In the human body, the upper respiratory tract is the outermost organ that can be exposed to the air, so this part will have to withstand the effects of the external environment and the most damage. According to statistics, the proportion of patients with upper respiratory diseases accounts for a relatively large proportion compared to other respiratory diseases.

Part 1: Causes of respiratory disease

• Climate change

When the weather changes seasons, the temperature changes erratically when from hot to cold or from sunny to rainy during the day, making the body unable to adapt. The immune system is therefore also weakened, leading to viruses or bacteria that cause disease easily penetrate and cause disease.

Moreover, the changing weather is also a favorable condition for the virus to easily develop and spread through the air when people breathe.

• Virus

In most cases of respiratory infections caused by influenza viruses, they develop more strongly in the cold season than in the hot season. Few cases of respiratory infections are caused by bacteria, but the disease is usually more severe and lasts longer.

• Closed space, poor circulation

When the weather is cold, people tend to move out less, the space in the bedroom, office, etc. is also prone to being cramped by closing the doors to prevent cold air from entering. This is a favorable condition for pathogens to infect as well as spread from sick people to healthy people.

• Few hours of sunshine

Thanks to the sunlight that destroys and slows down the growth of microorganisms, humans can survive. In the cold season, the number of hours of sunshine is less or even absent throughout the day, which is a condition for microorganisms to thrive. This is also the reason why you are more susceptible to respiratory infections when the weather is cold, humid, and rainy.

Depending on the respiratory infection and the different severity, the symptoms of the disease also appear differently. But the following symptoms often appear including: cough, sore throat, congestion in the lungs and sinuses, body fatigue, high fever, body aches, …

 

Part 2: Common respiratory diseases

Seasonal change is when the weather factors change erratically, making the body not able to adapt, so it is easy to cause health problems, especially respiratory diseases. Common respiratory infections, especially in the cold season, include:

• Flu

Influenza is caused by influenza virus, in fact, scientists have identified many types of influenza viruses with different ability to spread and cause disease. In general, influenza viruses are highly infectious and transmissible, which can form seasonal epidemics.

In people with normal resistance, the flu usually progresses for about 2-7 days, then symptoms gradually decrease until they disappear when the immune system has controlled the virus. In young children, the disease may last longer because the child’s resistance is weak.

Typical flu symptoms include:

• Fever, headache, muscle pain, runny nose, fatigue, cough, sore throat,…
• Nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting are common in children.
• Sinusitis

The sinuses consist of hollow cavities filled with air, covered with a lining of soft tissue. According to location, the sinuses are divided into 4 types with 4 corresponding sinus infections including: frontal sinus, sphenoid sinus, maxillary sinus, and ethmoid sinus.

Sinusitis occurs when the lining of the sinuses is attacked by bacteria, viruses or allergies, leading to edema, swelling, inflammation, and accumulation of pus and mucus. Acute sinusitis usually does not last long, but if not treated and prevented well, it can cause chronic sinusitis, which greatly affects the patient’s life.

Symptoms of sinusitis include: fever, pain at the site of sinusitis, discharge, nasal congestion, deafness, … These symptoms are quite similar to common respiratory infections, so they are usually only detected when the disease is diagnosed. severe or prolonged stage.

Sinusitis is a difficult disease to treat definitively, patients need to follow the doctor’s treatment process and time along with disease prevention and good protection of the respiratory system.

• Laryngitis

Laryngitis is also a common respiratory infection, which can be caused by viruses, bacteria or fungi. The disease can occur at any age, the symptoms of the disease in children and the elderly are also different.

Children with laryngitis often have symptoms: mild to high fever, hoarseness, hoarse cry, cough, wheezing,… Symptoms will get worse at night.

Laryngitis in adults causes symptoms such as fatigue, cold, chills, low-grade fever, loss of voice or hoarseness, sore throat, painful swallowing, etc.

Inflammatory diseases of the upper respiratory tract are more common than those of the lower respiratory tract because these organs are in direct contact with inhaled air and are susceptible to attack by pathogens. In addition to the common upper respiratory tract infections, some lower respiratory tract infections are also quite common such as bronchitis, obliterative bronchiolitis, pneumonia, …

Part 3: Prevention of respiratory inflammatory diseases

When the weather changes and you often have to move outdoors, keep the following notes in mind to help your immune system stay healthy to cope with viruses:

• Well implement 5K as recommended by the Ministry of Health, wearing a mask properly when in contact with sick people or always wearing a mask when going out, going to public areas;
• Shower or wash off with warm water in a sheltered place. After bathing, use a towel to dry your body before putting on clothes;
• When it is cold, it is necessary to pay attention to keeping the body warm, especially the chest, neck and soles of the feet;
• Avoid sitting a lot in places with air conditioning, fans and do not stay up late. Do not smoke, drink cold water with ice;
• Exercise, eat in moderation every day, add fiber and vitamin C through green vegetables and fresh fruits to strengthen the body’s resistance;
• Clean the mouth and throat area by brushing your teeth before going to bed, after waking up and rinsing your mouth with warm water;
• Clean the nasopharyngeal cavity by gargling and rinsing the nose with 0.9% physiological saline. Regularly wash your hands with antibacterial soap to limit the risk of disease transmission;
• Getting vaccinated against the flu before entering the cold season every year helps to increase resistance to avoid getting sick or if you do get sick, your condition will be greatly reduced. In addition, pneumococcal vaccination is required to avoid the risk of infection.
• In case of respiratory infection, it is necessary to seek medical attention and early treatment to prevent the risk of the disease from progressing into a chronic and dangerous disease;
• Do not arbitrarily buy drugs, especially antibiotics to treat the disease. There are many cases where they still use other people’s prescriptions to apply to themselves and change drugs until they feel effective and cured. This is extremely dangerous because the risk of antibiotic resistance is very high, which will make it very difficult to treat later. Therefore, if you have symptoms of a respiratory disease, you should see a doctor for guidance and treatment indications;

Reference: medlatec.vn & suckhoedoisong.vn

 

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