Condition Lookup
Category:
Respiratory Conditions
Number of Conditions: 5
Common Cold
Specialty: Internal Medicine
Category: Respiratory Conditions
Symptoms:
runny nose; sneezing; sore throat; cough; mild fever; fatigue; congestion
Root Cause:
Viral infection of the upper respiratory tract, commonly caused by rhinoviruses.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Based on clinical symptoms; no specific tests are usually required.
Treatment:
Rest, hydration, over-the-counter (OTC) symptom relief medications.
Medications:
Decongestants (e.g., pseudoephedrine ), antihistamines (e.g., diphenhydramine ), pain relievers (e.g., ibuprofen or acetaminophen ).
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Very common; adults average 2–3 colds per year.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Close contact with infected individuals, colder seasons, weakened immune system.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Excellent; most cases resolve within 7–10 days.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Secondary bacterial infections such as sinusitis or ear infections (rare).
Influenza (Flu)
Specialty: Internal Medicine
Category: Respiratory Conditions
Symptoms:
fever; chills; muscle aches; cough; congestion; fatigue; sore throat
Root Cause:
Infection by influenza viruses (A, B, or C) affecting the respiratory system.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Clinical evaluation; confirmed by rapid influenza diagnostic tests (RIDTs) or PCR tests.
Treatment:
Supportive care (rest, fluids), antiviral medications for severe cases.
Medications:
Antivirals such as oseltamivir (Tamiflu ), zanamivir (Relenza ), peramivir (Rapivab ). These are neuraminidase inhibitors.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Affects 5–20% of the population annually, depending on the season.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Age extremes, chronic illnesses, pregnancy, healthcare workers.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Usually resolves within 1–2 weeks, but complications can occur in vulnerable populations.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Pneumonia, bronchitis, exacerbation of chronic conditions, hospitalization.
Sinusitis
Specialty: Internal Medicine
Category: Respiratory Conditions
Symptoms:
facial pain or pressure; nasal congestion; runny nose; headache; fever; tooth pain; postnasal drip
Root Cause:
Inflammation or infection of the sinuses, often caused by a viral, bacterial, or fungal infection or allergies.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Clinical examination, imaging (e.g., CT scan) if chronic or recurrent.
Treatment:
Symptomatic relief for viral cases (hydration, nasal irrigation, decongestants), antibiotics for bacterial infections, surgery for severe chronic cases.
Medications:
Nasal corticosteroids (e.g., fluticasone ), antibiotics (e.g., amoxicillin ) if bacterial, decongestants (e.g., pseudoephedrine ).
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Common, with millions of cases annually; can be acute or chronic.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Allergies, smoking, nasal polyps, previous respiratory infections.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Usually resolves in a few weeks with appropriate treatment; chronic cases may require long-term management.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Chronic sinusitis, orbital cellulitis, brain abscess (rare).
Tonsillitis
Specialty: Internal Medicine
Category: Respiratory Conditions
Symptoms:
sore throat; difficulty swallowing; fever; swollen and red tonsils; white patches on tonsils; bad breath
Root Cause:
Infection and inflammation of the tonsils, typically caused by viruses (e.g., adenovirus) or bacteria (e.g., Streptococcus pyogenes).
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Throat examination, rapid strep test, throat culture.
Treatment:
Viral cases
Medications:
Antibiotics such as penicillin or amoxicillin for bacterial cases; OTC pain relievers like ibuprofen or acetaminophen .
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Very common in children; less frequent in adults.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Frequent exposure to infections, close contact with infected individuals, weakened immune system.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Good with treatment; most cases resolve in 7–10 days.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Peritonsillar abscess, airway obstruction (in severe cases), rheumatic fever (if untreated strep infection).
Laryngitis
Specialty: Internal Medicine
Category: Respiratory Conditions
Symptoms:
hoarseness; loss of voice; sore throat; dry throat; cough
Root Cause:
Inflammation of the larynx, often due to viral infections, overuse of the voice, or irritants (e.g., smoke).
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Based on clinical symptoms; laryngoscopy may be used for chronic or severe cases.
Treatment:
Resting the voice, hydration, treating the underlying cause (e.g., antibiotics for bacterial infection).
Medications:
Antibiotics (if bacterial, though rare), OTC pain relievers like acetaminophen or ibuprofen , corticosteroids for severe inflammation.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Very common; acute laryngitis occurs frequently in individuals who use their voice excessively or have respiratory infections.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Overuse of the voice, smoking, GERD, respiratory infections.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Excellent; acute cases typically resolve in a few days to weeks.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Chronic laryngitis, vocal cord damage (rare), persistent hoarseness requiring specialist evaluation.