Acute Respiratory Infection

2nd June 2017 | By | Illnesses, Information | Like |

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An infection that may interfere with normal breathing is commonly referred to as an Acute respiratory infection. This type of infection can affect either your upper or lower respiratory system. Your upper respiratory system starts at your sinuses and ends at your vocal chords. Lower respiratory system starts at your vocal chords and ends at your lungs.

This type of infection is particularly dangerous for children, older adults and people with immune system disorders.

 

Symptoms

Here is a list of symptoms you could experience. Please not that symptoms will differ from lower to upper respiratory infections.

Symptoms can include:

  • Congestion in the sinuses or lungs
  • Runny nose
  • Cough
  • Sore throat
  • Body aches
  • Fatigue

Call 737 if you experience any of the following

  • A fever over 39˚ C and chills
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Dizziness
  • Loss of consciousness

Causes

There are several different causes of an acute respiratory infection, and it differs between Upper and Lower respiratory infection.

Upper respiratory infection:

  • Acute pharyngitis
    • Pharyngitis can be described as the inflammation of the pharynx, which is situated at the back of the throat, and can often be referred to as a “sore throat”. Pharyngitis causes scratchiness in the throat canal and makes it difficult to swallow. One of the common reasons for doctor’s visits is pharyngitis-induced sore throat, it is also the most common reason why people stay home from work. During the winter months is when more cases of pharyngitis occurs. In order to properly treat a sore throat, it’s important to identify its cause. Pharyngitis may be caused by bacterial or viral infections.
  • Acute ear infection
    • The sections of your ear just behind the eardrum are called the middle ear, and an ear infection occurs when a bacterial or viral infection affects this area. Inflammation and fluid build up in the middle ear can cause ear infections to be quite painful. Ear infections can be classified as chronic or acute. An acute ear infection is painful but short in duration. Chronic ear infections do not clear up, or they land up recurring multiple times. Chronis ear infections can cause permanent damage to the middle and inner ear.
  • Common cold
    • Symptoms for a common cold appear about one to three days after the body becomes infected with a cold virus. There is a short period before symptoms appear which is called the “incubation” period. Symptoms are usually gone in seven to ten days, although they can last from two to fourteen days.

Lower respiratory infection:

  • Bronchitis
    • Bronchitis is the inflammation of your bronchial tubes. A cough that produced mucus is the most common symptom of acute bronchitis. Acute bronchitis lasts less than 10 days, but symptoms can last for a few weeks. This condition is contagious and can be spread through droplets from sneezing, coughing or talking. Your bronchial tubes deliver air from your trachea (windpipe) into your lungs. When these tubes become inflamed, mucus can build up. This condition is called bronchitis, and it causes symptoms that can include coughing, shortness of breath, and low fever.
  • Pneumonia
    • Pneumonia is an infection in the lungs. It can occur in either one or both lungs. The infection can be caused by fungi, bacteria or a virus. Pneumonia causes inflammation in your lung’s air sacs, or alveoli. The alveoli fill with pus or fluid, making it difficult to breathe.
  • Bronchiolitis
    • Bronchiolitis is an inflammatory respiratory condition. This condition is caused when the smallest air passages in the lungs(bronchioles) are affected by a virus. The job of the bronchioles is to control the airflow in your lungs. When they become damaged or infected, they can swell or become clogged. This blocks the flow of oxygen. Although it’s generally a childhood condition, bronchiolitis can also affect adults.

At risk

It’s virtually impossible to avoid viruses and bacteria, but there are certain risk factors the increase your chances of developing acute respiratory infections. The immune systems of children and older adults are more prone to being affected by viruses. Children are at even more risk because of their constant contact with other kids who could be virus carriers, and they often don’t wash their hands regularly. Kids are also more likely to rub their eyes and put their fingers in their mouths, resulting in the spread of viruses.

Smokers are at a higher risk of contracting an acute respiratory infection and have more trouble recovering. People with heart diseases or other lung problems are at more risk. Anyone whose immune system might be weakened by another disease is at risk.

Diagnose

In a respiratory exam, the doctor will focus on your breathing. They will look for fluid and inflammation in the lungs by listening for abnormal sounds when you breathe. The doctor may check you ears, nose and throat. If your doctor believes the infection is in the lower respiratory tract, an X-ray or CT scan may be necessary to check the condition of the lungs.

Lung functions tests have proven useful as diagnostic tools. Pulse oximetry (pulse ox) can check how much oxygen gets into the lungs. A physician may also take a swab from your mouth or nose, or even ask you to cough up sputum (mucus from the lungs) sample to check for the type of virus or bacteria causing the disease.

Treatment

With some viruses there are no known treatments. Your doctor may prescribe medications to manage your symptoms while monitoring your condition. If your doctor suspects a bacterial infection, they may prescribe antibiotics.

Complications

Complications from an acute respiratory infection are extremely serious. It could result in permanent damage and even death. They include:

  • respiratory arrest, this occurs when the lungs stop functioning
  • respiratory failure, a rise in CO2 in your blood caused by your lungs not functioning correctly
  • congestive heart failure

Prevent

Most causes of an acute respiratory infection aren’t treatable. Therefore, prevention is better than a cure when it comes to warding off harmful respiratory infections. Getting the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) and pertussis vaccine will drastically lower your risk of getting a respiratory infection.

Practice Good Hygiene:

  • Wash your hands frequently, especially after you’ve been in a public place.
  • Always sneeze into the arm of your shirt or in a tissue. Although this may not ease your own symptoms, it will prevent you from spreading infectious diseases.
  • Avoid touching your face, especially your eyes and mouth, to prevent introducing germs into your system.

You should also avoid smoking and make sure you include plenty of vitamins in your diet, such as vitamin C, which helps boost your immune system.

Should you or a loved start feeling tightness of the chest or experience any of the above symptoms, please don’t hesitate to visit one of our clinics where we can help you get recover before it progresses into something worse. Please contact us on 737 and our Friendly consultants will be more than happy to give you advice or directions to your nearest clinic.