Upper respiratory tract infection overview
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Differentiating Upper Respiratory Tract Infection from other Diseases | |
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Diagnosis | |
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
Upper respiratory tract infection is the illness caused by an acute infection which involves the upper respiratory tract: nose, sinuses, pharynx or larynx. In the United States, this represents approximately one billion acute upper respiratory illnesses annually.
Causes
15% of acute pharyngitis cases may be caused by bacteria, commonly Group A Strep ("Strep Throat"). Generally, patients with "Strep Throat" start with a sore throat as their first symptom, and they usually do not have a runny nose, cough, or sneezing.
Epidemiology and Demographics
Upper respiratory infections, is the illness caused by an acute infection which involves the upper respiratory tract. In the United States, this represents approximately one billion acute upper respiratory illnesses annually.
Risk Factors
Any one can have common cold but children, older population, people with decreased immunity are affected more commonly.