What are respiratory infections? Respiratory tract infections (RTIs) are infections in certain parts of an individual’s body that play a role in helping a person breathe. The respiratory system includes the sinuses, lungs, airways, and throat. While most respiratory infections can be resolved without the need for treatment, there are times when it is best to consult with a general practitioner. Those who struggle with asthma should be more cautious in their approach to dealing with common respiratory infections without the advice or guidance of their doctor.
What Are The Most Common Respiratory Infections?
How Do Respiratory Infections Spread?
Common symptoms of an upper respiratory infection include a cough that brings up mucus (or phlegm), sneezing, a runny or stuffy nose, as well as a sore throat. However, there are other less common symptoms such as headaches, muscle aches, high body temperatures, and breathlessness.
There are two main ways that respiratory infections spread. Respiratory infections spread either through the air or through contact with an infected person. You are more likely to contract the infection through the air if you are in close proximity with the infected individual and they cough, sneeze, or are talking.
You are also at higher risk of contracting acute respiratory infections if an individual who has touched their mouth or nose has an infection. The mouth and nose are the two main areas where infections develop.
Common Respiratory Infections
There are several respiratory infections that can be named. However, there are four main respiratory infections that are the most commonly found today. These infections are COVID-19, as well as influenza, pneumococcal, and the common cold.
COVID-19
COVID-19 (Coronavirus) is the most talked-about infection in the twentieth century and the most common respiratory infection today. Since December 2019, COVID-19 has killed over 400,000 Americans.
The Covid-19 virus is dangerous because infected individuals aren’t always displaying symptoms, and spreads easily to others. This is why it was important to wear a mask during the height of the pandemic. COVID-19 is most severe for people who have underlying health issues and respiratory diseases, especially the older generations.
Influenza
Influenza, or the flu, is a respiratory infection caused by the influenza virus. Sometimes this virus will affect a person’s lungs, but mainly the nose and throat. Influenza is known to be at its highest rate of infection during the period from October through May. This infection sends hundreds of thousands of individuals to the hospital every year and also results in thousands of deaths.
Pneumococcal Disease
Pneumococcal is an infectious disease that many are not aware of. Yet, pneumococcal disease is still common and is the cause of illnesses such as pneumonia, sepsis, meningitis, and even ear infections. Data suggests over 150,000 individuals in America go to the hospital every year for pneumococcal pneumonia. Pneumococcal pneumonia also results in tens of thousands of deaths annually.
Doctors recommend the pneumococcal vaccine for individuals who are over the age of 65 or children that are six years of age or under. Because the main cause of pneumococcal disease is bacteria, medical professionals can prescribe antibiotics to treat individuals suffering from pneumococcal disease.
Common Cold
Another very common respiratory infection is the common cold. The common cold is a viral infection of an individual’s throat and nose. It is not uncommon for healthy adults to experience the common cold around two to three times a year.
The common cold is not as harmful as some other respiratory infections previously mentioned. Individuals can treat a common cold easily with time and the correct medications. It usually takes the infected individual anywhere from a week up to 10 days to recover from the common cold. However, common cold symptoms will last longer in people who smoke.
Although medical attention is not necessary for the common cold, if the symptoms do not go away it is advisable to see a doctor.
Helpful reading: Diseases And Conditions – Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services
Urgent Care Omaha Walk-In Clinics and in Bellevue, NE
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Disclaimer
The information contained on this webpage is for educational purposes as well as to provide general information and general understanding of the pertinent medical issue only, not to provide a specific diagnosis. This information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. By using this blog/web site you understand there is no doctor patient relationship between you and the blog/web site publisher. The information included on this site should not be used as a substitute for medical advice from a licensed medical professional in your state. Neither Urgent Care Network, its subsidiaries, affiliates, assignees or successors in interest, nor any other party assume liability for loss or damage due to reliance on content of this blog/web site. If you are experiencing a severe medical issue, you should seek emergency assistance immediately.
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