06 October 2023 , 12:55
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Professional boxer Tommy Fury will return to the ring on October 14 to fight YouTuber KSI nearly two years after he suffered from a bacterial chest infection that left him “unable to breathe”.
The long-term rivals will go head-to-head in a six-round cruiserweight clash at the nail-biting event in Manchester next Saturday. It marks Fury’s second celebrity boxing match this year, after his split decision victory against Jake Paul in February.
The highly-anticipated match against Paul was originally set to take place in Tampa, Florida in December 2021, but Fury was forced to withdraw with an illness and an injury. In an Instagram post, he confessed that he was “not being able to breathe” during his training sessions and was “coughing up huge amounts of phlegm all the time,” with many “sleepless nights”.
He told followers: "Four weeks passed, and we decided to have a sparring session, and I took a little clip to the body. And, because my body was so weak due to the virus inside of me, I instantly knew something wasn’t right.”
The half-brother of world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury also cited having a broken rib in the lead up to the fight. He said: “I am absolutely heartbroken that I have been forced to withdraw from my fight with Jake Paul due to a bacterial chest infection and broken rib.”
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According to the NHS, the illness describes an infection of the lungs or airways, with the most common types being bronchitis and pneumonia. While most bronchitis cases are caused by viruses, pneumonia is mainly due to bacteria.
The health body explains that the illness usually spreads when an infected person coughs or sneezes, which launches tiny droplets of fluid containing the virus or bacteria into the air, where they can be breathed in by others. Doctor Charles Armitage, former NHS Doctor and CEO of healthcare company Florence, previously said that cases of chest infections rise by two fifths (42 percent) over the winter months.
Speaking to the Express, he said: “The cost of living crisis will be a significant contributing factor to the rise in chest infections over the coming months. Poorer diets and worsening living conditions, all as a result of the cost of living crisis, will likely see a rise in chest infections and exacerbate longer term conditions.”
Symptoms of a chest infection
As the winter closes in, the NHS has highlighted the main chest infection symptoms to watch out for, these include:
Chesty cough – you may cough up green or yellow mucus
Wheezing and shortness of breath
Chest pain or discomfort
High temperature
Headache
Aching muscles
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Tiredness
While symptoms can be unpleasant, they usually get better on their own in about seven to 10 days. The cough and mucus can last up to three weeks. If you are showing any signs of a chest infection, the health body recommends:
Getting plenty of rest
Drinking lots of water to loosen the mucus and make it easier to cough up
Raising your head up while sleeping using extra pillows to make breathing easier and clear your chest of mucus
Using painkillers to bring down a high temperature and ease headaches and muscle pain
Drink a hot lemon and honey drink to relieve a sore throat
If the chest infection is bacterial, a GP may prescribe antibiotics. The medication can’t treat viral infections, which usually clears up by itself. There are a number of cases where you should visit a doctor, these include:
You feel very unwell or your symptoms get worse
You cough up blood or blood-stained mucus
You've had a cough for more than 3 weeks
You're pregnant
You're over 65
Your immune system is weak – for example, you have a condition like diabetes or you're having chemotherapy
You have a long-term health condition, such as a heart, lung or kidney condition