Overview of Respiratory Infections (click on a topic):

Respiratory Infections

Introduction:

Respiratory infections account for a great number of trips of patients to a doctor's office, particularly during the winter season. There are an array of different forms of respiratory infections depending on what tissues of the respiratory tract are affected (see table above), but often it is a flu virus that starts the infectious process.

With the common cold the patient would normally recover within 3 to 7 days. However, if subsequently the fever reoccurs and the flu symptoms are worsening, it is quite likely that the patient experiences a superinfection with another bug, perhaps this time a bacterial infection. In patients whose immune system is suppressed from chemotherapy or because they have another chronic disease, the probability of a superinfection increases. In children of less than 12 years of age the immune system is not as mature as in adults as their immune system has not encountered the many different viral strains that exist. The general resistance to infections in childhood is not as high as later in life.

The reason for this is found in the memory immune cells that produce background amounts of antibodies with very different virus specific antibodies. In case of an encounter with the same strain these minute amounts of antibodies immediately inactivate the first encounter in the back of the nose when the virus is inhaled and the memory immune cells stimulate the production of more of this specific antibody needed at the time. You may remember episodes where everybody around you had a cold, but you only got a tickle in your nose and nothing further happened. You were protected by this immune mechanism.

Detoxification:

Before jumping to treatment with antibiotics only, I like to point out that it is important for the body to be detoxified so that the nutrients and supplements can access the cells and help the immune system to fight infections as well. Books like "Breakthrough" (Ref.13) by Suzanne Somers have reviewed newer insights of antiaging medicine. This points out the importance of detoxifying the body from heavy metals like mercury, lead and cadmium. Glutathione, a natural compound active in the liver, supports the immune system in fighting infections and parasites. Some antiaging physicians recommend to treat with intravenous chelation, which can include vitamin C and glutathione. These, however, are only non-specific measures to strengthen the body's immune system.

For more details about the various types of respiratory infections see the table above.

Disclaimer

This outline is only a teaching aid to patients and should stimulate you to ask the right questions when seeing your doctor. However, the responsibility of treatment stays in the hands of your doctor and you.

References

1. James Chin et al., Editors: Control of Communicable Diseases Manual, 17th edition, 2000, American Public Health Association.

2. The Merck Manual, 7th edition, by M. H. Beers et al., Whitehouse Station, N.J., 1999. Section 13, p.1088-1339.

3. The Merck Manual, 7th edition, by M. H. Beers et al., Whitehouse Station, N.J., 1999. Chapter 265.

4. The Merck Manual, 7th edition, by M. H. Beers et al., Whitehouse Station, N.J., 1999. Chapter 87.

5. The Merck Manual, 7th edition, by M. H. Beers et al., Whitehouse Station, N.J., 1999. Chapter 84.

6. The Merck Manual, 7th edition, by M. H. Beers et al., Whitehouse Station, N.J., 1999. Chapter 88.

7. The Merck Manual, 7th edition, by M. H. Beers et al., Whitehouse Station, N.J., 1999. Chapter 69.

8. The Merck Manual, 7th edition, by M. H. Beers et al., Whitehouse Station, N.J., 1999. Chapter 68.

9. The Merck Manual, 7th edition, by M. H. Beers et al., Whitehouse Station, N.J., 1999. Chapter 73.

10. The Merck Manual, 7th edition, by M. H. Beers et al., Whitehouse Station, N.J., 1999. Chapter 157.

11. John Stavrinides and David Guttman : Journal of Virology (2004; 78: 76–82).

12. David Heymann, MD, Editor: Control of Communicable Diseases Manual, 18th Edition, 2004, American Public Health Association.

13. Suzanne Somers: "Breakthrough" Eight Steps to Wellness-- Life-altering Secrets from Today's Cutting-edge Doctors", Crown Publishers, 2008

Last Modified: April 29, 2009