How do you know when you have a chest infection?

[PestoPenguin]

I know, it's a dim question .

I'm 23 weeks pg. For the last 3 days, after lying flat and especially first thing in the morning I am coughing up stuff (sorry tmi!). It's not a lot, but is greenish coloured. When I lie down for more than 5 mins my breathing starts to make this sort of crackling/bubbling noise, mainly on breathing out, but after a while both in and out. My back aches from coughing.

When I'm up and about during the day there's little problem, just the odd little cough, except today I had to walk up a small hill and noticed that I felt incredibly drained and short of breath doing it.

I haven't had a cold and if I blow my nose the snot is clear. I'm really not sure whether just to wait it out, or whether I should go to the GP tomorrow and get checked over, especially with all the bank holidays looming. I don't remember ever having a chest infection, and on the odd occasion when I've had a persistent cough and got checked everthing has always been clear and I've got a kind of look from the GP as to why I went.

Any advice?

Also, the top of my head on one side hurts when I cough, although I'm assuming this is unrelated .

I have the same thing! It will be interesting to see what advice you get!

Go to the GP. I actually went last week because I'd had a hideous flu type thing (it turned out) but convinced myself it was a chest infection - like you, no snot but an awful cough to the point that it really hurt. Anyway, in my case I was coughing up yellow yuck. This seems to be significant - more likely viral if yellow, more likely bacterial if green. So you may well need ABs.

Me too with same thing! Started with a sore throat last week. I never go to the drs with anything like this so will also be interested in the consensus. Not pg either though.

Sorry - should have made clear the yellow/green thing is what the GP was saying to the medical student who was present.

I'm just getting over a chest infection - I knew it was more than just a cough when I hadn't slept for 3 nights with coughing and couldn't get enough breath to shout at the kids. I have the crackly chest thing, and coughing up horrible yellow phlegm, and hurting to cough, and generally feeling knackered. I've never had a chest infection before and hope I never have one again. (still coughing but not as bad, 2 more days of ABs to go)
Worth going and getting it checked out.

OK, think I will have to get checked out tomorrow. After 20 mins of coughing on the sofa just now I'm now breathless. Not sure if I'm wheezing too (happens occasionally to me in pregnancy, though at other times only with hayfever).

Ugh.

Thanks everyone

Well, I have just had a course of antibiotics for something else - it didn't cure my chest problem (which I hoped it would!). People keep making me laugh and right now that's not a good thing!

Green gunk = needs checking

yellow/ green gunk definitely requires checking especially if you have a fever.

OK will get checked tomorrow. Haven't noticed a fever, but TBH I'm overrun with kids as its the hols, so my needs aren't at the top of anyone's list, including my own.

Choughing up green/yellow gunk is a sign of chest infection but you need a stethascope to listen to your chest, or someone else to do it.

It sounds - well really odd, like a sort of woooshing, anyway if all you can hear is your heart beat you do not have a chest infection.

I had a chest infection when pg. It was diagnosed through testing the sputum (aka the gunk you hack up), but I also had blood tests and a chest xray as I was really quite ill, losing weight, not eating etc. ABs cleared it up quickly, but the first few GP visits I was fobbed off with "you're pg, we can't give you anything". I had to go to hospital to be taken seriously. Hope you get it sorted.

I have an appointment this morning. Typically the coughing is a bit better this morning (though still some gunk). However, I do feel breathless and drained, so I think still worth going.

DH had green gunk that wasn't a chest infection, but it is generally a sign.

Personally I seem to have inaudible chest infections - at least, I feel like death and am severely asthmatic, go to the GP they say they can't hear anything and give steroids, but I only get better when they give me ABs.

If you feel ghastly and are coughing up stuff, go to GP especially if pregnant.

I have a prescription for an inhaler and another for antibiotics, with instructions to start taking them if things don't improve in a couple of days. Just walking to the doctors made me breathless, so I'm hoping the inhaler will help with that. I feel like crawling back into bed, but two DCs to entertain so best get on .

Try to sit down for 10 mins or so after taking the inhaler, because if you take it then rush around it can make you feel a bit rubbish when you're not used to it (I'm assuming it's a Ventolin inhaler) .

Hope you feel better soon.

Thanks mrsboring. DH is trying to persuade me to start the ABs now. I must admit I do feel rough.