Respiratory Infection Causes of Upper and Lower Respiratory Infections

When it comes to respiratory ailments, you will find that there are a lot of possible causes. Respiratory infection causes can include viruses, bacteria, and fungus with viruses being the most common and the most contagious of all three possible causes. When you talk about respiratory infections, you will find that this is actually divided into two categories, namely the upper respiratory tract infections and the lower respiratory tract infections.

Difference Between Upper and Lower Respiratory Infections

Knowing how to treat a respiratory tract infection may require finding out which part of your respiratory tract is infected.

For upper respiratory tract problems, you will notice that the parts that are affected include your nose, ears, throat, trachea, larynx, nasal cavity, and sinuses. For your lower respiratory area, you will find that your lung alveoli, bronchioles, and bronchi are the ones that are affected the most. Respiratory infection causes that affect the upper respiratory tract include viruses like rhinovirus, coronavirus, parainfluenza virus, and enterovirus, among others. Lower respiratory tract infections can be caused by viruses like the swine/avian flu virus, H5N1 virus, and the HIV virus to name but a few.

Treatments for Respiratory Problems

If you are looking for a treatment for respiratory infection, you will find that after determining the respiratory infection causes, it will be easy for your doctor to prescribe medication for you. A good respiratory tract infection treatment often takes into account what kind of virus has caused the infection, and this is what your doctor will most likely give you medications for.

Some of the treatments that can be given to patients suffering from the different respiratory tract ailments known to man include antibiotics and over the counter treatments. These are often used to relieve you of the symptoms that you experience from the problem, which may include a fever, cough, headache, runny or stuffy nose, and earache.

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