What are the symptoms of respiratory tract infection

Respiratory tract infections can manifest in different aspects, including upper respiratory tract infections, lower respiratory tract infections, and some viral respiratory tract infections. These respiratory tract infection problems are easily contagious and can also cause symptoms such as myocarditis, nephritis, and rheumatic fever.

1. Upper respiratory tract infection

About 90% are caused by viruses, and bacterial infections often occur secondary to viral infections. The disease can occur in all seasons and at any age, and is transmitted through droplets or mist containing the virus, or through contaminated utensils. When the body's resistance is reduced, such as due to cold, fatigue, rain, etc., viruses and/or bacteria that already exist or invade from the outside will grow and multiply rapidly, leading to infection. The disease has a good prognosis, is self-limited, and generally recovers in 5-7 days. It is often followed by bronchitis, pneumonia, sinusitis, and in a few people, acute myocarditis, nephritis, rheumatic fever, etc.

2. Lower respiratory tract infection

There are more and more antibiotics available for clinical use, and the number of drug-resistant strains has also increased significantly. Due to the use of large doses of cephalosporins, nosocomial infections, especially Pseudomonas aeruginosa and enterococcal infections, are increasing. The progress of serological and molecular biology research has greatly improved people's understanding of mycoplasma, chlamydia or Legionella infection. Fluoroquinolones, macrolides, etc. have attracted people's attention.

3. Viral respiratory infections

Acute respiratory infections caused by a variety of viruses. It is divided into viral upper respiratory tract infection and viral lower respiratory tract infection. The former manifests as acute rhinitis, pharyngitis and laryngitis, and the latter manifests as acute tracheitis, bronchitis and pneumonia. This type of disease has a high incidence rate and is common among the population, especially children, the elderly, the malnourished and those suffering from chronic diseases. The disease is more common in winter and spring. Many respiratory infectious diseases such as measles and rubella can manifest as symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection. Care should be taken to differentiate between upper respiratory tract infection and lower respiratory tract infection.

4. Viral respiratory infections in children

As a common and frequently occurring disease in pediatrics, respiratory tract infection is the leading cause of death in children under 5 years old worldwide. Its clinical manifestations are easy to recognize, but the cause of respiratory tract infection is difficult to determine. Through conventional methods, only about 46% of the causes of acquired pneumonia can be identified. For lower respiratory tract infections caused by viruses, only 40% of the viral pathogens can be identified. Respiratory syncytial virus, parainfluenza virus, and influenza virus are common viruses that cause lower respiratory tract infections and bronchiolitis in children. However, the pathogens cannot be identified in more than one-third of cases.