Acute respiratory infections, acute respiratory viral infections, influenza

Spring and autumn are the most unpredictable seasons. The only thing that repeats every year is the huge number of people who have become ill with acute respiratory infections (ARI) and acute viral diseases (ARVI) .

Symptoms of acute respiratory infections

From the first days of acute respiratory infections, the patient’s temperature rises, the throat becomes inflamed, it either becomes covered with a white coating or becomes red. A cough begins, at first dry, then turns into bronchitis with a wet cough. Mucus begins to come out of the nose, first clear, and then with pus.

ARVI symptoms

sneezing, mucus formation;
weakness and lethargy of the patient;
temperature rises to 38 degrees already on the second day of illness;
damage to the mucous membrane of the eyes and gastrointestinal tract;
cough and runny nose become wet.

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Consultation with a therapist in MedicCity

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acute respiratory infections

ARI is an acute respiratory disease with an acute course of the disease, which is caused by both viruses and bacteria.

Acute respiratory infections in children

Acute respiratory infections are frequent companions of childhood, with cough, nasal discharge, and malaise.

Acute respiratory infections in children are accompanied by the following symptoms:

runny nose with sneezing;
dry cough;
a sore throat;
headache;
temperature increase;
poor sleep at night;
loss of appetite.

When treating acute respiratory infections in children, you need to consult a pediatrician or otolaryngologist, who, after a thorough examination, will be able to make the correct diagnosis and prescribe adequate treatment for acute respiratory infections.

For the child to recover, it is necessary to provide a favorable atmosphere with clean, cool air, give the patient plenty of fluids, ensure complete rest and prepare warm clothes.

Treatment of acute respiratory infections in children:

during a runny nose, you can rinse the child’s nose with aquamaris and other means;
if a child has a severe cough, you can give him antitussives;
You can give aflubin, remantadine to increase the body’s protective properties;
ventilate the room more often;
Feed your baby light food.

Acute respiratory infections in adults

Acute respiratory infections in adults are much less common than in children and have their own differences. Infection occurs through airborne droplets from a person who is sick with acute respiratory infections.

Symptoms of acute respiratory infections in adults

copious mucus discharge from the nose;
sore throat (difficulty speaking);
wet cough;
temperature up to 38 degrees.

If we compare acute respiratory infections and influenza, then with acute respiratory infections there is no sharp rise in temperature, as with the flu, there is no severe body aches, there are no severe headaches and muscle pains, and there is no dry cough.

Prevention of acute respiratory infections

Prevention of acute respiratory infections and influenza is carried out by following fairly simple rules:

If possible, try to avoid large numbers of people in public places;
Follow hygiene rules as often as possible, wash your hands thoroughly;
try to use immunostimulating drugs such as propolis, eleutherococcus, ginseng, mumiyo, etc.;
smear your nose with oxolinic ointment;
rinse your nose with saline solution;
eat more fruits and vegetables high in vitamins;
walk outside more often;
drink more clean filtered water;
temper your body.

People often ask: are antibiotics needed for acute respiratory infections? This is decided by the otorhinolaryngologist during the appointment. Self-medication is unacceptable!

1 Consultation with an otolaryngologist in MedicCity

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Antibiotics should not be taken if:

viral diseases such as ARVI and influenza;
high body temperature;
cough of unknown nature, since the cough can also be allergic;
inflammatory processes in the body.

Treatment for adults

The basis of therapy for diarrhea during an acute viral infection is diet. It is recommended to give preference to light and liquid foods. You should also constantly drink small amounts of liquid. Decoctions of chamomile or rose hips, still mineral water or tea with lemon slices are useful.

Rice water can help treat diarrhea

Helpful information! To prevent diarrhea, drink rice water and eat thin oatmeal porridge for breakfast.

Medicines for diarrhea during ARVI in an adult:

sorbents (Polysorb, Enterosgel);
rehydrants (Citroglucosolan, Gastrolit);
lacto- and bifidobacteria (Bifiform, Laktovit).

If after four days of taking medications and observing dietary restrictions, the patient’s condition does not improve, then you need to visit a specialist. Particular attention should be paid to the condition of the stool; if streaks of blood are detected, contact a medical facility immediately.

You can take sorbents, for example, Polysorb

ARVI

Acute respiratory viral infections (ARVI) are a group of diseases caused by viruses with similar transmission routes (mainly airborne, that is, through the air with saliva particles) and clinical manifestations (cough, fever, sore throat, etc.). ARVIs are the most common diseases, accounting for about 90% of all infections.

The causes of ARVI are viruses that affect the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract and are transmitted from a sick person to a healthy person with drops of saliva and sputum during breathing, talking, crying, coughing, sneezing. Viruses can also enter the body of a healthy person through sharing household items (dishes, towels). The likelihood of infection is highest during close contact and high crowding: in transport, educational institutions, hospitals, etc. Susceptibility to respiratory infections is very high, but can be reduced through preventative methods.

With ARVI, the most common acute symptoms include a runny nose, pain and/or sore throat, an increase in body temperature to 38–39 °C, chills, general weakness, and fatigue, which persist for 3–7 days. A cough is often associated, usually dry or with a small amount of sputum. Sometimes the sputum may become greenish in color, but this does not necessarily indicate the development of complications. It should be remembered that cough can persist for 2 weeks after recovery and is not considered a warning sign if all other symptoms of ARVI have disappeared.

Complications of ARVI do not occur often; typical complications are pneumonia, inflammation of the paranasal sinuses (sinusitis, sinusitis, etc.).

Causes

Diarrhea does not always occur with a cold. Abnormal bowel movements occur under the influence of provoking factors. In most cases, loose stool occurs during ARVI in a child, since children's immunity is much weaker than an adult's.

Causes of diarrhea during ARVI:

adenovirus;
intestinal flu;
rotavirus infection;
common flu;
enterovirus.

The symptoms are unclear, since, in addition to disruption of intestinal functionality, a cold develops. The pathological condition may be a consequence of infection or the result of poisoning. To determine the diagnosis, differential diagnosis is necessary.

Diarrhea is also common with adenovirus.

Flu

Influenza also belongs to the group of acute respiratory viral infections, however, due to the tendency of influenza to spread with the development of epidemics, it is isolated separately. In addition, influenza is accompanied by more pronounced clinical manifestations and has a higher risk of complications. There is a subtype of the H5N1 influenza virus that is transmitted from sick birds (ducks, chickens) to humans (“bird” flu) or pigs (“swine” flu).

Influenza is characterized by an acute onset with a rise in temperature to 38–40 °C, accompanied by pain and aches in the muscles, headache, chills, weakness, general weakness, and poor appetite. Then comes pain and sore throat, dry cough. A runny nose is not typical for influenza, which distinguishes it from other acute respiratory viral infections (“dry catarrh”). Body temperature returns to normal on days 3–5 of illness.

Complications of influenza, in addition to pneumonia, include inflammation of the paranasal sinuses, middle ear (especially in children), respiratory distress syndrome (pulmonary edema), and meningitis. The flu is most dangerous for young children, the elderly, as well as for patients with HIV infection, diabetes mellitus and people with weakened immune systems.

With acute respiratory viral infections and influenza, you need to be careful if your body temperature rises again and your health deteriorates - this indicates the development of complications or the presence of another disease. “Alarming signs”, if they appear, you should definitely consult a doctor:

Maintaining an elevated body temperature (more than 37.5 °C) for more than 7 days, as well as its repeated increase;

increased headache;
vomit;
drowsiness or confusion;
stiff neck (inability to bend your head so that your chin touches your chest);
shortness of breath (difficulty breathing);
chest pain;
bloody sputum;
any rash on the skin;
intolerance to bright light.

The diagnosis of ARVI and/or influenza is most often beyond doubt and is based on a characteristic clinical picture. To identify complications of ARVI, a general blood and urine test, x-ray of the chest or paranasal sinuses, and sometimes bacteriological analysis of sputum may be required.

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Treatment of influenza and ARVI

Follow home regime. If there is someone else in the apartment besides you, wear a medical mask, which you change every 2 hours.
Drink more warm fluids (up to 2 liters per day) - this will avoid dehydration in conditions of high body temperature and improve the removal of toxins from the body.
If your body temperature rises above 38.5 °C, or if you cannot tolerate high fever, take antipyretics (paracetamol, acetylsalicylic acid). Remember that acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) is strictly contraindicated for children under 16 years of age!!!
To relieve the symptoms of ARVI, you can use complex preparations containing, in addition to antipyretics, antitussive, antiallergic components, as well as vitamins. Read the instructions for use carefully!
To relieve cough, you can take all kinds of herbal infusions or expectorants, but these drugs do not affect the duration of the disease.
To influence pathogens, interferons (the main factor of antiviral defense in the body) and stimulators of interferon formation are used; oseltamivir or zanamivir (effective only for influenza); anti-influenza immunoglobulin is administered to weakened people, as well as to patients with severe forms of influenza. Before taking these medications, consult your doctor!
Antibiotics are not used to treat uncomplicated forms of ARVI and influenza because they do not affect viruses.

Nutrition for diarrhea

“Following certain nutritional rules when diarrhea occurs due to coronavirus infection can alleviate the patient’s condition,” says doctor Valeria Trapeznikova. – Naturally, in each case there should be an individual approach to nutrition, depending on the presence of concomitant pathology. But there are general provisions that it is advisable to follow: for a while, exclude from the diet foods that can cause diarrhea: fresh vegetables, fruits and berries, spicy seasonings, smoked foods, pickles, sour-milk products, fatty foods, fast food. Products must be subjected to heat treatment (stewing, boiling, baking in the oven, etc.).

Prevention. Is a flu vaccination necessary?

Vaccination is the most important preventive measure against influenza. It is carried out much earlier than the expected epidemic, usually in October–November. The protective effect of the vaccine is one year, so it must be repeated annually. There are practically no contraindications to modern vaccines. Vaccination is indicated for the following population groups (however, you should consult your doctor before undergoing it):

Children of preschool and school age;
elderly people (over 65 years old);
persons with a high probability of infection (military contingents, medical personnel, workers in the sphere of consumer services, transport, educational institutions);
patients who often suffer from ARVI;
patients with chronic bronchopulmonary diseases (especially chronic obstructive pulmonary disease);
patients with chronic heart failure, chronic kidney disease;
patients with weakened immune systems (diabetes mellitus, HIV infection, spleen removed, or receiving glucocorticoids and cytostatics).

During a flu epidemic, it is too late to administer the vaccine. In this case, it is important to wash your hands with soap and water more often and ventilate the room, wear medical masks in public transport, it is possible to use rimantadine, as well as oxolinic ointment in the nose.

Hardening procedures (rinsing the mouth and nose with cold water, walking barefoot on a cold floor, cold rubbing, dousing, etc.) are important if they are carried out for a long time and systematically. You should not start hardening if a person is sick or in the recovery stage.

Drinking regimen for diarrhea

Doctors emphasize that with diarrhea, the body loses a large amount of water. To avoid dehydration, it is necessary to restore water balance. During the day, a person needs approximately 2.5 - 3 liters of water (these indicators may vary and depend on the person’s gender, habitat, physical activity), therefore, when diarrhea occurs, the need for water increases.

It is best to choose clean water, but drinking weak tea, unsweetened fruit drinks, and still mineral water is also allowed.