How to Cure a Lung Infection

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1Treating a Mild Lung Infection at Home

2Getting Medical Treatment

3Making Lifestyle Changes

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Tips and Warnings

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Lung infections of all types can negatively impact your breathing and your overall health. Mild lung infections, such as the chest congestion associated with the common cold, can be uncomfortable and exhausting to deal with but are typically easy to cure. More serious or chronic lung infections, such as pneumonia, can take more time and effort to treat. However, with a combination of proper medical care and home remedies, you can successfully treat a lung infection.

Steps

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Treating a Mild Lung Infection at Home

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1. 
   1
   Drink plenty of fluids. When trying to get rid of a mild lung infection, drinking water and other clear liquids can loosen the phlegm that is in your lungs. Try to drink water throughout your day in order to stay hydrated.

   • Warm liquids, such as tea and broth, are especially helpful for loosening phlegm in your lungs and helping you to expel secretions. This will help to reduce your chances of developing a chronic lung infection.
   • Other good sources of fluids include sports drinks and fruit juices, however they do include a lot of sugar, so keep that in mind.
2. 
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   Get lots of rest. You need to give your body rest so that it can focus on eliminating your infection. Try not to exert yourself too much physically and rest when you feel tired while you have a lung infection. If possible, stay home from work or school, stay in bed, and avoid doing a lot of exercise.

   • If you cannot rest completely during your illness, at least try to get a full night’s sleep every night.
   • Staying home from school or work can be hard but remember that if you have a lung infection it could be contagious and you could be getting other people sick.
   • You may find it uncomfortable to be flat on your back when you have a lung infection, so use pillows to help prop yourself up.
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3. 
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   Breathe in steam from a humidifier or a hot shower. Getting hot, moist air into your lungs can help break up mucus and relieve your cough. It will also open your nasal passages, which can help you breathe easier if you are congested.

   • Another way to get steam into your lungs is to place your face over a bowl of hot water and then place a towel over the back of your head, covering your head and the bowl. Sit like this for several minutes, breathing in the steamy air.
   • Keep a humidifier in your bedroom so that you can keep it running overnight.
   • Clean your humidifier regularly to prevent mold from growing inside of it.
4. 
   4
   Do deep breathing exercises or diaphragmatic breathing. Do a series of focused deep breaths that draw oxygen down deep into your diaphragm. As you breathe in and out, be sure that your breath is slow and steady. If you begin to get dizzy or lightheaded, stop immediately and return to normal breathing.

   • Breathing exercises can both increase the amount of oxygen your lungs can take in and the amount of carbon dioxide they expel.
   • Pay attention to the quality of your breathing at you do these exercises. Labored or difficult breathing is usually a sign that you should see a doctor, as it could signal that you have pneumonia.
   • Diaphragmatic or “belly breathing” will help to bring oxygen into the lower parts of your lungs.
5. 
   5
   Take an expectorant to get mucus out of your lungs. If you have an infection that has created a lot of mucus in your lungs, it can make breathing hard and you can't always cough the mucus out effectively. An over-the-counter expectorant, such as guaifenesin, can break that mucus up so that you can cough it out.

   • When you take expectorant medications, it's best to not take cough suppression medications at the same time, since the goal is to cough up the fluid in your chest.
   • If you are concerned about possible drug interactions with prescription medications you are taking, talk to your doctor about the over-the-counter medications that you are considering taking.
6. 
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   Try percussion of a massager to help break up mucus. Ask a friend, partner, or family member to pat you on the back as you lean forward or to hold a back massager against your back while you lean forward. This may help you to expel any mucus that is trapped in your lungs.
7. 
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   Use a strongly-scented mentholated cream to ease your breathing. This type of cream is available at all drug stores. It is applied to the chest and when it is inhaled it helps to ease your breathing.
8. 
   8
   Try using a supplement or natural remedy. There are a wide variety of supplements and natural remedies that claim to improve lung function and your immune system and are available over-the-counter. For example, many people take ginseng, zinc, or B vitamins to boost their immune systems. Other vitamins and supplements that may help include:

   • Vitamin C
   • Vitamin D (for healing infections)
   • Glutathione
   • L-glutamine, which may help to heal the lining of your gut
   • Natural remedies to ease any throat discomfort due to coughing. For example, fill a mug with warm water and stir in 1 tablespoon of honey, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, and a small piece of ginger. Drink it while it is still warm.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Getting Medical Treatment

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1. 
   1
   See your doctor if you are unable to cure the infection within a couple weeks. If you have a lung infection that has gone on for more than 2 weeks, you should make an appointment with your doctor to be looked at. Be prepared to tell them about your symptoms and how long they have been going on.

   • In addition to discussing your illness, your doctor will do a preliminary examination. This exam should include them listening to your breathing with a stethoscope.
2. 
   2
   Have testing done to determine what kind of infection you have. If your symptoms suggest a lung infection, your doctor may want to do diagnostic testing in order to give you a reliable diagnosis. Tests that can be done on the lungs include blood tests, x-rays, CT scans, and various cultures, such as a sputum test.

   • Your doctor may also check how much oxygen is in your bloodstream by doing a pulse oximetry test.
   • If your condition is serious enough to have you hospitalized, the medical staff may do a bronchoscopy, which is a procedure that looks into your lungs.
3. 
   3
   Take prescription medication to eliminate the infection. If you have a serious lung infection, such as pneumonia, your doctor will likely prescribe you medication. In most cases they will prescribe you antibiotics, antivirals, or antifungals, depending on the cause of the lung infection.

   • Talk to your doctor about any other medications you are taking to ensure that there will not be any drug interactions.
   • Follow your doctor’s instructions for dosing. Take the medication for as long as prescribed, even if you feel like the infection has cleared up. In some cases, if you stop your medication too early, the infection will not be cured and it can come back even stronger.
4. 
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   Consult with a specialist if you have an ongoing lung condition. If you have a chronic lung condition, such as cystic fibrosis, it's important to get specialized medical care. Your primary care physician will likely suggest referring you to a specialist, but if they don't, feel free to ask them about whether this is an option.

   • A pulmonologist is a doctor that specializes in disease of the lungs.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Making Lifestyle Changes

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1. 
   1
   Stop smoking. Smoking is an overall risk to your health and it can seriously impact the health of your lungs in particular. To have the best chance of quitting permanently, start a smoking cessation program with the help of a doctor or medical professional.

   • There are a wide variety of thing you can use to help ease your cravings while quitting smoking. These include nicotine patches and gum, as well as prescription medications.
   • Smoking will decrease your body's ability to fight off any infections in the lungs. It is also known to cause infections, such as COPD.
2. 
   2
   Protect your lungs from pollutants, allergens, and airborne chemicals. There are a variety of airborne pathogens that can get into your lungs and cause, or worsen, a lung infection. If you suspect that you will be around a pollutant, allergen, and airborne chemical, wear breathing protection, such as a N95 face mask.

   • If you suspect that you are breathing in allergens in your home, consider getting an air purifying filter to help you breathe cleaner air.
   • You may also want to get an air purifier to help keep the air in your home clean. Be sure to change the filter on the air purifier regularly to maintain its effectiveness.
3. 
   3
   Eat a healthy diet. Eating a healthy diet that includes a large amount of fruits and vegetables can improve your overall health and help give your immune a boost when it needs to fight off infection. Try to minimize your intake of sugar, fat, and alcohol, as all of these foods can decrease the strength of your immune system.

   • A healthy diet doesn’t mean that you can’t have any sugar or fat. It just means that you need to eat a balanced diet that contains mostly fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains.

   Tip: If you are unsure how to create a balanced diet for yourself, talk to your doctor or a licensed dietitian about creating a plan for you.
4. 
   4
   Exercise on a regular basis. Weekly exercise can help you cure a lung infection because when you do aerobic exercise you increase the amount of blood flow that goes to your lungs. This doesn't mean you need to do long, strenuous workouts. Simply going on a quick walk around your neighborhood can increase your blood flow and help your lung health.

   • If you have chronic or debilitating lung health problems, talk to your doctor before starting an exercise program.
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Tips

• Lung infections can be contagious in some cases, so cover your mouth when coughing so that you don't accidentally pass on your illness to someone else.
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Warnings

• It is important to get immediate medical care if you are having problems breathing. Go to an emergency room right away to ensure that your condition does not threaten your life.
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