Upper Respiratory Infection »
What is an upper respiratory infection?
The upper respiratory tract includes the sinuses, nasal passages, pharynx,
and larynx. These structures direct the air we breath from the outside to the
trachea and eventually to the lungs for respiration to take place.
An upper respiratory tract infection, or upper respiratory infection, is an infectious process of any
of the components of the upper airway.
Infection of the specific areas of the upper respiratory tract can be named
specifically. Examples of these may include
rhinitis (inflammation of the nasal
cavity), sinus infection (sinusitis or rhinosinusitis)
- inflammation of the
sinuses located around the nose, common cold
(nasopharyngitis) - inflammation of the nares, pharynx, hypopharynx, uvula, and tonsils,
pharyngitis (inflammation of the pharynx, uvula, and tonsils), epiglottitis
(inflammation of the upper portion of the larynx or the epiglottis),
laryngitis
(inflammation of the ...
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