Hi doctor, I am a 25 year old man with normal BMI. I inhaled salt water while swimming at the beach. Will it affect my lungs? What is the natural way to treat this?
Hi. Seawater or salt water by itself is harmless to the lungs. The worst you may get is few days of cough because of lung irritationfrom the salt present in the water. At present, if you are not having any problem then there is nothing to worry. But there are chances of you developing an infection if the water is contaminated with bacteria. In that case, you might get a fever anda productive cough lasting for weeks. In case you develop a high fever or an excessive cough, get a chest x-ray done. Next time when you are in a similar situation, you can sit down on the cot, bend down the upper half of your body (like when you pick something from the floor while lying on the bed) and voluntarily cough for 10 to 15 minutes. By this way, the inhaled water can be expelled. Revert back with the x-ray reports to a pulmonologist online for further follow up. --->