Upper respiratory tract infection (patient information): Difference between revisions

Jump to navigation Jump to search
No edit summary
m (Bot: Removing from Primary care)
 
(16 intermediate revisions by 5 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
 
__NOTOC__
 
 
{{Upper respiratory tract infection (patient information)}}
{{Upper respiratory tract infection (patient information)}}
'''For the WikiDoc page for this topic, click [[Upper respiratory tract infection|here]]'''
'''For the WikiDoc page for this topic, click [[Upper respiratory tract infection|here]]'''


{{CMG}}; '''Associate Editor(s)-In-Chief: [[Priyamvada Singh]], [[M.B.B.S]]'''
{{CMG}}; {{AE}} [[Priyamvada Singh]], [[M.B.B.S]]'''


==Overview==
==Overview==
Line 12: Line 10:
==What are the symptoms of Upper respiratory tract infection?==
==What are the symptoms of Upper respiratory tract infection?==
*Itchy, watery eyes
*Itchy, watery eyes
*Nasal discharge
*[[Nasal discharge]]
*Nasal congestion
*[[Nasal congestion]]
*Sneezing
*[[Sneezing]]
*Sore throat
*[[Sore throat]]
*Cough
*[[Cough]]
*Headache
*[[Headache]]
*Fever
*[[Fever]]
*Malaise
*[[Malaise]]
*Fatigue, weakness
*[[Fatigue]], [[weakness]]
*Muscle pain
*[[Muscle pain]]
 
==What causes Upper respiratory tract infection?==
You can catch a cold if:
* A person with a cold sneezes, coughs, or blows their nose near you.
* You touch your nose, eyes, or mouth after you have touched something contaminated by the virus, such as a toy or doorknob.
People are most contagious for the first 2 to 3 days of a cold. A cold is usually not contagious after the first week.


==Who is at highest risk?==
==Who is at highest risk?==
Any one can have common cold but children, older population, people with decreased immunity are affected more commonly  
Any one can have common cold but children, older population, people with decreased immunity are affected more commonly.


==When to seek urgent medical care?==
==When to seek urgent medical care?==
Line 33: Line 37:


==Treatment options==
==Treatment options==
*Treatment depends on the underlying cause. Treatment comprises symptomatic support usually via analgesics for headache, sore throat and muscle aches.
*Treatment depends on the underlying cause. Treatment comprises symptomatic support usually via [[analgesics]] for [[headache]], [[sore throat]] and [[muscle aches]].
*There is no evidence to support the age-old advice to rest when you are sick with an upper respiratory illness. Moderate exercise in sedentary subjects with a URI has been shown to have no effect on the overall severity and duration of the illness.  
*There is no evidence to support the age-old advice to rest when you are sick with an upper respiratory illness. Moderate exercise in sedentary subjects with a URI has been shown to have no effect on the overall severity and duration of the illness.  
*Getting plenty of sleep
*Getting plenty of sleep
*Increasing fluid intake
*Increasing fluid intake
*Antibiotics
*[[Antibiotics]]
Judicious use of antibiotics can decrease unnecessary adverse effects of antibiotics as well as out-of-pocket costs to the patient. But more importantly, decreased antibiotic usage will prevent the rise of drug resistant bacteria, which is now a growing problem in the world. Health authorities have been strongly encouraging physicians to decrease the prescribing of antibiotics to treat common upper respiratory tract infections because antibiotic usage does not significantly reduce recovery time for these viral illnesses.
Judicious use of antibiotics can decrease unnecessary adverse effects of antibiotics as well as out-of-pocket costs to the patient. But more importantly, decreased antibiotic usage will prevent the rise of drug resistant bacteria, which is now a growing problem in the world. Health authorities have been strongly encouraging physicians to decrease the prescribing of antibiotics to treat common upper respiratory tract infections because antibiotic usage does not significantly reduce recovery time for these viral illnesses.
*Decongestants
*[[Decongestants]]
*Alternative medicine
*Alternative medicine
**The use of Vitamin C  
**The use of [[Vitamin C]]
 
==Diseases with similar symptoms==


==Where to find medical care for Upper respiratory tract infection?==
==Where to find medical care for Upper respiratory tract infection?==
[http://maps.google.com/maps?q={{urlencode:{{#if:{{{1|}}}|{{{1}}}|map+top+hospital+Condition}}}}&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wl Directions to Hospitals Treating Condition]
[http://maps.google.com/maps?q={{urlencode:{{#if:{{{1|}}}|{{{1}}}|map+top+hospital+Upper respiratory tract infection}}}}&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wl Directions to Hospitals Treating Upper respiratory tract infection]


==What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?==
==What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?==
Upper respiratory tract infection usually gets better in few days and normally have a good prognosis
An upper respiratory tract infection usually gets better after a few days, and it normally has a good prognosis.


==Possible complications==
==Possible complications==
* Abscess
* [[Abscess]]
* Bone infection (osteomyelitis)
* Bone infection ([[osteomyelitis]])
* Meningitis
* [[Meningitis]]
* Skin infection around the eye (orbital cellulitis)   * Bronchitis
* Skin infection around the eye ([[orbital cellulitis]])
* Ear infection
* [[Bronchitis]]
* Pneumonia
* [[Ear infection]]
* Sinusitis
* [[Pneumonia]]
* [[Sinusitis]]
 
==Sources==
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000678.htm


{{Reflist|2}}
{{WH}}
{{WS}}


[[Category:Infectious disease patient information]]
[[Category:Otolaryngology patient information]]
[[Category:Pediatrics patient information]]
[[Category:Pulmonary patient information]]
[[Category:Infectious disease]]
[[Category:Patient information]]
[[Category:Patient information]]
[[Category:Overview complete]]
[[Category:Pulmonology]]
[[Category:Pulmonology]]
[[Category:Template complete]]
{{WH}}
{{WS}}

Latest revision as of 00:34, 30 July 2020

Upper respiratory tract infection

Overview

What are the symptoms?

What are the causes?

Who is at highest risk?

When to seek urgent medical care?

Diagnosis

Treatment options

Where to find medical care for Upper respiratory tract infection?

What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?

Possible complications

Upper respiratory tract infection On the Web

Ongoing Trials at Clinical Trials.gov

Images of Upper respiratory tract infection

Videos on Upper respiratory tract infection

FDA on Upper respiratory tract infection

CDC on Upper respiratory tract infection

Upper respiratory tract infection in the news

Blogs on Upper respiratory tract infection

Directions to Hospitals Treating Upper respiratory tract infection

Risk calculators and risk factors for Upper respiratory tract infection

For the WikiDoc page for this topic, click here

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Priyamvada Singh, M.B.B.S

Overview

Upper respiratory infections, commonly referred to the acronym URI or URTI, is the illness caused by an acute infection which involves the upper respiratory tract: nose, sinuses, pharynx or larynx. In the United States, this represents approximately one billion acute upper respiratory illnesses annually.

What are the symptoms of Upper respiratory tract infection?

What causes Upper respiratory tract infection?

You can catch a cold if:

  • A person with a cold sneezes, coughs, or blows their nose near you.
  • You touch your nose, eyes, or mouth after you have touched something contaminated by the virus, such as a toy or doorknob.

People are most contagious for the first 2 to 3 days of a cold. A cold is usually not contagious after the first week.

Who is at highest risk?

Any one can have common cold but children, older population, people with decreased immunity are affected more commonly.

When to seek urgent medical care?

If you have the above symptoms contact a doctor.

Diagnosis

It is commonly diagnosed clinically based on the signs and symptoms.

Treatment options

  • Treatment depends on the underlying cause. Treatment comprises symptomatic support usually via analgesics for headache, sore throat and muscle aches.
  • There is no evidence to support the age-old advice to rest when you are sick with an upper respiratory illness. Moderate exercise in sedentary subjects with a URI has been shown to have no effect on the overall severity and duration of the illness.
  • Getting plenty of sleep
  • Increasing fluid intake
  • Antibiotics

Judicious use of antibiotics can decrease unnecessary adverse effects of antibiotics as well as out-of-pocket costs to the patient. But more importantly, decreased antibiotic usage will prevent the rise of drug resistant bacteria, which is now a growing problem in the world. Health authorities have been strongly encouraging physicians to decrease the prescribing of antibiotics to treat common upper respiratory tract infections because antibiotic usage does not significantly reduce recovery time for these viral illnesses.

Where to find medical care for Upper respiratory tract infection?

Directions to Hospitals Treating Upper respiratory tract infection

What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?

An upper respiratory tract infection usually gets better after a few days, and it normally has a good prognosis.

Possible complications

Sources

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000678.htm

Template:WH Template:WS