Chest and throat infections diagnosis and treatment
Chest and throat infections diagnosis and treatment
Please take time to read the patient information leaflet that comes with your medicine. Corticosteroids are powerful medications https://stylesportsnews.com that can sometimes have side effects. However, they’re not usually recommended unless the potential benefits outweigh the risks.
- The information on this page is about steroids used in cancer treatment.
- Your appetite will go back to normal when you stop steroids – but some people need to diet to lose the extra weight.
- Older medicines may have been used effectively for many years in children without problems but the manufacturer has not been required to collect data and amend the licence.
- Usually inflammation is the body’s natural reaction to infection or bacteria.
- “Most people on a short course of steroid tablets can safely stop at the end of their course, as long as they’ve recovered well,” says DrAndy Whittamore.
- To ensure the most up-to-date guidance is used it must be accessed directly from the CCG website and not saved or printed.
Chest infections are common, especially after a cold or flu during autumn and winter. Although most are mild and get better on their own, some can be serious or even life-threatening. We know that it is common to struggle with your mental health when you have cancer or care for someone with cancer. You should also avoid close contact with children who have had the flu vaccine nasal spray if your immune system is severely weakened.
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You should contact your advice line urgently if you think you have an infection. Symptoms of an infection include a change in temperature, aching muscles, headaches, feeling cold and shivery and generally unwell. You might have other symptoms depending on where the infection is.
- The amount (dose) and length of steroid treatment is different depending on why you’re having steroids.
- Current evidence supports up to quadrupling inhaled steroids from standard doses until symptoms improve in adults.
- In these cases, you may be more likely to develop troublesome side effects.
- Your GP will usually only prescribe antibiotics if they think you have pneumonia, or you’re at risk of complications such as fluid building up around the lungs (pleurisy).
You can catch it from someone who has it, or you can sometimes get it if you have another infection such as flu or coronavirus (COVID-19). Symptoms of pneumonia can start suddenly or gradually over a few days. The decision will depend on how long you’ve taken them for, what dose you’re on, and where on your body you’re having surgery. Steroids are taken in different ways, and the dosage may vary depending on the condition you have.
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There are many types of steroids and all have different effects on the body. Regular or frequent drinking means drinking alcohol most weeks. The risk to your health is increased by drinking any amount of alcohol on a regular basis.
Antibiotics
If you have other children, they should be also be up to date with their immunisations. These side effects tend to occur only after long-term use or with high doses. In some cases, further tests – such as a chest X-ray, breathing tests and testing phlegm or blood samples – may be necessary.
You’ll be asked to take a deep breath and blow into a device called a spirometer, which measures the volume of air in your lungs. If a GP thinks you may have pneumonia, you’ll probably need a chest X-ray, and a sample of mucus may be taken for testing. But this is more common with long-term (chronic) bronchitis. It can affect people of all ages, but mostly happens in children under the age of 5.
Current guidelines say that some steroid tablets, including prednisolone, can be taken during pregnancy. They’re often used to treat flare-ups in women who are pregnant. If you’re using a steroid cream it’s fine to have vaccinations, but you’ll need to tell the person giving you the injection to avoid the area being treated with the cream.
You might have a burning or tingling sensation around your bottom during a steroid injection into a vein (intravenous). Your nurse will give the injection slowly to try and prevent this. Steroids can increase the number of white blood cells in your blood. You might feel dizzy and you may feel as though the room is spinning.
We are unable to list all the possible interactions that may happen. An example is grapefruit or grapefruit juice which can increase the side effects of certain drugs. Feeling hungrier can make it difficult to keep your weight down. Your appetite will go back to normal when you stop steroids – but some people need to diet to lose the extra weight.
They might also make it harder for your body to deal with an infection. This means infections are more difficult to diagnose at an early stage. These are manufactured versions of the hormones produced by the adrenal glands .
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Blood clots can develop in the deep veins of your body, usually the leg. A blood clot can be very serious if it travels to your lungs (pulmonary embolism), although this isn’t common. The amount (dose) and length of steroid treatment is different depending on why you’re having steroids.