ARI (or acute respiratory infections) often appear when they are not expected. This is especially true in the autumn-spring period, when people often dress inappropriately for the weather. Once I got too cold - and the disease is right there. To properly treat the disease, you need to know its origin and pathogen.
Why is it Important to be Able to Distinguish Between Viral and Bacterial Infections?
In spring and autumn, cases of colds become more frequent. They are most often caused by viruses or bacteria. The bottom line is that both pathogens cause similar symptoms and are often difficult to distinguish. But you need to do this:
- different pathogens are treated differently. Viruses are killed by antiviral drugs, bacteria by different types and generations of antibiotics. If they are incorrectly assigned, there will be no effect.
- if the disease is not treated correctly, there may be complications from the primary disease and the appearance of secondary diseases. Some diseases caused by viruses can go away on their own. But this cannot be said about bacterial diseases, which often give complications.
Viral Infection
According to statistics, in 90% of cases of acute respiratory infections, the causative agent is a virus. The acute period of the disease lasts about 1-2 weeks. Viral infections:
- rhinovirus (damage to the mucous membranes of the oropharynx and the nose itself);
- influenza virus;
- adenovirus (a large group of pathogens that affect the upper respiratory tract, there is intoxication, weakness, pain in the eyes, low temperature);
- parainfluenza (essentially the same flu, only many times weaker);
- respiratory syncytial disease, it is also an RS infection - lung damage.
Often with viral diseases against the background of a weakened immune system, bacterial diseases are added.
Bacterial Infection
There are different types of bacteria. We are interested in pathogenic and conditionally pathogenic. The first ones are not normal in our body, when they appear, a disease appears. The latter are present in our body, but normally do not cause disease. But when the immune defense of the body decreases, opportunistic bacteria can cause damage to the mucous membranes, bronchi, lungs, etc.
The main diseases in the presence of the pathogen:
- inflammation of the maxillary and frontal sinuses;
- laryngitis;
- inflammation of the middle ear;
- pneumonia;
- bronchitis.
An experienced doctor will tell you who the causative agent is even without tests (he will not name a group of bacteria or a strain of the virus). But for this, a blood test for antibodies is simply done or a smear is simply taken from the focus of inflammation. There are also plenty of rapid tests for pathogens.
Mucosal Secretions
With a viral cold, serious discharge is observed, that is, liquid and transparent. A bacterial disease produces a thick, green or dark yellow discharge, which is called purulent. The temperature of the body with the pathogen-virus rises quickly and to high levels, headache and muscle pain, weakness appears. A person cannot say exactly where it hurts, everything hurts. Improvement comes in 5-7 days.
With a bacterial disease, the temperature rises gradually, over several days. You can say exactly where the focus of inflammation is (throat - with tonsillitis, forehead - with frontal sinusitis, under the eyes - sinusitis, etc.). With ineffective treatment or no treatment at all, no improvement is observed, complications may appear (otitis with angina, the pathogen penetrates into the middle ear through the Eustachian tubes).
It is best to consult a general practitioner for the fastest identification of the pathogen and the appointment of an effective treatment that will eliminate complications.
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