{"id":6248,"date":"2019-05-02T03:12:44","date_gmt":"2019-05-02T03:12:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/?p=6248"},"modified":"2021-04-01T18:55:14","modified_gmt":"2021-04-01T18:55:14","slug":"14-early-signs-of-upper-respiratory-infection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/14-early-signs-of-upper-respiratory-infection\/","title":{"rendered":"14 Early Signs of Upper Respiratory Infection"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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When a virus enters the body through the mouth or the nose, transmitted to that person by touch, or through sneezing and coughing, an upper respiratory infection (URI) can occur.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The saying is true, coughs and sneezes do spread diseases, this being the most common of all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Places, where people gather in close proximity, to learn, work, worship or socialize, can be areas that are of much greater risk for the spread of URIs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Usually lasting from anywhere between 3 and 14 days, a URI can occasionally worsen and turn into a more serious sinus condition, or an even worse illness like pneumonia. For these reasons, it\u2019s pretty important to be aware of some of the earliest indicators that a URI is on the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some of the earliest observable signs that a person is coming down with an upper respiratory infection, otherwise known as the common cold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1.     Coughing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A cough <\/a>that won\u2019t seem to budge can be an early indicator. Coming and going in the daytime, but typically much worse at night, coughs can range in severity from one person to another. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some people may go their whole lives only ever experiencing a gentle tickle of a cough when they get poorly, whereas some people will sound and feel as though they\u2019re about to cough up a lung every single time they\u2019re poorly. Whatever the volume and the veracity of the episodes of coughing, people generally don\u2019t start coughing for no reason at all, and so it\u2019s fairly reasonable to assume that following a cough, the confirmation of an upper respiratory infection is an inevitability, a foregone conclusion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coughs are like an advent to a URI. Counting the days that the cough has been present can either drive someone to the point of insanity or provide them with a really good reference point to talk with their doctor about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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2.     Discomfort in the Nasal Passages<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

That really annoying feeling as if you\u2019re about to sneeze<\/a>, but the sneeze just won\u2019t come. This well known and much-hated sensation can herald the impending arrival of an upper respiratory infection. It almost feels as though someone is running up behind you every five minutes or so, and throwing pepper under your nostrils. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As soon as you shake the feeling, along they come again and cause the discomfort to continue even longer. In rare cases only will there actually be a prankster behind all of this though, as discomfort in the nasal passages is a sad reality that means a URI is about to be ushered in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

More seriously, the constant feeling that you need to sneeze, which is caused by the discomfort, can make tasks such as driving very difficult. This is because concentration wains much more quickly when the body is feeling discomfort. Sneeze if you can!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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3.     Mild Fever<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Running a mild to moderate fever can also give you a clue that a URI is about to rear its ugly head. Rarely a fever <\/a>that boils out of control, this early warning sign usually sees a person rise ever so slightly on their thermometer readings, just teetering out of normal realms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It can be tempered with fever-reducing medications but once the fever sets in, however mild it may be, it usually isn’t long before the URI backs it up with full force. It’s like a rain cloud hovering over the town before a storm. It isn’t much to look at and it doesn’t require too many alterations to plans either, but as soon as the heavens open, you wish you’d paid it more attention and bought yourself an umbrella. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You won’t need an umbrella to help you get over a URI, but you could interpret the fever as a message telling you to stock up on pain killers and potions to help you beat the impending infection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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4.     Excess Mucus<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Another early sign that a URI is due, is the trademark snotty <\/a>noses that kindergarten children seem to have on a permanent basis. If you’re starting to talk like you’ve got a peg on your nose and you’re finding that your nose is running like a seemingly endless tap, there’s a good chance that an upper respiratory infection is on the way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parents, teach your kids to blow their noses, as opposed to constantly sniffing the green gooey waterfall back up into the clogged up source. The rest of the world will thank you for that. It’s a case of catching it, kill it, bin it for the rest of us. Better out than in for snot, so blow your nose as much as you need, just be careful not to burst a blood vessel with some elephant-like over-exuberance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

No one likes a snotty nose, but it’s a great early warning sign that a URI is pending.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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5.     Pain or Pressure Behind Face<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Like a storm brewing in a teacup, or a bull about to be let loose in a china shop, the pressure <\/a>builds up behind someone’s face in the run-up to a URI breaking out can be quite significant. Pressure like this would surely interrupt weather forecasts if it was somehow able to find its way out of the head. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you want to blow your nose, you blow it on a tissue, but no one tells you how you can blow your head when it feels like that’s exactly what you need to do. When the cartoon characters literally blow their tops, or animated robots burst springs out of their brain, that\u2019s what it seems as though this build-up of pressure should be able to do. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It never happens that way though, and it\u2019s likely that for the duration of the ensuing URI, a person can expect the pressure levels to rise and all, however frustrating that may be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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6.     Headaches<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Most headaches <\/a>are curable with a simple glass of water, given that the vast majority of headaches are caused by acute or chronic dehydration. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To avoid headaches entirely, or to remedy them in the first instance, the benchmark for the average adult is to try and drink around 3 liters of water every day. On the off chance that you are in fact one of those mythical people who achieve this target, and you’re still suffering from an aching head, then its eminently possible that your headache is a sign of things to come. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nothing good is promised, unfortunately, just a hefty case of an upper respiratory infection. In most cases, headaches can be warded off or treated with a combination of water and rest. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the occasion where that doesn’t do the trick, it could be time to call in the reserve and batten down the hatches, on the basis that a common cold shaped storm is about to hit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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7.     Scratchy or Sore Throat<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Waking up and feeling like you’ve swallowed razor blades could be attributed to a bad smoking <\/a>habit or a heavy night on the tiles, but for most children, this is never really the case. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your kid comes to with a voice that makes them sound like Marge Simpson, they’re probably in the early stages of developing a URI. Don’t feel too sorry for them though, it won’t be long before you’re delivering them serving after serving of ice cream to soothe their poor little throats. Kids know how to milk a sore throat, so make sure that you’re armed with your lie detector. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A flashlight to inspect the roof of the mouth and the back of the throat is a good tool to keep handy as well. If its an adult with a sore throat we\u2019re talking about, and a night of smoking or drinking has been ruled out, then they too could be on the road to a URI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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8.     Bad Breath<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A less common indicator that a URI is on the way, for some people, the development of unusually foul-smelling breath could be their telltale sign that all isn’t well in the inner workings of their upper respiratory system. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now some people just have bad breath, and that’s another story, but for those people who experience bad breath as a precursor to an upper respiratory infection, there are a few common factors which separate them from your regular halitosis <\/a>Harrys and gingivitis Georges. For a start off, the bad breath is usually worse in the mornings, or when the body has been inactive during a period of rest. Some people who experience bad breath before a URI also claim that it comes with a somewhat sweet smell. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not sweet as in pleasant, but sweet nevertheless, like candy floss induced puke lying in a puddle outside a circus tent. Nice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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9. Swollen Throat<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Patients who are dealing with an upper respiratory infection may find that they start to develop the signs of a sore throat. Typically, these symptoms begin as a tickle or scratch at the back of the throat and then progress into a light cough. As the virus or bacteria responsible for creating the infection advances, the patient\u2019s symptoms may start to become progressively worse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you visit the doctor for a diagnosis, one of the first things they do is check your throat for signs of swelling. If the physician <\/a>does notice inflammation, they may check to see if the area is emanating heat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In most cases, the swelling attributed to a URI comes from inflammation of the lymph nodes in the neck., The lymphatic system runs throughout the body, capturing pathogens from the bloodstream, transferring them to lymphatic fluid where the lymph glands filter them out. Generally, these nodes settle down in a few days after receiving treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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10. Changes in Voice<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

An upper respiratory infection affects the throat and upper airways, including the vocal cords. Depending on the pathogen <\/a>responsible for the disease, the patient may start to show signs of changes in their voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This symptom typically occurs during bacterial infections, as the bacterium advance throughout the tissues in the localized area. As a result, the bacteria penetrate the vocal cords and start to alter the way they produce soundwaves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most patients find that they develop a deeper voice, or it may sound hoarse or scratchy. In most cases of infection, these symptoms reverse as the patient starts to feel better. Home remedies such as warm tea with raw honey can help to soothe the inflammation causing the symptoms, sucking on medicated lozenges will also help to ease pain and inflammation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the patient finds that they are experiencing changes in their voice, they sound refrain from speaking as the additional inflammation caused by using the vocal cords can exacerbate the symptoms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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11. Body Aches<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Patients who are suffering from the effects of a URI may find that they start to experience body aches and develop a fever. While most cases of URI don\u2019t include these symptoms, they do occur in patients on occasion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the brain notices the presence of infection in the upper respiratory tract, it signals for the production of antibodies<\/a> and white blood cells to fight off the disease. As a result, the antibodies, who are the first responders on-site, penetrate tissues to eradicate the disease. As a result, the patient may find that they develop muscle ache. If you establish this symptom, take it as a sign that your body is working hard at fighting off the invading pathogen responsible for your condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same time, pyrogen proteins attach to the nerve endings in the lower back, signaling the nervous system to turn up the internal temperature \u2013 resulting in the development of a fever in the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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12. Loss of Smell<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Some patients may find that they start to lose their sense of smell during a URI. This symptom is another uncommon occurrence, with most patients never experiencing this problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The medical community refers to a loss as, \u201chyposmia.\u201d The condition occurs as a complete or partial loss of the sense, and it can have some severe complications for the patient. Studies show that almost 12-percent of Americans live with a permanent form of hyposmia<\/a>. However, patients that develop the condition as a result of contracting a URI, typically make a full recovery from their symptoms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A sense of smell can change the way you view the world. If you do start to receive signs of hyposmia, then speak to your doctor about your situation. Your physician will add your concerns to your file and monitor your condition. In most cases, the hyposmia will last anywhere from 24 to 48-hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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13. Changes in Mucus<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ve already discussed how a URI can cause the patient to develop mucus <\/a>problems, producing more than is necessary for your needs. However, when the patient enters the advanced stages of the condition, they may find that they incur further complications, allowing the bacteria or virus responsible for the infection, to spread to other regions of the body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As is the case with a URI, the pathogen typically enters the lungs, causing issues with bronchitis or pneumonia. One of the tell-tale signs that the infection has spread to the lungs is a change in the color of your mucus. During the initial stages of the disease, the patient produces a bright yellow mucus. As the infection spreads, the color turns green, and then a dark-green or brown color, indicating the presence of bacteria. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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14. Risk Factors for Infection<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Thousands of people contract URIs at the start of the flu <\/a>season. Various risk factors increase your chances of catching the infection. If you find yourself mentioned in the high-risk categories below, raise your preventative awareness to avoid getting sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

URIs are most common during the change of seasons. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coming in contact with infected persons can result in infection. The person may wipe the sweat on their palm and then shake your hand, transmitting the virus or bacteria responsible for the disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Children attending nursery schools are also at high risk of developing URIs. Preschools are like Petri dishes for pathogens, and the chances are that if one kid gets infected, they\u2019ll pass it on to the majority of the others in their class.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The parents of the kids then experience the infection and pass it out into the wider community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People who live in crowded conditions, such as hostels \u2013 or work in offices with plenty of other people, are also at high risk of contracting a URI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prevent URIs by washing hands frequently and avoiding coming in contact with infected persons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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