Upper Respiratory Tract Infection: An Overview

Dipti is a working professional in city and a mother of two. However, she often finds herself inconvenienced by frequent bouts of the flu. Occurring at least once every 6 weeks, she often runs late to work, cannot keep up worth her children’s extracurricular activities and has to skip on many social functions. On going for a medical check-up, Dipti’s doctor diagnosed her with an upper respiratory tract infection.

Upper respiratory tract infection – also commonly known as URTI – is a common health condition in most children and adults. An adult normally suffers from an upper respiratory infection twice a year and a child can suffer around 9 to 10 times in the same period. A higher frequency of infectionis a sign of weak immunity and requires immediate attention for any possible deficiencies or underlying illnesses.

Understanding the Upper Respiratory Tract

The upper respiratory system consists of the nose and nasal cavity, pharynx, and larynx. Air enters through the nostrils from where it passes through the nasal cavity for filtration. The conditioned air then heads further down the larynx and pharynx to the lungs.

An upper respiratory tract infection occurs when bacteria or viruses infect any one or more of these parts of the upper respiratory system. The most common URTI diseases are tonsillitis, rhinitis, laryngitis, acute Otis medial (ear infection), and sinusitis. Each of them affects one’s ability to function normally at least for a couple of days.

Symptoms of Upper Respiratory Infection

Symptoms of upper respiratory infection occur in varying levels in different people. Here are the most commonly observed symptoms:

1. Sore throat and cough
2. Hoarse voice
3. Runny nose
4. Nasal discharge that starts as clear and turns yellow
5. Sneezing
6. Fever
7. Headache
8. Ear ache
9. Swollen tonsils
10. Difficulty in breathing during sleep
11. Itchy throat
12. General feeling of overall fatigue and weakness

Causes of Upper Respiratory Infection

On a daily basis, your body’s immune system works around the clock to fight off infections from bacteria, viruses, and other germs. However, sometimes, the body falls under stress and fails to fight infection. This is when you fall sick. Upper respiration tract infection is often caused as a result of a weakness in the immune system that has been plagued by too many germs.

Upper respiratory infections are contagious. We often catch a cold in the most unexpected ways. By touching an infected doorknob and then touching your face, or by sharing an infected glass or a spoon. The infection also spreads through tiny droplets of mucus discharged while sneezing or coughing. High levels of pollution in major cities also lead to higher rates of upper respiratory infection in working adults. 

Bring a contagious disease, children are the most affected by upper respiratory infections. Therefore, it is extremely important to teach the child the importance of washing hands before each meal and to avoid sharing water bottles, spoons, and napkins with friends. If you child seems to have a runny nose or a sore throat all year around, it might be necessary to get more medical tests done to determine any possible nutritional deficiencies or other underlying health issues.

Healing with Homeopathy

One of the most common reasons for people to visit the doctor, upper respiratory tract infection can truly incapacitate you for important events. While catching a cold once or twice a year is normal, anymore than that can be considered a sign of weak immunity. Most over-the-counter medications for upper respiratory infection are addictive and come along with a host of side-effects. By contrast, homeopathic solutions offer holistic healing which is natural and free from side-effects. This makes homeopathic medicine especially suitable for young children, those suffering any major illnesses that cause upper respiratory infection as a symptom, and the elderly.

Homeopathy believes in comfortable, non-invasive healing. The treatments focus on strengthening the immune system to ward off bacterial and viral infections on its own. Thus, homeopathic medicines help strengthen your body naturally without any harmful chemicals. Treatment does not require any diet and lifestyle restrictions; the only prerequisite is that the person makes a strong attempt to eat healthy and stay active.