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A routine chest X-ray is not always necessary for people who have symptoms of a lower respiratory tract infection. [2] Influenza affects both the upper and lower respiratory tracts. [citation needed] Antibiotics are the first line treatment for pneumonia; however, they are neither effective nor indicated for parasitic or viral infections. Acute ...
Acute bronchitis, also known as a chest cold, is short-term bronchitis – inflammation of the bronchi (large and medium-sized airways) of the lungs. [2] [1] The most common symptom is a cough. [1] Other symptoms include coughing up mucus, wheezing, shortness of breath, fever, and chest discomfort. [2] The infection may last from a few to ten ...
An infection of this type usually is further classified as an upper respiratory tract infection (URI or URTI) or a lower respiratory tract infection (LRI or LRTI). Lower respiratory infections, such as pneumonia, tend to be far more severe than upper respiratory infections, such as the common cold.
The infection then makes its way down to the bronchi. Symptoms include coughing up sputum, wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest pain. Bronchitis can be acute or chronic. [1] Acute bronchitis usually has a cough that lasts around three weeks, [4] and is also known as a chest cold. [5] In more than 90% of cases, the cause is a viral infection ...
Since pneumonitis manifests in all areas of the lungs, imaging such as chest x-rays and Computerized tomography (CT) scans are useful diagnostic tools. [3] While pneumonia is a localized infection, pneumonitis is widespread. [3] A spirometer may also be used to measure pulmonary function.
[9] [10] Symptoms include episodes of wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath. [3] These may occur a few times a day or a few times per week. [4] Depending on the person, asthma symptoms may become worse at night or with exercise. [4] Asthma is thought to be caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. [3]
Tonsillitis is swelling of the tonsils by a bacterial or viral infection. This inflammation can lead to airway obstruction. From tonsillitis can come a peritonsillar abscess which is the most common upper airway infection and occurs primarily in young adults. It causes swelling in one of the tonsils, pushing the uvula to the unaffected side. [9]
One of the most common causes is Staphylococcus aureus and often follows a recent viral upper respiratory infection. Bacterial tracheitis is a rare complication of influenza infection. [ 4 ] It is the most serious in young children, possibly because of the relatively small size of the trachea that gets easily blocked by swelling.