Common respiratory infections

Common respiratory infections

The respiratory system is infected with many diseases and infections, so you must know the list of common respiratory infections in order to deal with them in the correct ways.

The respiratory system is one of the most important organs of the body as it provides cells with the oxygen necessary for survival, and rids them of harmful carbon dioxide.

The respiratory system is affected by some types of infections, being sensitive and easily affected by external factors, and in the following, we will mention the common respiratory infections:

Common respiratory infections

Here are the most common respiratory infections and how to treat them:

1. Bronchitis

People carry air to the lungs, and in case of infection, they cause chest pain, coughing, and shortness of breath.

Bronchial infections can be caused by bacteria in the ocean.

Symptoms of bronchitis

Symptoms of bronchitis are:

• Persistent cough: This is because the respiratory system is trying to get rid of excess mucus, and coughing increases at night, which makes it difficult to get a restful sleep.
• Difficulty breathing: This is often caused by the presence of mucus, as well as swelling of the internal organs of the nose, such as adenoids.
• Fever: It is not a high temperature except in some advanced cases.

Treatment of bronchitis

In the case of bronchitis, you must visit the doctor to prescribe the appropriate medication, in addition to doing some home matters, including:

• Drink warm liquids: such as anise and green tea, they help relieve this inflammation, especially before bed.
• Get rest: the treatment includes resting the body and not overburdening it so as not to increase the severity of the disease and the duration of its stay in the body.
• Steam inhalation: One of the ways to help calm bronchitis, but care must be taken not to be exposed to the air after inhaling steam.

2. Pneumonia

Pneumonia is a common respiratory infection, a severe form of respiratory infection that affects the respiratory system, specifically the lungs.

The lungs consist of small sacs called alveoli, and these sacs fill with air in a normal person, but in the case of pneumonia, these alveoli become filled with liquid material and pus and thus obstruct breathing normally.

Viruses cause this disease, and the chance of it increases in smokers or those with weak immune systems.

Pneumonia symptoms

Symptoms of pneumonia were as follows:

• Cough: It is often accompanied by phlegm or mucus coming from the lungs, and the sputum can be green or have some blood in it.
• Chest pain: This pain intensifies with coughing or while breathing, which leads to a feeling of fatigue and extreme stress.
• Nausea: Excessive coughing leads to nausea and vomiting can sometimes occur, especially when the cough is accompanied by phlegm.
• Difficulty breathing: Shortness of breath leads to frequent awakening during sleep and results in this feeling of fatigue.
• Fever: The germ that leads to pneumonia may cause a fever, which is accompanied by shivering and chills in the body.

Pneumonia treatment

Pneumonia needs to take an antibiotic that kills the virus, but not any antibiotic will be effective. Rather, it must take an appropriate type for the type of germ that causes it. Additional home remedies are as follows:

• Drink hot drinks, such as herbal drinks and chicken soup.
• Rest during the illness: where you must get enough sleep and stay away from stress as much as possible.

3. Asthma

Asthma is one of the common respiratory infections. Asthma is caused by inflammation of the airways in the lungs, a chronic disease that prevents air from reaching the airways, and causes shortness of breath attacks that need to be taken immediately.

What happens during an asthma attack is the contraction of the muscle surrounding the airways with the accumulation of a large amount of phlegm in the airways, which leads to blockage and severe difficulty in breathing.

Asthma symptoms

Asthma symptoms appear as:

• Severe shortness of breath: accompanied by contractions and chest pain, and when the patient tries to breathe, he hears wheezing or rattling.
• Cough: This is a result of airway infections and the accumulation of phlegm in them. During attempts to breathe during an asthma attack, the coughing increases.

Asthma treatment

Asthma is treated by:

• Inhaling some formulations with an inhaler, such as corticosteroids, helps reduce the risk of asthma in the long term.
• Taking some medications that expand the airways and thus reduce the possibility of shortness of breath.

The risk of developing asthma increases in children, and to avoid this disease, the following things are recommended:

Stay away from passive smoking: it carries burnt materials from smoking, which are toxic and dangerous.

Stay away from air pollutants as much as possible: by avoiding being in places where sources of air pollution increase, such as exhaust, dust, and harmful chemicals.

4. Cold

The common cold is one of the common respiratory infections, and it is a common disease that affects the respiratory system, whether adults or children, and is caused by some types of viruses, and it can be associated with some seasons, such as spring and winter, and these viruses lead to inflammation in the throat and nose.

cold symptoms

The common cold is accompanied by a number of symptoms, including:

• Runny nose: This is one of its most prominent symptoms, in addition to nasal mucous congestion.
• Stuffy nose: This is a result of frequent runny and mucus in the nasal passage, and also leads to frequent sneezing.
• Sore throat: This is an inflammation that is accompanied by a feeling of pain, as well as a cough.
• Pain in the head and muscles: This leads to physical fatigue and extreme exhaustion.
• High temperature: It is one of the most prominent symptoms of a cold in its acute condition.

Cold treatment

To treat a cold, it is recommended to consult a doctor to prescribe appropriate medications, especially when children have it, in addition to:

1. Drink warm fluids.
2. Eat citrus fruits or drink their juice, such as lemons and oranges.
3. Get adequate rest, because stress worsens colds.
4. In the event of a high temperature, antipyretic should be taken and the necessary compresses should be made.

5. Sinusitis

Sinusitis is a common respiratory infection that can be caused by bacteria and fungi.

Sinus infections are one of the most annoying and painful respiratory diseases because their symptoms are painful and treatment takes time.

Sinusitis is often caused by an allergy, infection, or autoimmune problems in the affected person, and it may last up to 10 days.

Sinus infection symptoms

The main symptoms of a sinus infection are:

• Thick mucus in the nose: this leads to blockage and difficulty breathing.
• Severe pain in the head and face: the sinuses directly affect the face and lead to severe pain that is difficult to bear and increases during attempts to breathe.

To avoid sinusitis, the following is recommended:

• Not suddenly switching between hot and cold weather: This is one of the most prominent wrong habits that lead to sinusitis.
• Going down in cold weather: especially when wind accompanies this cold air, as well as heavy dust in the air.

Treating sinus infections

Sinusitis requires taking medications prescribed by a doctor, whether antibiotics, decongestants, antihistamines, and corticosteroids.

As for the home treatment that helps in treating the disease, it is through:

Consume warm fluids on a regular basis, such as mint, anise, and green tea.

Do not stress the body: the patient with sinusitis needs rest to reduce pain and speed up recovery.

Healthy nutrition: which includes eating vegetables and fruits rich in vitamins, especially vitamin C.

Eating bee honey: It helps a lot in recovering from the disease, and it is preferable to use it instead of sugar in sweetening.