Chest infection

A chest infection is an infection in part of your respiratory system. Your airways and lungs make up your respiratory system. A chest infection is not a formal medical diagnosis.

There are many causes of a chest infection. A chest infection in a healthy adult will usually get better on its own.

Our Pregnancy birth & baby (Opens in new tab) website has information about coughs in babies (Opens in new tab).

Pneumonia

Pneumonia is an infection in your lungs.

You may need to be looked after in hospital if you have pneumonia.

Bronchitis and bronchiolitis

Bronchitis and bronchiolitis are infections affecting the airways. Bronchiolitis usually affects babies younger than 12 months of age.

Babies with bronchiolitis may need hospital treatment. The worst symptoms are usually on day 2 or 3 and get better by day 10.

Your baby's cough may last a few weeks.

Influenza and COVID-19

Influenza (flu) and COVID-19 are two of the many respiratory viruses that can cause a chest infection. Another is respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

The most common symptoms of a chest infection are:

• cough, with or without phlegm (mucous)
• fast breathing, breathlessness or wheezing
• fever
• fast heartbeat
• chest pain or discomfort
• feeling tired

Babies with bronchiolitis (a common type of chest infection in young children) can:

• have a cough
• have a blocked or runny nose
• have fast or difficult breathing
• have noisy breathing
• be irritable
• have a fever
• eat and drink less or have difficulty feeding

The usual cause of chest infections is a virus or bacteria.

Chest infections can be spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

The risk of having a chest infection is higher in:

• babies and young children
• pregnant females
• older people
• people who smoke
• people with certain health conditions or weakened immune systems

You should see a doctor if:

• you are short of breath
• you have a very high fever (temperature of 38°C or higher)
• you are coughing up a lot of phlegm
• there is blood in your phlegm
• your symptoms are not improving, or they are getting worse
• you have heart or lung disease, such as heart failure or asthma

Take your baby to see your doctor or go to a hospital emergency department if:

• they are younger than 10 weeks old
• your baby was born prematurely (Opens in new tab)
• their breathing is fast, noisy or difficult
• they are not feeding normally
• you are worried they seem unwell
• they are an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person

When to seek urgent care

Go to a hospital emergency department if:

• you or your child are very short of breath
• it hurts to breathe
• there is blood in your phlegm
• your baby is not able to feed

Your doctor will ask about your symptoms and examine you. They will usually listen to your chest as part of the examination.

Your doctor may recommend tests such as:

• a test of your phlegm
• a swab of your throat or nose to find the cause of your infection
• blood tests
• a chest x-ray

Treatment for chest infections depend on how severe your symptoms are.

Your chest infection may clear up without any treatment.

If you have bronchitis your cough may last for 2 to 3 weeks. For some people it can be as long as 8 weeks.

The choice of treatment also depends on the type of infection. If you have a viral chest infection it will be treated differently to an infection with bacteria.

Self-care for a chest infection

If you have a chest infection, you can look after yourself or your child by:

• getting plenty of rest
• drinking plenty of fluids
• giving your baby or child small frequent meals and drinks
• taking pain relief medicine if needed, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen for pain and fever
• not smoking and limiting your exposure to smoke from cigarettes and vapes

Bronchiolitis usually gets better after about 10 days.

Medicines for a chest infection

Antibiotics are sometimes needed to treat chest infections caused by bacteria. Antibiotics will not help infections caused by a virus.

If you are prescribed antibiotics, you must take the full course, even if you feel better after a few days.

If your chest infection is caused by a virus such as influenza (the flu) or COVID-19 you might be able to get anti-viral treatment.

If you are aged over 65 years or have existing medical problems, ask your doctor if antiviral medicines could help. See your doctor as soon as you can after you start having symptoms.

If you have severe symptoms or an existing respiratory system condition your doctor may consider other medicines for a chest infection such as:

• pain relief medicine
• an inhaler (puffer) to open up the airways
• a steroid medicine to help with inflammation

Chest infections can be contagious. To reduce your risk of getting a chest infection, or of passing one on, take these steps:

• wash your hands with soapy water after coughing, sneezing and using tissues
• cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze and put used tissues in the bin straight away
• don't go to work, school or day care while feeling unwell
• quit smoking if you smoke
• consider wearing a face mask to prevent the spread of chest infections

Getting vaccinated can reduce your risk of chest infections. Vaccines that may be recommended include:

• flu vaccine (influenza)
• pneumococcal vaccine
• COVID-19 vaccine
• RSV vaccine

If you are active and maintain a healthy weight it can help you avoid getting sick with a chest infection.

The Lung Foundation of Australia (Opens in new tab) has a fact sheet on acute bronchitis (Opens in new tab).

The Royal Children's Hospital (Opens in new tab) has a fact sheet about bronchiolitis (Opens in new tab).

Visit Health Translations (Opens in new tab) for information about chest infections in languages other than English.

You can also call the healthdirect helpline on 1800 022 222 (known as NURSE-ON-CALL in Victoria). A registered nurse is available to speak with 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.