Upper Respiratory Infection

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Medical Author:

Benjamin Wedro, MD, FACEP, FAAEM

Benjamin Wedro, MD, FACEP, FAAEM

Dr. Ben Wedro practices emergency medicine at Gundersen Clinic, a regional trauma center in La Crosse, Wisconsin. His background includes undergraduate and medical studies at the University of Alberta, a Family Practice internship at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario and residency training in Emergency Medicine at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.

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Medical Editor:

Mary Nettleman, MD, MS, MACP

Mary Nettleman, MD, MS, MACP

Mary D. Nettleman, MD, MS, MACP is the Chair of the Department of Medicine at Michigan State University. She is a graduate of Vanderbilt Medical School, and completed her residency in Internal Medicine and a fellowship in Infectious Diseases at Indiana University.

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• Upper Respiratory Infection Overview
• Upper Respiratory Infection Causes
• Upper Respiratory Infection Risk Factors
• Upper Respiratory Infection Symptoms
• When to Seek Medical Care
• Exams and Tests
• Upper Respiratory Infection Treatment
• Self-Care at Home
• Medical Treatment
• Medication
• Upper Respiratory Infection Complications
• Next Steps
• Follow-up
• Prevention
• Outlook
• Synonyms and Keywords
• Author and Editor
• Read more on Upper Respiratory Infection from Healthwise

Upper Respiratory Infection Overview

The respiratory tract is divided into two categories based, which is based anatomy.

• The upper respiratory tract includes the mouth, nose, throat, larynx (voice box), and trachea (windpipe). Upper respiratory infections are often referred to as "colds."
  
  
• The lower respiratory tract includes the bronchial tubes and the lungs. Bronchitis and pneumonia are infections of the lower respiratory tract.

The "common cold" is usually caused by a viral infection and treatment is directed at managing symptoms while the body's own immune system fights the infection. Common symptoms of an upper respiratory infection such as a cold include a runny nose, post-nasal drip, cough, and nasal congestion. If laryngitis develops (larynx=voice box + itis=inflammation), the patient may lose their voice or become hoarse.

It is often difficult to know the difference between an acute upper respiratory infection and influenza (seasonal or H1N1 flu). However, influenza tends to cause symptoms and complaints that involve the entire body, including fever, chills, muscle aches and pains, and general malaise or feeling poorly. Colds tend not to have such broad body system involvement. If the health care practitioner is concerned about the diagnosis of influenza (flu), antiviral medications may be prescribed. There are no specific antiviral medications to treat the common cold.

Upper Respiratory Infection Causes

People "catch" colds when they come into contact with airborne viruses. Most often, the virus spreads from person to person in respiratory droplets from sneezing or coughing. Transmission of viruses can also spread due to poor hand washing techniques as the virus can be passed from person to person by coming in contact with respiratory droplets from an infected person with a handshake, touching the nose, eyes, or mouth after coming in contact with the virus. Some viruses can live on surfaces such as sink faucets, door and drawer handles, table surfaces, pens, and computer keyboards for up to two hours.

People should understand that upper respiratory infections are contagious and are spread from person to person. Individuals are infected with the virus before symptoms arise and are therefore potentially contagious even before they know they are ill. Thus, hygienic measures such as covering sneezes and coughs, and regular hand washing should be a routine habit practiced by everyone even when not ill.

Rhinovirus (rhino from the Greek word for nose) and coronavirus are the two most common viruses causing upper respiratory infections. Other viruses including parainfluenza virus, respiratory syncytial virus, and adenovirus can cause colds but may also cause pneumonia, especially in infants and children.