Respiratory Infection Health Video

Respiratory infections are any infection of the lungs and respiratory tract. Learn about the different causes, symptoms, and treatments for respiratory infection in this health video.

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Maintain good hygiene
Consult your doctor
Don't smoke
Possible vaccinations

About this Author

Dr. Susan McGladdery is a medical graduate from Oxford University in the UK and has a Master's Degree in Medical Sciences from Cambridge University. She has been a member of the Royal College of Physicians since 1991 and a member of the American Academy of Urgent Care since 2006. She trained as a Family Physician in the UK in Oxford and then in London. In a medical career that spans over 20 years, she has worked as a doctor in 5 countries on 3 continents and cared for patients from a multitude of different nationalities and backgrounds. Dr. McGladdery joined FirstMed Centers in mid 2002 and became Regional Medical Director in 2003.

SUSAN MCGLADDERY: Hello. My name is Dr. Sue McGladdery. I'm the medical director from FirstMed Centers in Budapest, Hungary, and I'm going to give you some information about respiratory infection. Infections of the respiratory tract are very common. The respiratory tract divides into two parts, the upper and the lower. The upper part refers to the nasal cavity, the pharynx, and larynx and the lower part refers to the tracheal and the bronchial tree and the lungs. Infection can occur anywhere in the respiratory tract and it's due to a variety of causes such as viruses, bacteria, and even fungal infection. Most of us will experience an acute upper respiratory infection several times per year. Examples include things like colds, flu, tonsillitis, and sinusitis. Usually, these are the results of viral infections. Lower respiratory tract infection includes things like pneumonia, bronchitis, and emphysema. More infections are due to bacteria than in the case of upper respiratory infections. Pneumonia is a very serious infection and could be life-threatening in elderly or people with problems with their immune system. It's also the leading cause of death in children less than five years of age. Although lower respiratory infections are common, they do occur less frequently than upper respiratory infections, but they're most serious in the upper respiratory infections. Lower respiratory infections are in fact, the leading cause of death due to infection world wide. The symptoms include things like cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, weakness, fever, fatigue, and chest pain. The treatment should be directed towards the cause. Therapy includes things like bedrest, fluids, and where the infection is the result of bacteria the use of antibiotic increasingly though we do find that there are problems with antibiotic resistance. Therefore, it's very important to base any antibiotic treatment decisions on the results of bacterial isolation and culture sensitivity results where possible. What else can we do regarding respiratory infections? We need to follow good hygiene practices, not smoke, and also it's a good idea to check with your doctor regarding preventative vaccines such as a flu shot and the pneumococcal vaccine.

Respiratory Infection Health Video

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