Upper Respiratory Tract Infection
Siamak T. Nabili, MD, MPH
Dr. Nabili received his undergraduate degree from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), majoring in chemistry and biochemistry. He then completed his graduate degree at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). His graduate training included a specialized fellowship in public health where his research focused on environmental health and health-care delivery and management.
William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR
Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.
- Upper respiratory infection facts
- What is an upper respiratory infection?
- Is an upper respiratory infection contagious?
- What are the causes of upper respiratory infection?
- What are the risk factors for upper respiratory infection?
- What are the symptoms of upper respiratory infection?
- When should you seek medical care for upper respiratory infection?
- How is an upper respiratory infection diagnosed?
- What is the treatment for upper respiratory infection?
- What are some of the home remedies for upper respiratory infection?
- What are some data on alternative therapies in treating upper respiratory infections?
- What are the complications of an upper respiratory infection?
- Can an upper respiratory infection be prevented?
- What is the outlook for a patient suffering from an upper respiratory infection?
- Patient Comments: Upper Respiratory Infection - Contagious
- Patient Comments: Upper Respiratory Infection - Treatment
- Patient Comments: Upper Respiratory Infection - Symptoms
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Upper respiratory infection facts
- Upper respiratory infections are one of the most common reasons of doctor visits.
- Upper respiratory infections are the most common illness resulting in missed work or school.
- Upper respiratory infections can happen at any time, but are most common in the fall and winter.
- Vast majority of upper respiratory infections are caused by viruses and are self limited.
- Antibiotics are rarely needed to treat upper respiratory infections and generally should be avoided, unless the doctor suspects a bacterial infection.
- Simple techniques, such as, proper hand washing and covering face while coughing or sneezing, may reduce the spread of upper respiratory infections.
- General outlook for upper respiratory infections is favorable, although, sometimes complication can occur.
What is an upper respiratory infection?
The upper respiratory tract includes the sinuses, nasal passages, pharynx, and larynx. These structures direct the air we breath from the outside to the trachea and eventually to the lungs for respiration to take place.
An upper respiratory tract infection, or upper respiratory infection, is an infectious process of any of the components of the upper airway.
Infection of the specific areas of the upper respiratory tract can be named specifically. Examples of these may include rhinitis (inflammation of the nasal cavity), sinus infection (sinusitis or rhinosinusitis) - inflammation of the sinuses located around the nose, common cold (nasopharyngitis) - inflammation of the nares, pharynx, hypopharynx, uvula, and tonsils, pharyngitis (inflammation of the pharynx, uvula, and tonsils), epiglottitis (inflammation of the upper portion of the larynx or the epiglottis), laryngitis (inflammation of the larynx), laryngotracheitis (inflammation of the larynx and the trachea), and tracheitis (inflammation of the trachea).
Upper respiratory infections are one of the most frequent causes of doctors visits with varying symptoms ranging from runny nose, sore throat, cough, to breathing difficulty, and lethargy. In the United States, upper respiratory infections are the most common illness leading to missing school or work.
Although upper respiratory infections can happen at any time, they are most common in the fall and winter months, from September until March. This may be explained because these are the usual school months when children and adolescents spend a lot of time in groups and inside closed doors. Furthermore, many viruses of upper respiratory infection thrive in the low humidity of the winter.
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