What causes an upper respiratory tract infection?

A cold is also called an upper respiratory tract infection in the doctor's mouth. Viruses account for about 70% to 80% of acute upper respiratory tract infections. The main influenza viruses (A, B, C), parainfluenza virus, respiratory syncytial virus, adenovirus, rhinovirus, echovirus, coxsackievirus, measles virus, rubella virus.

Bacterial infections can occur directly or after viral infections, with hemolytic streptococcus being the most common, followed by Haemophilus influenzae, pneumococcus and staphylococci. Gram-negative bacilli are occasionally seen. The main manifestations of infection are rhinitis, pharyngitis or tonsillitis.

Therefore, crack and other cold medicines are antiviral, so they sell very well.

Acute Upper Respiratory Tract Infection**: Virus!

The vast majority of pathogens are various respiratory viruses, such as influenza, parainfluenza virus, respiratory syncytial virus, adenovirus, etc., in addition to rhinovirus and enterovirus (coxsackie, echovirus). Upper respiratory tract infections. Rarely, it can be caused by bacteria and mycoplasma.

Due to viral infection, the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract loses its resistance, and bacteria take the opportunity to invade. Such as group A - hemolytic streptococcus, pneumococcus, influenza bacillus, etc.

The most common ones are bacterial (cephalosporin) viruses, mycoplasma. A blood test can help determine whether it's a virus or a bacteria. Most of them have late-stage co-infection, and mycoplasma, chlamydia, and macrolide are more difficult to treat, and macrolides are effective.

The early symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection are mainly nasal inflammation, which may include sneezing, nasal congestion, watery nasal discharge, and early pharyngeal discomfort or dry throat, itchy throat or burning sensation.

2 After 3 days, it becomes thick discharge, there may be sore throat or hoarseness, sometimes hearing loss due to eustachiolitis, tearing, dull taste, poor breathing, cough, small amount of sputum and other symptoms.

Fever and constitutional symptoms are usually absent or low-grade fever is present. In severe cases, in addition to fever, systemic symptoms such as fatigue and malaise, chills, aching limbs, headache and loss of appetite may be felt.

Doctors may find nasal mucosal hyperemia, edema, and discharge, mild pharyngeal congestion, and chest examination is usually unremarkable.

Main clinical manifestations:

1. Common cold.

It mainly presents with nasal symptoms such as sneezing, nasal congestion, and watery nasal discharge, but can also manifest as cough, dry throat, itchy or burning sensation, and even postnasal dripping. Symptoms such as sneezing, nasal congestion, and runny nose may occur at the same time or within a few hours of onset. 2 After 3 days, the nasal discharge thickens, often accompanied by sore throat, tearing, loss of taste, poor breathing, hoarseness, etc.

2. Acute viral pharyngitis or laryngitis.

1) Acute viral pharyngitis is mostly caused by rhinovirus, adenovirus, influenza virus, parainfluenza virus, enterovirus, respiratory syncytial virus, etc. Clinical features include itching or burning sensation in the pharynx, cough is rare, and sore throat is not obvious. When swallowing is painful, it often indicates a streptococcal infection.

Influenza virus and adenovirus infections may present with fever and fatigue. Adenoviral pharyngitis may be accompanied by ocular conjunctivitis.

2) Acute viral laryngitis is mostly caused by rhinovirus, influenza A virus, parainfluenza virus and adenovirus. Clinical features are hoarseness, difficulty speaking, pain with cough, and often fever, sore throat, or cough.

3. Acute herpangina.

It is usually caused by coxsackievirus A, manifested as obvious sore throat and fever, and the course of the disease is about 1 week, more common than in summer, more common in children, and occasionally in adults.

4. Pharyngeal conjunctival fever.

It is mainly caused by adenovirus, coxsackievirus, etc. Clinical manifestations include fever, sore throat, photophobia, and lacrimation.

5. Bacterial pharyngeal-tonsillitis.

It is mostly caused by hemolytic streptococcus, followed by Haemophilus influenzae, pneumococcus, staphylococcus, etc. Acute onset, marked sore throat, chills, fever (temperature up to 39 or more).

It is usually accompanied by symptoms such as general weakness, aching limbs, headache, sore throat, cough, and sticky sputum.

Let's go to the hospital for a check-up.

The respiratory system consists of a series of organs that inhale oxygen, expel carbon dioxide, and complete the exhalation of gases. Specifically, the respiratory system includes the respiratory tract that transports gases and the lungs where gas exchange takes place. The respiratory tract is a passage for transporting gases composed of the nose, pharynx, larynx, trachea and bronchi.

The nose is the gateway to the respiratory system;The pharynx is a common pathway for the respiratory and digestive systems;The larynx is the narrowest part of the upper part of the airway, not only the respiratory passage, but also an articulatory organ;The lungs are made up of repeatedly branching bronchial tubes and bulging alveoli at the ends of their smallest branches, which are the sites of constant gas exchange between the body and the outside world.

Nowadays, it is customary to call the airway above the larynx the upper respiratory tract and the part below the larynx as the lower respiratory tract. Clinically, upper respiratory tract infection refers to infectious inflammation of the nose, pharynx, throat and other parts.

1. Infection: Infection with bacteria, viruses, parasites, mycoplasma and other pathogenic microorganisms is one of the main causes of respiratory tract infection, and pathogens can be transmitted through droplets, droplets and other ways. Generally speaking, there are more cases in the spring, because in the spring, when everything recovers, bacteria and viruses begin to become active, and the incidence of respiratory infections increases during this season.

2. Excessive fatigue: The pressure of modern life is very great, overtime has become the normal life of many people, and being busy with work for a long time will put the human body in a state of excessive fatigue, at which time the body's immunity will be reduced, thereby increasing the incidence of respiratory tract infections.

3. Lack of trace elements: Many people in life usually have picky eating habits and partial eating habits, but they do not know that these bad eating habits will lead to a lack of trace elements in the human body, thereby reducing the body's resistance, once the resistance becomes weak, when the pathogen invades the human body, the immune system will not be able to block its invasion, and eventually it will cause respiratory tract infection.

In fact, the causes of respiratory tract infections are far more than the above three, such as cold, rain, and inflammation of adjacent organs. If you don't want to be found by this disease, you should try to stay away from these triggers in your life, and at the same time pay attention to improving your own disease resistance, and pay more attention to wearing masks when the air quality is poor.

Respiratory tract infections are mainly caused by viral or bacterial infections, when there are predisposing factors such as cold, rain, excessive fatigue, etc., which reduce the local defense function of the whole body or respiratory tract, the viruses or bacteria that already exist in the upper respiratory tract or invade from the outside can multiply rapidly, especially the old and young who are weak or have chronic respiratory diseases such as sinusitis, tonsillitis, bronchiectasis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, etc., are more susceptible.