Infections of the lower and upper respiratory tract, their complications and risks

In winter, with the onset of cold weather, many people suffer colds “on their feet”, ignoring timely therapy. Respiratory diseases are the result of untreated acute respiratory ailments, neglect of bed rest.

This attitude often leads to serious respiratory problems. Often, in the absence of the necessary treatment, a viral infection “makes friends” with the bacterial flora, and this tandem already poses a significant threat, it can completely shake.

If you miss the onset of a runny nose, then this negligence will contribute to the entry of bacteria into the nose, throat, and further, lower and lower (larynx, trachea, bronchi).

As a result, a whole scattering of respiratory diseases becomes “available” to a person: tracheitis, bronchitis, and many others.

When a person often gets sick with the flu, a cold, his immunity spends a lot of energy in the fight against these diseases.

This circumstance significantly increases the chances of the microbial flora to rapidly join the underlying disease. This is especially true for smokers, workers in hazardous industries.

Symptoms of respiratory diseases

Now let's discuss in more detail the most "popular" of these diseases.

Let's start with tracheitis, a lesion of the mucous membrane of the trachea, a tube-shaped organ connecting the larynx with the bronchi. The timeliness of treatment is especially important here, since the lost time will allow the disease to descend from the trachea to the bronchi at lightning speed, sometimes in a day, and then the path to the lungs is open. Extremely strong cough, which does not disappear even under the influence of drugs, warming fluids - this is a characteristic sign tracheitis. The strength of the cough increases especially in the morning, at night, causing an attack with every breath. All this is accompanied by pain in the throat.

When the infection nevertheless breaks through from the trachea into the bronchi, then inflammation takes place, that is. For this disease, similar to tracheitis, the key symptomatology is the presence of a cough. However, its structure is slightly different. At the start of the disease, it is dry, and then, when sputum occurs, it becomes wet. The consequence of untimely treatment is the flow of the acute phase of the disease into the chronic, which is characterized by high fatigue of the body, wet cough.

Finally, when the infection reaches the lungs and infects them, causing inflammation, it appears in “all its glory”. Her symptoms are already more extensive: shortness of breath, high temperatures (up to 40.5), chest pain during inspiration, these are just the main signs. In addition, muscle pain, a state of chills, profuse sweating, various types of headaches, and weakness of the body are possible. Naturally, the listed signs are a clear signal for seeking help.

Prevention of respiratory diseases

The therapeutic process will be much more effective with an integrated approach. It is necessary to activate the protective forces, strengthen the immune system. Treatment of the respiratory tract involves the use of a wide range of physiotherapy: steam inhalation, ultrasound, magnetotherapy, cupping massage. Bed rest is mandatory, and categorically. In a complex, together with symptomatic, drug therapy, phytopreparations can be used for treatment, of course, after consultation with the doctor. Depending on the severity of the disease, the duration of the course of admission varies, but it is recommended not to exceed two weeks.

In order to avoid recurrence of such troubles with the respiratory organs, it is always necessary to remember about the prevention of respiratory diseases. All the versatility of the concept of a healthy lifestyle should be supported: it is necessary to use everything wisely, go swimming, perform breathing exercises, make friends with fresh air, and ventilate the room more often. Carefully monitor your nutritious diet, keeping it balanced.

There are a number of preventive requirements, and they are no less important: maintaining a balance between work and rest, good sleep, maintaining the health of the nasopharynx, however, as well as the whole organism as a whole.

Folk methods of treatment

1. In a saucepan where water boiled, add 4 ml of propolis alcohol tincture, a tablespoon of natural honey. Then we wait until the liquid cools down to an acceptable temperature. We carry out inhalation for five minutes, carefully, without burning. The first procedure can greatly facilitate the respiratory process, the cough will subside. The recommended number of procedures is four. At the end, you should not talk a lot, go out into the street. This recipe has certain contraindications: it is inappropriate for pneumonia, high (more than 37.5) temperature, when it is too high, heart disease.

2. Finely grated onion is mixed with honey, in a ratio of 3 to 1, leaving the mixture to simmer for several hours. The recommended schedule is to take a teaspoon every few hours between meals. An alternative option is possible: brew a grated onion with a glass of boiling milk, let it brew for a couple of hours, add a tablespoon of honey. Take after meals 3 tablespoons of infusion.

3. Grind bananas with a blender, dilute 1/3 with boiling water, add a spoonful of honey. Consume on an empty stomach, three times in half a glass.

4. The following components are needed: pine buds (1 part), violet root (2 parts), Icelandic moss (4 parts). We mix everything, brew a tablespoon of the resulting collection with 200 ml, insist the night, then filter. Drink warm, 1/2 cup, twice a day, with the addition of a teaspoon of honey.

5. Mix 2 drops of peppermint, tea tree, cedar oils. We dilute this composition in two teaspoons of vegetable oil. Rub into problem areas: chest, throat.

6. Two tablespoons of licorice are mixed with 3 teaspoons of any of the herbs listed below (thyme, linden, plantain, oregano, calendula). A teaspoon of the collection is brewed by adding a little honey. It is allowed to drink up to 4 cups per day, each brewing again, warm.

7. In equal parts, mix chamomile flowers with calamus root. A tablespoon of the mixture is brewed with 200 ml. Boil for ten minutes under the lid, then insist for an hour. You can rinse, do inhalations for 5 minutes, at the end do not eat or talk.

8. Now I will describe the massage exercises. With a pillow under your chest, lie face down on the bed. The person massaging you should vigorously rub your back with your fingertips until the skin turns slightly red. The next phase of the massage is massaging the back with fists, making rotational movements from the spine towards the ribs. Then, move on to tapping with the ribs of the palms: from the lower back to the shoulder blades. The duration of the entire procedure is a quarter of an hour, after completing it for an hour, you need to lie down, wrapped in a warm blanket. The possible number of necessary procedures is 4-5. There is a limitation in the form of high temperature.

9. My potatoes, cook in their skins, crush, add a spoonful of vegetable oil. We mix thoroughly, lay out the potato mass on a cloth, apply it to the chest, and wrap it with polyethylene and a woolen scarf on top. We go to bed with such a compress. In the morning, remove, wash the skin with warm water. After 3-4 procedures should feel much better.

In conclusion, I would like to note respiratory diseases carry a colossal threat to human health and, without timely treatment, can radically undermine the functioning of the respiratory system.

To make an appointment with a doctor

Bacteria, respiratory illness, URTI… All these concepts mean one thing - diseases of the upper respiratory tract. The list of their causes and manifestations is quite voluminous. Consider what a respiratory tract infection is, the treatment and drugs used in therapeutic methods, which medicine is the most effective, how viral and bacterial infections of the respiratory tract differ.

Respiratory diseases are the most common reasons for visiting general practitioners and pediatricians. This disease is mostly seasonal. The peak incidence for such an ailment as viral and bacterial infections of the respiratory tract occurs in the autumn-winter months. Diseases of the upper respiratory tract are both common and life-threatening.

In the vast majority of cases, respiratory diseases (acute infectious diseases) occur in children. But there is also an infection in adults, mainly of viral origin. Even in the absence of complications, the drugs of first choice are often antibiotics. One of the reasons for their use in children and adults is to meet the requirements of the patient or the child's parents, aimed at the best and most effective treatment.

It is clear that antibiotic therapy should be used for bacterial infections. It is estimated that in about 80% of cases, antibiotics are used to treat an ailment such as acute respiratory infections and respiratory diseases. It is more dangerous for children. Approximately, in 75% of cases, drugs from the group of antibiotics are prescribed for inflammation of the upper respiratory tract.

However, the so-called prophylactic antibiotic therapy. It is used for upper respiratory infections, but it does not prevent possible complications that occur later. Therefore, in most cases, people without immunological disorders or other risk factors, without the presence of underlying chronic diseases, symptomatic therapy is recommended.

Upper respiratory infections symptoms and treatment

In cases where the course of the disease is confirmed by the results of analyzes of the selected biological material, and antibiotics are prescribed for inflammation.

In uncomplicated upper respiratory tract infections and in immunocompetent individuals, symptomatic treatment is the mainstay of treatment. Acute rhinitis, sinusitis, otitis media, pharyngitis and laryngitis in 80-90% of cases are caused by viruses. Antibiotic therapy has practically no effect on their clinical course. In cases where the course of the disease is confirmed by the results of analyzes of the selected biological material, and antibiotics are prescribed for inflammation.

In addition, when a high temperature is maintained for a long time (longer than a week), the involvement of bacteria can be recognized. With common pathogens - Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus pyogenes, Mycoplasma pneumonie a Chlamydia pneumonie - aminopenicillins or cotrimoxazole, macrolides or tetracycline preparations are prescribed.

Upper respiratory tract infection: treatment of complications

Acute epiglottitis with bacterial etiology and streptococcal angina are diseases that require penicillin antibiotics. In particular, in the case of epiglottitis, hospitalization with parenteral administration of a broad-spectrum penicillin or a 2nd or 3rd generation cephalosporin is appropriate. Therapy is supplemented with corticosteroids.

Lower Respiratory Infections

Similar recommendations apply for the treatment of lower respiratory tract infections such as tracheobronchitis and acute bronchitis. Viral etiology is the most common and accounts for up to 85% of cases. But even in these cases, antibiotic treatment in both children and adults is not necessary, it is considered only in case of a serious course of the disease or in a person with immunodeficiency.

If the presence of intracellular pathogens (mycoplasma pneumoniae, chlamydia pneumoniae) is proven during a long and severe illness, macrolides, cotrimoxazole or doxycycline are the first choice drugs.

The most common infectious respiratory attacks include acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Although it is known that exacerbations can be caused by several non-infectious causes, in practice antibiotics are also administered in these cases. The etiological agent, according to many studies, in COPD can be detected in 25-52% of cases.

However, it is doubtful whether pneumococcus bacteria or Haemophilus influenzae, which chronically colonizes the respiratory tract (difficulty breathing) and leads to pathogenic exacerbations of the disease, causes the disease.

If upper respiratory tract infections occur, symptoms include increased production of colored purulent sputum, worsening of breathing and shortness of breath along with bronchitis symptoms, and sometimes high fever. The introduction of antibiotics is indicated in the detection of inflammatory markers, including C-reactive protein, leukocytes, sedimentation.

Procalcitonin is a sensitive acute phase reagent for distinguishing between bacterial and non-infectious causes of inflammation. Its value increases within 3-6 hours, peak values ​​are reached after 12-48 hours from the moment of infection.

The most commonly administered antibiotics include aminopenicillin, tetracycline, macrolide generation - clarithromycin, azithromycin. Quinolone drugs are suggested in the treatment of infections in which bacterial agents have been demonstrated. The benefit of macrolides is a broad antibacterial spectrum, a high concentration of the antibiotic in bronchial secretions, good tolerability and relatively low resistance.

Despite these positive aspects, macrolides should not be administered as the first choice of antibiotics. Equally important are factors such as the relatively low cost of treatment. Therapy usually lasts 5-7 days. Its effectiveness and safety are comparable.

Flu

Influenza is a viral infectious, highly contagious disease that affects all age groups. Both a child of any age and an adult can get sick. After an incubation period, that is, from 12 to 48 hours, fever, chills, headache, muscle and joint pain, and a feeling of weakness appear. The disease is accompanied by cough, upset stomach and can cause other serious secondary infectious complications.

In adults who already suffer from some chronic diseases, the course of influenza can be complicated. Young children and the elderly are the most vulnerable group. It is estimated that, on average, about 850,000 cases occur during the flu season. Symptomatic treatment with bed rest is necessary. In the case of secondary complications or patients at serious risk, antibiotics are administered.

Pneumonia

The main criteria for diagnosing pneumonia and its difference from lower respiratory tract infections are as follows:

• acute cough or significant worsening of chronic cough;
• dyspnea;
• rapid breathing;
• high fever lasting more than four days;
• new infiltrates on chest x-ray.

Many studies have shown that consistently the most common cause of community-acquired pneumonia in European countries is pneumococcus, followed by Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, staphylococcus, and, less often, gram-negative bacteria.

In the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia, two approaches are used, which are based on the findings of retrospective studies. We are talking about combination therapy with a beta-lactam antibiotic together with macrolides or doxycycline, or quinolone monotherapy.

In the first variant, the immunomodulatory effect of macrolides is positively used, which are also effective in cases of simultaneous infection with mycoplasma pneumonia, chlamydia pneumonia, legionella.

Mixed infection with the presence of more pathogenic microorganisms occurs in 6-13% of cases. If after three days there is no improvement in the clinical condition, or progression of radiological findings, the original option should be reconsidered and antibiotic treatment changed.

New samplings of biological material from the respiratory tract, including bronchoscopic aspirates, can prevent this condition so that the treatment is fully targeted. In these cases, it is necessary to cover not only the usual bacterial spectrum, but also often resistant strains - pneumococcus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and anaerobic bacteria.

With nosocomial pneumonia, in which the infectious agent comes from the hospital environment, it is most often about enterobacteria - Pseudomonas aeruginosa, pneumococcus, staphylococcus, anaerobic bacteria. In this case, early treatment within four hours is very important, which is initially untargeted. Typically, therapy includes a combination of aminoglycosides to cover Gram-negative bacterial populations and drugs effective against anaerobic pathogens and fungi.

Complications and risks of respiratory infections

Typically, therapy includes a combination of aminoglycosides to cover Gram-negative bacterial populations and drugs effective against anaerobic pathogens and fungi.

Epiglottitis is one of the most serious and life-threatening complications. In severe cases, choking may occur. Pneumonia is another serious illness that comes with symptoms that affect the entire body. In some cases, a serious condition develops very quickly, requiring hospitalization.

Pleurisy is a common complication of pneumonia. In the case of these complications, the pain subsides, breathing worsens, as the lungs become oppressed by the fluid that has formed between the pleural sheets. In some cases, pneumonia is accompanied by a lung abscess, rarely gangrene in immunocompromised patients, or extensive bacterial infection.

Severe pneumonia can lead to sepsis and so-called septic shock. In this case, fortunately, a rare complication, severe inflammation of the whole organism occurs with the risk of multiple organ failure. In this case, artificial ventilation of the lungs, the introduction of a combination of very strong antibiotics and the maintenance of vital functions are necessary.

It should be expected that the course of relatively mild respiratory infections may be complicated by the adverse effects of several risk factors. The most common include chronic smoking, including passive smoking, age over 65, alcohol abuse, contact with children, pets, poor social conditions, poor oral hygiene.

In some people, chronic diseases - diabetes, coronary heart disease, liver disease, kidney disease, immunosuppressive therapy for other diseases - are a serious risk factor that can seriously complicate the situation in respiratory diseases and lead to a life-threatening condition.

Influenza vaccination

Voluntary vaccination and vaccination of risk groups remains the only effective preventive measure. There are currently three main types of influenza vaccines. They differ in composition, depending on the content of either inactivated virus, inactivated viral particles, or only hemagglutinin and neuraminidase antigens. Another difference lies in reactogenicity and immunogenicity.

The most commonly used is an inactivated vaccine made from trivalent inactivated viral particles. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that the trivalent vaccine be used for only two subtypes of influenza A and one influenza B. Subtype selection is made annually by WHO, in particular for the northern and southern hemispheres.

Vaccination against pneumococcal infection

The primary source of pneumococcal infection is pneumococcal bacteria, there are more than 90 serotypes. Invasive pneumococcal infection is considered dangerous, which causes pneumococcal pneumonia, meningitis, otitis media, sepsis, and arthritis. Risk groups are people over 60 years old, as well as children under the age of 5 years. The source of infection is a sick person or a carrier of the pathogen. The disease is transmitted by droplets. The incubation time is short, within 1–3 days.

Vaccination against pneumococcal infection with a polysaccharide vaccine is carried out for persons in medical institutions and nursing homes, as well as for long-term patients. In addition, immunization against pneumococcal infection is indicated for patients suffering from chronic respiratory diseases, diseases of the heart, blood vessels, kidneys, and insulin treatment of diabetes. Organ transplant patients, people with cancer, long-term immunosuppressive therapy should be vaccinated.

For vaccination, the most commonly used 13-valent conjugate vaccine containing serotype 13 polysaccharide, or 23-valent vaccine.

Finally

Respiratory infections are very common and affect almost all categories of the population. The majority of casualties are being treated on an outpatient basis and this trend is expected to continue in the future.

One of the most important points in deciding on therapeutic methods is to determine whether it is reasonable to conduct only symptomatic treatment, or antibiotic treatment is a prerequisite.

In the case of infections of the upper respiratory tract and acute bronchitis without a visible bacterial agent, a combination of antipyretic drugs, plenty of fluids and vitamins is especially effective. The impact of this therapy is underestimated.

The individual's risk factors and the possible occurrence of complications should be taken into account. Currently, a variety of antibacterial drugs are used to treat bacterial infections. In addition to the undoubted advantages of such treatment, adverse effects should also be expected. They are individual, and for each person can have different manifestations.

In addition, the ongoing risk of spreading antibiotic resistance and the increase in the number of initially susceptible pathogens must be taken into account.

Skillful use of antibiotics can reduce the problem and prevent the devaluation of these drugs. Vaccination, a healthy lifestyle, and reducing the risk factors mentioned above will reduce the incidence and risk of complications of respiratory infections.

With normal respiratory function of the nose, its mucous membrane, even when working in a respirator, is affected by many atmospheric occupational hazards (dust, vapors and gases of aggressive chemicals, various biological allergens). In addition to direct local action (beryllium, strontium, magnesium, chlorine, etc.), these substances have a resorptive toxic effect on distant organs and the body as a whole.

In the conditions of production in which harmful substances are the main occupational hazard (mining and coal, flour milling, paper-making, tobacco, chemical and chemical-pharmaceutical, etc.), most workers suffer from nose diseases. The protective mechanisms of the mucous membrane are rapidly depleted upon contact with these substances, which causes their penetration to the underlying respiratory tract. Therefore, damage to the organs of the nasal cavity is only the initial stage of a systemic dystrophic process affecting all the upper respiratory tract. The presence in the nasal mucosa of a large number of sensory and trophic nerve endings causes, on the one hand, a number of pathological reflexes that disrupt vasomotor and trophic reactions, and on the other hand, atrophy of the local regulatory systems themselves. The emerging vicious circle enhances the pathological process, often causing the stage of an irreversible pathological condition.

Dust influence

When exposed to dust particles, depending on their state of aggregation, first on the nasal mucosa, and then on the underlying respiratory tract, small mechanical damage may occur in the form of excoriations or bedsores, causing itching, pain, and a sensation of a foreign body. Metal, silicon and coal dust particles, which can accumulate in large quantities in the nasal cavity, have the most traumatic effect. Great harm is caused by cement dust, which contributes to the occurrence of atrophic rhinitis, pharyngitis, laryngitis. In the nose, perforation of the nasal septum, frequent nosebleeds, metaplasia of the epithelium with the formation of polyps and rhinoliths can occur.

Chalk and gypsum dust particles, due to their fine dispersion, clog the ducts of the glands, which leads to their atrophy, increases the dryness of the mucous membrane and causes vulgar inflammation of the mucous membrane of the nose and paranasal sinuses. Dusts in flour-grinding, textile and woodworking industries have similar properties.

Dusts of chemical compounds of copper, lead, zinc, beryllium, manganese, mercury, and especially dusts of heavy metal oxides have the ability to resorptive and local toxigenic action.

Influence of aggressive vapors and gases

The influence of these occupational hazards is determined by a number of factors: chemical properties (the ability to react with liquid media of the mucous membrane and lipoids of its cells, solubility and affinity with tissue substances); concentration in the inhaled air, exposure determined by work experience. In addition to being toxic, caustic substances also have a cauterizing effect. This effect is especially pronounced in acid and alkali vapors, which, with prolonged contact, even in low concentrations, leads to primary atrophy of all elements of the mucous membrane and early hyposmia, which is the earliest sign of a professional lesion of the nasal cavity.

At significant concentrations of vapors and aerosols of caustic substances on the nasal mucosa, long-term non-healing areas of necrosis may occur. When they heal, whitish scars remain on the lower nasal concha and nasal septum against the background of a red atrophic mucous membrane.

The described clinical picture is observed in gas and electric welders who, in the process of labor, come into contact with oxides of metals that are in the gaseous state, which are part of the electrodes and welded metal products. Harmful effects on the nasal mucosa and the upper respiratory tract as a whole are exerted by smoke, soot and soot, the appearance of which is observed in those industries in which coal and fuel oil are used.

Toxic substances may have a selective or polytropic effect. For example, chlorine, nitrogen oxides, beryllium compounds, and a number of metal oxides have a selective effect on the respiratory organs. Many of these substances also have a polytropic effect, in which lesions occur in the nervous and skeletal systems, the lymphadenoid apparatus, and in parenchymal organs.

Protection against aggressive atmospheric hazards consists in the use of individual means (various respirators). However, wearing them for a long time has its drawbacks, primarily the greenhouse effect caused by an increase in humidity in the nasal cavity and the upper respiratory tract in general, and the lack of proper ventilation. This effect, according to Ya. A. Nakatis (1998), causes pathological changes in the auditory tubes, hemodynamic disturbances in the structures of the nasal cavity, trophic functions, an increase in the permeability of histohematic barriers, a decrease in local immunity and, as a result, frequent inflammatory and allergic diseases of the nose, paranasal sinuses and the upper respiratory tract in general. This is facilitated by professional hazards of a biological nature.

Influence of organic substances on the VRT

In industrial production, workers may be exposed to organic substances inhaled. Many of these substances can cause allergic reactions. These include derivatives of formaldehyde, epichloridine, furan, diisocyanate, nitrobenzene, as well as salts of chromium, nickel, cobalt, beryllium and platinum. Chemical allergens are part of many complex organic compounds, among which synthetic polymers that are part of various industrial and household consumption products (resins, adhesives, varnishes, elastomers, plastics, etc.) have the greatest ability to cause an antigen-antibody reaction.

Prolonged exposure to even low concentrations of these substances causes sensitization of the body to them, manifested by general allergies and local changes in the form of proliferative processes in the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract, in particular, allergic rhinosinusopathy. If by the end of the first half of the XX century. among workers of various chemical industries, this form among all ENT diseases ranged from 16 to 28%, but in our time, according to WHO, it exceeds 42%.

Among the allergens of organic origin, a special place is occupied by industrial biological allergens (antibiotics, fungi-producers, enzymes, protein-vitamin concentrates, etc.). Their adverse effect is based on the interaction of the body with a foreign protein of natural or synthetic origin. In the pathogenesis of the impact of these allergens on the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract lie autoimmune processes that can cause the occurrence of several forms of a pathological condition. These include: a) violations of the hematocellular barrier, contributing to the release of the so-called autonomous antigens, playing the role of a foreign protein; b) violations caused affinity tissue components of the body with exoantibodies, in which the immune response can be directed against its own tissue; c) dysfunction of the lymphoid tissue with the appearance of cells that destroy the body's own tissues.

In persons with a predisposition to allergic reactions, their manifestations upon initial contact with an industrial allergen (swelling of the mucous membrane, vaso-paretic reaction of the cavernous bodies of the nasal concha, profuse rhinorrhea and corresponding parasensory reactions) may occur several minutes or hours after exposure to the allergen.

Clinical picture of occupational diseases of the upper respiratory tract

The clinical picture of chronic professional catarrhal, subatrophic, atrophic, hypertrophic rhinopharyngolaryngitis is characterized by changes in the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract, extending to all upper respiratory tract (total localization), which may have a catarrhal, subatrophic, atrophic, less often hypertrophic character. This largely depends on the duration of contact with toxic substances: with a relatively short work experience, catarrhal changes predominate, with a longer experience, subatrophic and atrophic changes are detected. The duration of work under conditions of exposure to irritating substances also determines the prevalence of the lesion: at first, a predominant lesion of the mucous membrane of the nasal cavity is observed, then the changes spread lower, capturing the pharynx and larynx, chronic pharyngitis and laryngitis develop, as well as combined forms - rhinopharyngolaryngitis.

Subjective disorders in these cases are manifested by complaints of dryness in the nose, sore throat, coughing. On examination, dryness and hyperemia of the mucous membrane, covered with scanty mucous discharge, drying out in crusts, are revealed. The mucous membrane becomes easily vulnerable, resulting in its increased bleeding. Minor bleeding, especially nasal bleeding, may occur, and the resulting crusts become muco-bloody in nature.

Clinical picture of allergy upper respiratory tract, allergic rhinitis, allergic rhinosinusitis, allergic rhinopharyngitis most often develops against the background of degenerative changes in the mucous membrane of the nasal cavity and pharynx. This determines the originality of the manifestation of the allergic process in the upper respiratory tract, as a result of which these nosological forms in the clinic of occupational pathology are referred to as "allergosis of the upper respiratory tract". In occupational allergic diseases of the upper respiratory tract, a certain sequence of development of the allergic process is observed through a number of stages of the disease: vasomotor disorders, allergic changes in the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract, preasthma. When contact with occupational allergens is interrupted, especially in the initial periods of the development of occupational allergic pathology, the disease may reverse its development, and vice versa, with continued exposure to occupational allergens, the pathological process progresses. Given this, each stage can be regarded as an independent disease.

In vasomotor disorders, the sensitizing agent acts in combination with irritating factors that cause primary vascular reactions in the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract. Therefore, a violation of vascular tone is an integral component of the allergic process of chemical genesis, its initial stage. The main signs in the clinical picture of such patients are vascular disorders in the mucous membrane of the nasal cavity, pharynx and larynx (rhinorrhea, sneezing, lacrimation). These changes, as a rule, disappear when the action of the allergen ceases, however, the mucous membrane of the inferior turbinates, uvula, and posterior pharyngeal wall remains pasty, there are Voyachek's spots, indicating vascular dystonia. The clinical picture is similar to neurovegetative rhinitis. However, with vasomotor disorders associated with the action of the industrial allergen, hypereosinophilia in the peripheral blood, an increase in the level of neuraminic acid are noted, eosinophils, macrophages with a metachromatic substance in the cytoplasm and hypersecreting ciliated epithelium are present in rhinocytograms.

The next, more pronounced stage is allergic diseases of the upper respiratory tract. With prolonged contact with industrial allergens, allergic changes in the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract develop, which are clinically different from similar diseases of general origin. The nature of complaints and the clinical picture depend on the degree of dystrophic changes against which allergic diseases develop.

Clinically pronounced forms of allergosis of the upper respiratory tract are allergic manifestations against the background of hyperplastic, subatrophic and polyposis changes in the mucous membrane. The stage of the most pronounced allergic process in the upper respiratory tract is preasthma, it may be accompanied by dystrophic or polypous changes in the mucous membrane. Such patients complain of a dry paroxysmal cough, a feeling of heaviness or discomfort in the chest, as well as a persistent or appearing after provocative tests change in respiratory parameters, indicating a violation of bronchial patency.

Diagnosis of occupational diseases of the upper respiratory tract

Diagnosis of the dystrophic state of the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract does not cause difficulties. The criteria for classifying the disease as professional are the prevalence of the pathological process in the entire segment of the upper respiratory tract (nasal cavity, pharynx and larynx) - a total process, work experience under the influence of industrial dusts with a concentration in the air of industrial premises of more than 10 MPC, at least 10 years.

Diagnosis of airway allergy should be based on the study of both local and general symptoms. For this purpose, methods of non-specific diagnostics of the state of sensitization of the body and methods of provocative specific testing with the studied industrial allergen are used.

Methods of non-specific diagnostics are aimed at identifying the general sensitization of the body (allergological history, examination of the number of eosinophils in the peripheral blood, the concentration of neuraminic acid and the level of histamine in the blood), as well as the detection of local changes in the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract. The latter include X-ray examination of the paranasal sinuses, olfactometry, electrothermometry, a single rhinocytological examination, the study of the transport function of the ciliated epithelium, and the determination of the concentration of hydrogen ions in the nasal mucus.

Anamnesis. When studying a professional allergological anamnesis, it is necessary to pay attention to the manifestation of allergies in other organs, the presence of a positive allergological anamnesis in the family, and the results of previous allergological testing. To establish the diagnosis of occupational allergosis, it is necessary to take into account the professional route (experience in the profession), the patient's indication of the possible connection between the manifestation of allergy symptoms and the presence of a particular chemical in the air of industrial premises, the exposure of the chemical, the presence of symptoms of an allergic disease of other organs and systems, the manifestation of symptoms elimination and exposure.

Physical examination. X-ray examination of the paranasal sinuses is necessary to determine the prevalence, and in some cases, the localization of the allergic process in the upper respiratory tract. More often, changes occur in the maxillary sinuses and cells of the ethmoid labyrinth. There is parietal darkening of one of the maxillary sinuses, sometimes during dynamic observation it is possible to note the migration of the process - darkening of one or the other sinus. Allergic sinusitis in 78% of cases is accompanied by allergic changes in the nasal cavity.

Electrothermometry of the nasal cavity is an additional objective method for determining the functional state of the mucous membrane. The temperature of the nasal mucosa in persons with clinical signs of VRT allergosis ranges from 31.2 to 34.4 °C.

An additional method for the objective diagnosis of allergic diseases of the upper respiratory tract of chemical etiology is a single rhinocytological examination by the method of reprint smears. When evaluating the rhinocytological picture, only the intensity of the eosinophilic reaction is evaluated.

Specific diagnosis of allergic diseases of the upper respiratory tract is aimed at identifying the body's sensitization to a specific allergen. Of the specific diagnostic methods, drop and scarification skin tests with household, pollen and bacterial allergens are used; drop and application skin testing with chemical allergens; endonasal provocative tests with chemical allergens. Skin drop and scarification tests with bacterial pollen and household allergens are carried out to identify signs of polyvalent sensitization.

The main method for identifying the etiological role of a professional factor in the development of an allergic disease of the upper respiratory tract is an endonasal provocative test with an industrial allergen. In response to the introduction of an allergen, specific reactions of the body develop, which are detected by assessing clinical symptoms and data from electrothermometric and rhinocytological methods.

The test is carried out in a hospital by the application method during the remission of the allergic process. The symptom complex of a positive reaction of the body to testing with an industrial allergen develops in the range of 20-60 minutes after exposure to the allergen and is manifested by an exacerbation of an allergic disease. The obligatory use of morphofunctional indicators in endonasal testing allows assessing the local response of an organism sensitized to a given substance not only qualitatively, but also quantitatively. The cytological picture of imprint preparations after endonasal exposure is characterized by an increase in the number of test cells of the allergic process (eosinophils, secreting epithelium, macrophages with metachromatic substance and mast cells in the cytoplasm) by 2-4 times compared to their initial level. At the same time, the morphofunctional state of the cells also changes - signs of hypersecretion and functional activity appear.

To determine the prevalence and severity of the process, as well as the prognosis of the disease of the upper respiratory tract, the examination complex includes the determination of indicators of the function of external respiration (vital capacity and minute ventilation of the lungs, bronchial resistance, and some others). These studies are carried out before and after an intranasal test with a chemical allergen. In occupational allergic diseases of the upper respiratory tract, as a rule, there is a decrease in these indicators, which indicates a violation of bronchial patency. Such persons need dynamic observation.

Examples of the formulation of diagnoses and their justification:

one. " Professional chronic subatrophic nasopharyngolaryngitis. Given the long (more than 10 years) work experience in industrial dust, the concentration of which exceeded the MPC by more than 10 times, pronounced dystrophic changes in the state of the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract, the disease should be considered occupational. Work in conditions of exposure to irritating substances and dust is not recommended. Observation and treatment by an otorhinolaryngologist.

2. " Occupational allergy of the upper respiratory tract. Given the typical clinical picture of changes in the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract, data from an allergological examination, occupational contact with sensitizing substances, and positive indicators of an endonasal test with an industrial allergen, the disease should be considered occupational. Work in conditions of exposure to sensitizing substances and potential allergens is contraindicated.”

Treatment of occupational diseases of the upper respiratory tract

In the treatment of occupational diseases of the upper respiratory tract, the same principles are used as in general otorhinolaryngology - hyposensitizing therapy, local anti-inflammatory and biostimulating drugs.

With a significant difficulty in nasal breathing, surgical treatment (conchotomy, polypotomy), cryotherapy, electrocoagulation, quenching of the mucous membrane with a 0.5-1% solution of silver nitrate or trichloroacetic acid are indicated. However, these methods should be performed with caution, since endonasal structures in chronic occupational diseases are characterized by poor resistance to invasive methods. Often after such interventions persistent atrophic changes develop in the nasal cavity.

In the stage of a pronounced allergic process, manifested by a pre-asthma condition, in addition to the listed measures, the appointment of bronchodilators and expectorants is recommended. All patients with an allergic disease of the upper respiratory tract during the period of remission are shown sanatorium treatment, stay in dispensaries.

Working capacity examination

Working capacity in the initial stages of dystrophic processes of the upper respiratory tract is not significantly impaired, since in these cases it depends on the prevalence and severity of the disease, as well as on the nature of professional activity (permanent or short-term contact with the allergen during the working day) and the presence of concomitant diseases.

Forecast in relation to recovery with continued contact with occupational hazards that caused one or another form of URT disease, in most cases it is unfavorable. Unequivocal for all forms and stages of occupational allergosis of the upper respiratory tract is the timely elimination of contact with irritating and sensitizing chemicals. Since complete medical and labor rehabilitation is possible at the stage of vasomotor disorders, in the conclusion on working capacity it is necessary to take into account the possibility of recovery, and at a young age - the need for retraining.

In severe cases, as well as in the combination of allergosis of the upper respiratory tract with any form of dystrophic condition, further work in contact with substances of irritating and sensitizing action is contraindicated. Such patients need to carry out all the necessary rehabilitation measures: transfer to work outside of contact with harmful production factors, rational employment, retraining and medical rehabilitation measures, including treatment in sanatoriums.

Prevention

The basis for the prevention of occupational diseases of the upper respiratory tract are sanitary and hygienic measures aimed at improving the working environment, as well as the use of personal protective equipment. No less important are preliminary and periodic medical examinations with the participation of an otorhinolaryngologist-occupational pathologist.

Medical contraindications to work in contact with substances of sensitizing and irritating action are signs of allergic inflammation of the upper respiratory tract, the presence of pronounced dystrophic changes in the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract of an atrophic or hypertrophic nature, causing a violation of its barrier functions. Persons with foci of chronic infection in the upper respiratory tract (chronic tonsillitis, chronic rhinitis, sinusitis), as well as with severe curvature of the nasal septum that impair nasal breathing, are subject to preliminary sanitation.

Based on the results of periodic medical examinations, it is recommended to form the following dispensary registration groups for targeted therapeutic and preventive measures (Pankova V. B., 2009):

First group— healthy workers (at risk of exposure to industrial chemical allergens). These are persons without complaints of an allergic nature and without clinical signs of changes in the nasal cavity, pharynx and larynx, however, they have functional disorders in the nasal cavity (primarily changes in the excretory, bactericidal and calorific functions). Persons in this group should undergo prophylactic treatment: biostimulating agents (vitamins, aloe or FIBS injections), moisturizing and cleansing the mucous membrane of inhalation with alkaline solutions or 1% sea salt solution (depending on the pH of the mucus in the nasal cavity).

Second group- practically healthy workers (or a group at risk of developing an occupational allergic disease of the upper respiratory tract). This group should include persons who, along with functional disorders, have signs of sensitization of the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract (the presence in the rhinocytogram during a single rhinocytological study of eosinophilia from ++ to +++, as well as other test cell forms, indicating the processes of sensitization of the mucous membrane ). This group should also include persons with chronic diseases of the upper respiratory tract (chronic tonsillitis and chronic sinusitis). These diseases contribute to the development of allergic pathology. In addition, chemicals change the course of chronic diseases of the nasal cavity and pharynx themselves. In the complex therapy of this group, it is necessary to include inhalations that reduce the hypersensitivity of the mucous membrane.

Third group- Patients with allergic diseases of the upper respiratory tract, who, depending on the identified form of the disease, are given appropriate treatment.

For each of these groups, an algorithm for medical supervision is developed, and for each person included in these groups, an individual plan of rehabilitation and preventive measures is developed.

Otorhinolaryngology. IN AND. Babiak, M.I. Govorun, Ya.A. Nakatis, A.N. Pashchinin

Upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) are the most common diseases, especially during the cold season. They are most commonly diagnosed in people with weakened immune systems, children, and the elderly. The form of URTI can be acute or chronic.

What indicates how the infection of the upper respiratory tract manifests itself, how is it treated? It is on this topic that our conversation today will go. Let us briefly dwell on the main diseases, find out the methods of drug treatment and consider one effective folk recipe for each ailment.

Infectious diseases of the upper respiratory tract

We list some of the most common:

- Rhinitis (runny nose)- inflammation of the nasal mucosa. May be acute or chronic.

Main symptoms: swelling of the mucous membrane, dryness, itching, difficulty breathing. At the initial stage, liquid, transparent discharge from the nasal cavity occurs. In the future, the discharge becomes thick, mucopurulent, and then gradually disappear. Everything is accompanied by general malaise.

Treatment

They use vasoconstrictor, anti-inflammatory and decongestant drugs: Naphthyzine, Ephedrine hydrochloride, Galazolin (instructions for the use of each drug before using it must be studied personally from the official annotation included in the package!). For children - Nazivin. Treatment with antibiotics is possible, but only in the case of a bacterial nature of rhinitis and in the presence of complications.

Folk recipe:

Mix freshly squeezed carrot juice 1 tsp and unrefined olive oil of the same volume. Add 3 cap. fresh garlic juice. Drip 2-3 drops on each nostril. Mixture use only freshly prepared.

- Sinusitis, rhinosinusitis- infectious and inflammatory process of the paranasal sinuses, with acute or chronic course. It can be viral, bacterial, fungal or allergic in nature. It can develop in isolation, but more often it is a complication of other pathologies: measles, rhinitis, influenza or scarlet fever.

Main symptoms: general malaise, weakness and headaches, the temperature of the human body rises, abundant mucous discharge from the nose appears.

Treatment

Sinusitis that is bacterial in nature is treated with antibiotics. They are prescribed by a doctor, depending on the type of bacteria and their sensitivity to a particular drug. With a viral nature, antiviral drugs are prescribed - Neovir, Isoprinosine. Additionally, decongestant drops and sprays are used: Naphthyzin, Sanorin, Galazolin.

If sinusitis is a complication of another disease, measures are taken to treat the pathology that caused it.

Folk recipe:

Prepare freshly squeezed black radish juice. Drip into the nasal passages 2 drops for each nostril. If it burns a lot, you can dilute it with water.

- Angina (acute tonsillitis)- can be catarrhal, follicular, phlegmous and lacunae. Moreover, one variety rarely develops in its pure form. Most often, the patient has signs of at least two varieties.

characteristic common symptoms are: pain, redness of the throat, tonsils increase, catarrhal phenomena are present. There is a general malaise, weakness, fever, chills appear, lymph nodes are enlarged.

Treatment

Depending on the variety, antimicrobial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory drugs, local antiseptics, symptomatic drugs are prescribed. Use disinfectant solutions for gargling. If the disease is caused by a bacterial infection, antibiotics of a certain group are prescribed.

Folk remedy:

Mix equal amounts of elderberry, clover, and lime blossoms. Add the same amount of crushed rowan berries, viburnum, peppermint leaves and blackcurrant leaves. Mix well. Insist 2 hours in a thermos 4 tablespoons of the mixture, pouring it with a liter of boiling water. It is recommended to take half a glass several times a day.

- Pharyngitis- an inflammatory disease of the mucous membrane of the upper pharynx, tonsils and uvula. Most often it is viral in nature. It can be an independent disease, or it manifests itself as a complication of other infections, in particular, SARS, rhinitis, sinusitis, etc. It can occur as a result of alcohol abuse and smoking.
It is characterized by acute or chronic course.

Main symptoms: dryness, redness in the throat, pain when swallowing. The pharynx may become covered with purulent plaque, follicle grains may appear. Accompanied by weakness, malaise, possibly a slight increase in temperature.

Treatment

In the presence of a viral infection, drugs are prescribed: Faringosept, Falimint and Laripront. Anaferon, Tamiflu, etc. are used to reduce painful symptoms in the throat. Antibiotics are prescribed for the bacterial nature of the process.

Folk remedy:

Several times a day, carry out inhalations with a soda solution: 1 tsp per glass of boiling water. Breathe in hot steam, covering your head with a towel.

- Bronchitis- an inflammatory disease of the bronchial mucosa. It usually develops against the background of other respiratory tract infections.

Main symptoms: cough (dry or wet), weakness, malaise, other symptoms of general intoxication of the body are observed.

Treatment

An acute bacterial infection is eliminated with the help of antibiotics of a certain group. If necessary, drugs of the sulfanilamide group are prescribed: Etazol, Sulfadimetoksin. In the presence of temperature, antipyretic drugs are used: Aspirin, Paracetamol, etc. For the treatment of cough, steam inhalations are used. For better sputum discharge, they are prescribed: ACC, Libeksin, Mukaltin, etc.

Folk remedy:

Grind to a powder 0.5 cups of beeswax. Put in a saucepan. Add 0.5 cups of sunflower oil, bee honey and resin (pine resin). Melt the mixture in a water bath until very hot, but do not boil. Cool, pour into a jar. Treat with beeswax, resin and honey by taking 1 tsp of the composition in the morning, with warm milk or weak tea. Strong black tea will weaken the effect of the medicine, and therefore it is undesirable, however, like coffee. Keep the jar in the cold.

- Tracheitis- inflammation of the tracheal mucosa. May present in acute or chronic form.

Main symptoms: severe dry cough, worse at night and in the morning, after sleep. Also, coughing fits occur when talking loudly, laughing, crying or taking a deep breath. Very often, coughing begins with changes in air temperature.

After an attack, there is a pain of a raw character that occurs behind the sternum and throat. In the presence of sputum, it can be scanty, viscous. Or abundant, with mucopurulent discharge.

Treatment

If there are signs of intoxication, sulfa drugs are prescribed. For bacterial infections, antibiotics are used. For the treatment of cough, drugs are prescribed: Codeine, Libeksin, etc. Mustard plasters are put in to warm the chest (instructions, the application is on the website in the "Drugs" section).

Folk remedy:

Put 60 g of crushed propolis in a small saucepan, add 40 g of wax. Melt in a water bath. Use the hot mixture for inhalations, which you spend 10 minutes in the morning and before bedtime.

In conclusion of our conversation, we note that any infection of the upper respiratory tract is rather difficult to tolerate by most patients.

These diseases deliver a maximum of unpleasant, painful sensations, knock out of the usual rhythm of life.

Therefore, it is important to consult a doctor in a timely manner for help, to begin the treatment prescribed by a specialist. The sooner this is done, the less likely the development of complications and the higher the chance for a quick, effective disposal of the infection. Be healthy!

Diseases of the upper respiratory tract are common throughout the world and occur in every fourth inhabitant. These include tonsillitis, laryngitis, pharyngitis, adenoiditis, sinusitis and rhinitis. The peak of diseases falls on the off-season, then cases of inflamed processes take on a massive character. The reason for this is acute respiratory diseases or the influenza virus. According to statistics, an adult suffers up to three cases of the disease; in a child, inflammation of the upper respiratory tract occurs up to 10 times a year.

There are three main reasons for the development of various kinds of inflammation.

1. Virus. Influenza strains, rotoviruses, adenoviruses, mumps and measles, when ingested, cause an inflammatory reaction.
2. bacteria. The cause of a bacterial infection can be pneumococcus, staphylococcus, mycoplasma, meningococcus, mycobacteria and diphtheria, as well as whooping cough.
3. Fungus. Candida, aspergillus, actinomycetes cause a local inflammatory process.

Most of the listed pathogenic organisms are transmitted from humans. Bacteria, viruses are unstable to the environment and practically do not live there. Some strains of the virus or fungus can live in the body, but only manifest themselves when the body's defenses are reduced. Infection occurs during the period of activation of "sleeping" pathogenic microbes.

Among the main methods of infection should be distinguished:

• airborne transmission;
• household way.

Virus particles, as well as microbes, enter through close contact with an infected person. Transmission is possible when talking, coughing, sneezing. All this is natural in diseases of the respiratory tract, because the first barrier to pathogenic microorganisms is the respiratory tract.

Tuberculosis, diphtheria and Escherichia coli more often enters the host's body through the household route. Household and personal hygiene items become the link between a healthy and infected person. Anyone can get sick, regardless of age, gender, financial condition and social status.

Symptoms

The symptoms of inflammation of the upper respiratory tract are quite similar, with the exception of discomfort and pain, which are localized in the affected area. It is possible to determine the place of inflammation and the nature of the disease based on the symptoms of the disease, but it is really possible to confirm the disease and identify the pathogen only after a thorough examination.

For all diseases, an incubation period is characteristic, which lasts from 2 to 10 days, depending on the pathogen.

Rhinitis

Known to everyone as a runny nose, it is an inflammatory process of the nasal mucosa. A characteristic of rhinitis is exudate in the form of a runny nose, which, when microbes multiply, profusely goes outside. Both sinuses are affected, as the infection spreads rapidly.
Sometimes rhinitis may not cause a runny nose, but, on the contrary, manifest itself as severe congestion. If, nevertheless, discharge is present, then their nature directly depends on the pathogen. The exudate can be presented as a clear liquid, and sometimes purulent discharge and green color.

Sinusitis

Inflammation of the sinuses resolves as a secondary infection and is manifested by difficulty breathing and a feeling of congestion.
Swelling of the sinuses causes headaches, has a negative effect on the optic nerves, and the sense of smell is disturbed. Discomfort and pain in the region of the bridge of the nose indicates a running inflammatory process. The discharge of pus is usually accompanied by fever and fever, as well as general malaise.

Angina

The inflammatory process in the region of the palatine tonsils in the pharynx causes a number of characteristic symptoms:

• pain when swallowing;
• difficulty in eating and drinking;
• elevated temperature;
• muscle weakness.

Angina can occur due to the ingestion of both a virus and a bacterium. At the same time, the tonsils swell, a characteristic plaque appears on them. With purulent tonsillitis, yellow and greenish overlays envelop the palate and mucous membrane of the throat. With a fungal etiology, a white coating of a curdled consistency.

Pharyngitis

Inflammation of the throat is manifested by perspiration and dry cough. Breathing may be difficult from time to time. General malaise and subfebrile temperature is a non-permanent phenomenon. Pharyngitis usually occurs against the background of influenza and acute respiratory infections.

Laryngitis

Inflammation of the larynx and vocal cords also develops against the background of influenza, measles, whooping cough and parainfluenza. Laryngitis is characterized by hoarseness and cough. The mucous membrane of the larynx swells so much that it interferes with breathing. Without treatment, in the form of stenosis of the walls of the larynx or muscle spasm. Symptoms without treatment only get worse.

Bronchitis

Inflammation of the bronchi (this is the lower respiratory tract) is characterized by sputum or a strong dry cough. In addition, general intoxication and malaise.
At the initial stage, symptoms may not appear until the inflammation reaches the nerve processes.

Pneumonia

Inflammation of the lung tissue in the lower and upper parts of the lung, which usually cause pneumococci, always general intoxication, fever and chills. Progressing, the cough with pneumonia intensifies, but sputum may appear much later. If non-infectious, symptoms may not appear. The symptoms are similar to a running cold and diseases are not always diagnosed on time.

Therapy Methods

After clarifying the diagnosis, treatment is started in accordance with the general condition of the patient, the cause that caused the inflammation. There are three main types of treatment:

• pathogenetic;
• symptomatic;
• etiotropic.

Pathogenetic treatment

It is based on stopping the development of the inflammatory process. For this, immunostimulating drugs are used so that the body itself can fight the infection, as well as auxiliary treatment that suppresses the inflammatory process.

To strengthen the body take:

• Anaferon;
• Amexin;
• Neovir;
• Levomax.

They are suitable for children and adults. It is pointless to treat diseases of the upper respiratory tract without immune support. If a bacterium has become the causative agent of inflammation of the respiratory system, treatment is carried out with Immudon or Bronchomunal. For individual indications, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can be used. They relieve general symptoms and suppress the pain syndrome, this is important, especially if you treat a child who
hard to bear the disease.

Etiotropic method

Based on the suppression of the pathogen. It is important to stop the reproduction of the virus and bacteria in the upper sections, as well as to prevent their spread. The main thing is to accurately establish the strain of the virus and the etiology of pathogenic microbes in order to choose the right regimen and start treatment. Antiviral drugs include:

• Remantadine;
• Relenz;
• Arbidol;
• Kagocel;
• Isoprinosine.

They help only when the disease is caused by a virus. If it cannot be killed, as is the case with herpes, you can simply suppress the symptoms.

Bacterial inflammation of the respiratory tract can only be cured with antibacterial drugs, the dosage should be prescribed by a doctor. These medicines are very dangerous if used carelessly and can cause irreparable harm to the body.

For a child, such treatment can lead to complications in the future. Therefore, when choosing a drug, special attention is paid to the age of the patient, his physiological characteristics, and a test for the presence of allergic reactions is also carried out. Modern pharmacology offers effective drugs for the treatment of macrolides, beta-lactams and fluoroquinolones.

Symptomatic treatment

Since antibiotic or antifungal treatment has a gradual effect in most cases of the disease, it is important to suppress the symptoms that cause discomfort to the person. For this, there is a symptomatic treatment.

1. Nasal drops are used to suppress a runny nose.
2. Broad-spectrum anti-inflammatory drugs or topical herbal sprays are used to relieve sore throats as well as reduce swelling.
3. Symptoms such as cough or sore throat are suppressed with expectorants.

With severe swelling of the upper and lower parts of the lungs, symptomatic treatment does not always have the desired result. It is important not to use all known methods of treatment, but to choose the right scheme based on the complex elimination of symptoms and the causative agent of inflammation.

Inhalation will help to relieve puffiness, suppress cough and soreness in the upper parts of the throat, as well as stop a runny nose. And alternative methods of treatment can improve breathing and prevent oxygen starvation.

The main thing is not to self-medicate, but to undergo it under the supervision of a specialist and follow all his recommendations.