RESPIRATORY TRACT INFECTIONS

What is a Respiratory Tract Infection?

Respiratory Tract Infections (RTIs) are a very common type of condition that affect any area of your body involved in breathing.

They're generally divided into Lower Respiratory Tract Infections (affecting the airways and lungs) and Upper Respiratory Tract Infections (affecting the nose, sinuses and throat).

Our doctors will assess your symptoms and once they've diagnosed which type of RTI you have, they'll recommend the most effective treatment.

Symptoms: Lower Respiratory Tract Infection

Lower RTIs affect your airways and lungs. Examples include bronchitis, pneumonia, tuberculosis and bronchiolitis.

Common symptoms include:

Symptoms: Upper Respiratory Tract Infection

This type of RTI affects your sinuses, throat and nose. The common cold, tonsillitis, laryngitis and sinusitis are all examples of Upper RTIs.

Symptoms usually include:

Respiratory Tract Infection Treatment

RTIs can be caused by either viruses or bacteria. Before our doctors can recommend treatment, they'll need to diagnose what sort of RTI you have.

They'll discuss your symptoms with you during your consultation and use the information you provide to make their diagnosis and suggest effective treatment or medication.

What Causes Respiratory Tract Infections?

Respiratory tract infections can be passed on through contagious viruses or bacteria.

You can catch a virus through direct contact (such as someone's breath) or indirect contact (such as touching a surface that someone with a virus has touched).

As symptoms of viruses often take a few days to appear, it's very easy to become infected without realising.