All infectious diseases are divided according to the primary source into viral and bacterial. If the virus is the causative agent of the disease, then antibiotics are powerless in this case. These drugs cannot reduce pain and fever. Respiratory tract infections caused by viruses have a peculiarity: they appear and spread very rapidly, but after that, as a rule, the same spontaneous and rapid recovery follows. If the cause is bacterial, treatment of the respiratory tract infection with antibiotics becomes necessary. The nature of the respiratory tract infection is determined by a number of causes that are established by the doctor after the sick person passes the tests. In this case, during treatment, antibiotics help to avoid the chronic form of the disease or severe complications.
Localization of infections
The causative agents of respiratory tract infection are localized in the mucous membrane. In some cases, the disease, while maintaining the primary localization, they migrate to various tissues and organs along with the blood flow or in another way. Pathogenexcreted from the body during sneezing, coughing, with air during a conversation. Particles of dead epithelium, droplets of exudate, mucus that contain the pathogen, depending on the size and influence of other factors, remain suspended in the air for some time or settle on various objects surrounding a person and dry up. The contents of the droplets in the dried state in the form of dust again enter the air. Thus, the pathogen enters the next (susceptible) organism with inhaled air and dust particles or in the contents of droplets. Dust infection, of course, is possible with such infections in which the pathogen is able to resist drying (diphtheria, tuberculosis and others).
Infection
Other ways of infection are much less likely. Some pathogens of the upper respiratory tract infection, along with the primary localization in the body, have a secondary one. Due to it, the causative agents of leprosy, chicken pox, which are localized in the mucous membranes and skin (granulomas, pustules), and with leprosy in other tissues and organs, through any objects enter another organism. Especially characteristic is the transmission of infection through objects for tonsillitis with various etiologies, scarlet fever, mumps, diphtheria. Of paramount importance in this case are those items on which saliva appears during use (mouthpieces, whistles, drinking fountains, dishes).
Disease spread
Infection of the upper respiratory tract is characterized by a fairly extensive distribution. It is difficult for many to avoid the disease, and some infections people get sick many times during their lives. Respiratory tract infection has an important epidemiological feature - it is a high coverage of children at a very young age. Therefore, it is no coincidence that many diseases of this group have long been called childhood infections. The sharp difference in incidence is actually due to immunity in adults, which was acquired in childhood.
