Medical Oncologist
CION Cancer Clinics
Infections and chest care with one lung | CION Cancer Clinics
You cannot rule out a chest infection after a pneumonectomy, but you can lower the chance of one a great deal. Keep moving, clear your chest every day, stay away from smoke, and ask your doctor about flu and pneumonia vaccines. With one lung doing all the work, an infection is felt sooner, so a fever, a worse cough or coloured phlegm needs a call the same day. CION Cancer Clinics’ surgical oncologists in Hyderabad can talk this through with you.
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Medically reviewed by Dr. Muralidhar MuddusettyConsultant Surgical Oncologist · MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery, AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh) · last reviewed September 2026, next review due September 2027
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On this page
- Can you stop a chest infection when you only have one lung?
- What actually lowers the chance of a chest infection?
- How do you clear phlegm safely with one lung?
- What do families believe about chest infections that is not true?
- What do the doctors mean when they say these words?
- What can this page not tell you?
- Common questions about infections with one lung
The short answer
Can you stop a chest infection when you only have one lung?
You cannot rule a chest infection out, but you can lower the chance of one a great deal. The habits that matter most are simple: keep moving, clear your chest every day, stay away from smoke, and ask your doctor which vaccines suit you. Just as important is spotting an infection early, because with one lung you feel it sooner.
Why one lung changes the picture
Before the operation, two lungs shared the work. If one part of a lung was blocked with phlegm or inflamed, the rest carried on. After a pneumonectomy, the lung that is left does everything. An infection that a healthy person would shake off in a few days can leave you breathless far more quickly. That is not a reason for fear. It is a reason to act on small changes rather than waiting to see.
When the risk is highest
The first weeks after surgery carry the most risk. Pain makes you breathe shallowly and cough less, and phlegm settles at the bottom of the lung. The risk falls as you heal and get active again, but it does not disappear. Winter, the monsoon months, a cold going round the house and smoky or dusty air all push it back up.
This page is general. Your surgeon and physiotherapist know your lung, and their instructions come first.
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Signs that need a call the same day
A fever or shivering, a cough that is getting worse, phlegm that has turned yellow, green or rusty, or breathlessness that is new or worse than yesterday all need a call to your surgical team or the helpline today. If you are breathless at rest, confused, have chest pain, or cough up a lot of watery or blood-stained fluid, go to the nearest emergency department now and say a whole lung was removed. Do not start leftover antibiotics at home first.
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistEvery day
What actually lowers the chance of a chest infection?
Keep moving
Walking makes you breathe more deeply without thinking about it, and deeper breaths reach the lower parts of the lung where phlegm collects. Short walks several times a day do more than one long one.
Breathing and coughing exercises
The physiotherapist shows you these before you leave hospital. Keep doing them at home until your team tells you that you can stop.
If you were given a small plastic breathing device, keep using it as shown.No smoke of any kind
No cigarettes, beedis or hookah, and no one smoking in the house. Keep away from wood or coal cooking fires, burning rubbish and mosquito coils where you can.
Vaccines to ask about
Ask your doctor whether the yearly flu vaccine and a pneumonia vaccine suit you, and when to have them around your other treatment.
Clean hands and a clean mouth
Wash hands often and ask visitors to do the same. Brush your teeth and clean dentures daily, because germs from the mouth can reach the lung.
At home
How do you clear phlegm safely with one lung?
Sit up well
Sit upright in a chair or on the edge of the bed, feet flat on the floor. Slumping squashes the lung and makes a cough weaker.
Take slow, deep breaths
Breathe in slowly through your nose, hold for a moment, then breathe out gently through your mouth. Repeat a few times. This lets air get behind the phlegm and loosen it, without tiring you out.
Huff, then support and cough
Give a couple of short, forceful breaths out with your mouth open, as if steaming up a mirror. Then hold a folded towel or pillow firmly against the wound and cough. Supporting the wound makes the cough stronger and less sore.
Look at what comes up
Clear or white phlegm is common after surgery. A change in colour, a bad smell, blood, or a sudden large amount of watery fluid is something to report the same day rather than to keep watching.
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Commonly believed
What do families believe about chest infections that is not true?
"He should rest in bed until he is fully healed."
Lying in bed for long periods is one of the surest ways to invite a chest infection. Shallow breathing lets phlegm settle in the lung. Gentle walking, as your team advises, protects the lung far better than rest alone.
"Coughing will burst the stitches, so try not to."
The wound and the closed airway are made to cope with coughing. Holding a cough back lets phlegm build up. Support the wound with a pillow and cough properly. If coughing is too painful, tell your team, because pain relief can be adjusted.
"We keep antibiotics at home, so we can start them ourselves."
Starting old tablets can hide an infection that needs a different medicine, or a problem that is not an infection at all. With one lung, the right treatment matters. Call first, and let a doctor decide what to take.
Words you may hear
What do the doctors mean when they say these words?
- Pneumonia
- An infection inside the lung itself. After a pneumonectomy this means an infection in the one lung you have left.
- Empyema
- An infection of the fluid that fills the empty space where the lung used to be. It can show up weeks or months after surgery.
- Sputum
- The phlegm you cough up. A sample may be sent to find out which germ is causing an infection.
- Bronchopleural fistula
- A small opening at the closed end of the airway. It can let infection into the empty space, and it needs same-day care.
Being straight with you
What can this page not tell you?
This page cannot tell you whether a cough you have today is an infection. A cough after lung surgery has many causes, and some of them are harmless. Only someone who listens to your chest, checks your oxygen level and, if needed, looks at a chest X-ray can tell the difference.
It cannot tell you your own risk
How likely you are to get an infection depends on your age, your health before surgery, whether you smoked, how your recovery is going and what other treatment you are having. Recent smokers, older people, people with diabetes and anyone with old lung disease such as COPD need extra care. Chemotherapy after surgery, for example, can lower the body's defences for a time. Your team can tell you what applies to you, and whether any extra precautions make sense.
What to ask before you go home
Ask which signs mean you should call, and which number to call at night. Ask how long to keep doing the breathing exercises, which vaccines to have and when, and whether any of your usual medicines affect infection risk. Do not stop or change a medicine on your own.
If you are unsure whether a symptom matters, call the helpline. It is always better to ask early.Questions we are asked
Common questions about infections with one lung
Is a chest infection more dangerous with one lung?
It can be, because there is no second lung to take over if the remaining one is inflamed. Breathlessness comes on sooner and oxygen levels can drop faster. That is why early treatment matters so much. Most chest infections that are picked up early and treated properly settle well, even with one lung.
Can I be around my grandchildren if they have a cold?
It is wise to keep some distance while a child has a runny nose, cough or fever, especially in the first weeks after surgery. You do not need to avoid children altogether. Wash your hands after contact, avoid sharing cups and spoons, and ask a family member to take over close care for those few days.
Should I wear a mask when I go out?
A mask can help in crowded places such as hospitals, buses, markets and temples, particularly during flu season or when the air is dusty or smoky. It is not a replacement for the other habits on this page. Ask your team whether they suggest one for you, and for how long after surgery.
Which vaccines should I have after a pneumonectomy?
Most people with one lung are advised to discuss the yearly flu vaccine and a pneumonia vaccine with their doctor. Some may also be offered others depending on age and health. The timing depends on your recovery and on any chemotherapy, so let your doctor decide when rather than going to a pharmacy on your own.
How do I tell a chest infection from normal recovery?
Normal recovery gets slowly better, even if some days are harder. An infection usually makes things worse over a day or two: a fever, more coughing, phlegm that changes colour, or more breathlessness than before. If you are not sure, call. Nobody on the team will think you are wasting their time.
Can an infection start in the space where the lung was?
Yes. This is called an empyema, and it is less common than a lung infection. It can show up weeks or even months later as a fever, feeling unwell, weight loss, or fluid leaking from the old wound or a drain site. It needs hospital care, so report these signs the same day.
Is it safe to cook with a gas stove or wood fire at home?
A gas stove in a kitchen with a window open or an exhaust fan is usually fine. Smoke from wood, coal or dung cakes irritates the airway and makes infection more likely. If that is how food is cooked at home, ask someone else to cook for now and stay in another room.
Is treatment for a chest infection covered by Aarogyasri or insurance?
Treatment for a complication after cancer surgery is often covered, but it depends on your scheme, your policy and where you are treated. Aarogyasri, CGHS, ECHS, EHS and cashless insurance each have their own rules. Keep your cards and discharge summary together, and call the helpline to check your cover.
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Dr. C. Raghavendra Reddy
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Dr. Bharati Devi Gorantla
MBBS, MD(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Adyar,Chennai), ECMO, MRCP SCE(UK)
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Dr. Owais Mohammed
MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DrNB (Medical Oncology), ECMO, MRCP SCE (Medical Oncology) (UK)
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Dr. Muralidhar Muddusetty
MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery) (AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh)
Surgical Oncologist
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Dr. Vinay Mamidala
MBBS, MS(General Surgery), M.Ch(Surgical Oncology), FMAS, FARIS(Ongoing)
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Dr. Vajja Sandeep Kumar
MBBS, MS (General Surgery), DrNB (Surgical Oncology), FALS Oncology
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Sources
- Cancer Research UK — Surgery for lung cancer
- NHS — Pneumonia
- NHS — Flu vaccine
- American Cancer Society — Surgery for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
Keep reading
Related pages
Bronchopleural Fistula After PneumonectomyThe warning sign that can look like an infection and cannot waitWhat Fills the Space Where the Lung WasWhere an empyema starts, and whyPulmonary Rehabilitation After PneumonectomyExercise that keeps the remaining lung working wellComplications and Red FlagsOther problems after cancer surgery and when to call
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