot tolerate oral medication, they might require antibiotics given through a vein. The doctor will determine if your child has a chest infection by asking you questions and examining your child.

Concomitant treatment with a fluoroquinolone and a corticosteroid should be avoided as the risk of fluoroquinolone-induced tendinitis and tendon rupture may be exacerbated. We have produced a patient sheet to help healthcare professionals to discuss the new measures and actions patients should take. Although relatively few cases of these disabling and potentially irreversible adverse reactions have been reported, under-reporting is likely. If you have indigestion or other stomach problems after starting steroids, then alcohol is likely to add to the problem, so you may want to cut back on how much alcohol you drink.