Health: Upper Respiratory Tract Infections

Whenever you are in a crowded public place like a taxi stand or market or travelling in a public transport vehicle, you inevitably encounter some people who are coughing or sneezing. You do not relish sitting next to such a person and also fear getting infected. Majority of these people suffer from upper respiratory tract infections or URTI in short. These infections include infections of the nose, throat, sound box, ears and air sinuses and the associated complications. The patient is not sick as per the accepted norms of sickness most of the time. But he does not feel good either. There is running of the nose or a blocked nose. The throat may feel painful and there may be difficulty in swallowing or talking if the tonsils are inflamed. Infection of the pharynx or wind pipe causes dry irritating cough, where the person yearns for the phlegm to come out so that he may get some relief. In case of affection of the sound box or larynx, a person has sudden onset of hoarse voice and pain in the throat. Infections of the ear are characterized by ear pain, itching and at times discharge. Inflammation of the sinuses present in skull will cause a throbbing headache which is aggravated by looking down and more in the morning. The individual may have a single symptom or multiple of these if there is infection and inflammation of more than one part. Along with specific symptoms one can have fever, headache, body ache, redness of eyes and sense of fatigue. Some individuals have constant cold or cough due to allergy to dust and many other substances. They may get infected and develop upper respiratory tract infection. Mostly these infections are caused by viruses, but some cases occur due to bacterial infections also. Difference being that infections caused due to viruses will subside spontaneously, while that due to bacteria will tend to persist and get aggravated unless specific antibiotics are used. Bacterial infections usually are associated with fever, if not in the beginning then after 2 to 3 days, whereas fever is not so common with viral infections. The treatment is mostly aimed at providing symptomatic relief. Anti allergy drugs are used to reduce cold / cough due to allergy, whereas drugs for pain and fever are used to help in body pain. Though antibiotics are used empirically mostly in URTIS , but prudence demands that one should wait for 2 or 3 days. Due to empirical and extensive use of antibiotics both by medical professionals and self medication done by patients, the germs are getting resistant to antibiotics. This is a cause for global concern. If in URTI, the problem is aggravated or does not improve in 2 or 3 days, then only antibiotics should be used. Simple measures like use of hot saline gargles and steam inhalation are very soothing to the patient. These infections invariably spread through droplet infection and contaminated hands. If a person sitting or standing opposite another one coughs or sneezes, the tiny droplets expelled in the atmosphere can easily enter the respiratory system of another through nose. Now if the concentration of germs is more or resistance of the individual is less, he is sure to get infection of the upper respiratory tract. If a person sneezes or coughs , his hands are likely to be contaminated by droplets. If at that time he shakes hands, the other person is also exposed to causative germs. Similarly use of common objects like mobile phone or pens, held by contaminated hand also aids in spread of URTI.Smokers are more prone to get infected as the protective lining of the nose and respiratory passages is damaged in them. One can easily prevent the spread of URTI by covering the mouth while coughing or sneezing. If hands get soiled, they should be cleaned immediately. One should preferably use disposable tissue to wipe the mouth and hands. E-mail-rachna212002@yahoo.co.uk