In the autumn and spring, when the body is weakened and subjected to a stressful situation (the weather conditions change dramatically - the transition from heat to cold and vice versa), there are often well-known abbreviations in doctors 'cards, doctors' conclusions "ORZ" and "ARVI".
At first glance, it seems that these are completely different diseases, as it is useless to invent separate names for the same diseases. But in fact, the difference between them is not great, if you evaluate the disease according to the symptoms, but their pathogens vary, which determines the strategy of treatment.
What is ARI and ARVI?
The key to understanding the difference between ARI and ARVI is in deciphering abbreviations:
- Acute respiratory disease;
- ARVI is an acute respiratory viral infection.
So, ARI is a disease characterized by an acute course of symptoms affecting the respiratory system, since "respiratory" is "related to breathing".
ARI is a collection of different symptoms that can be caused by both bacteria and viruses.
At the same time, ARVI is just like acute respiratory disease, an acute disease, the symptoms of which are manifested in violation of the respiratory system, but in this case the pathogen is known - it is the virus.
What is the difference between ARI and ARVI?
So, the main difference between ARI and ARVI is that the first disease can cause both bacteria and viruses, and the second only viruses.
To accurately determine what became the causative agent of the disease, it is often necessary to conduct a special analysis on the microflora of the throat, the decoding of which requires a lot of time. Therefore, it is appropriate to carry out such analyzes only with chronic diseases of the throat, and in the acute course of the disease, a prompt diagnosis and treatment is required.
In addition, often a viral infection, not finding proper resistance in the body, develops, and within a few days it is joined by a bacterial infection. This "mix" doctors identify as ARI. When it is for certain that the virus has become the pathogen, the doctor diagnoses ARVI.
Let us sum up what was said with the help of the theses:
- ARI is a combination of diseases that are caused either by bacteria or by viruses.
- SARS is a type of acute respiratory disease, which is characterized by viral etiology.
- ORZ usually occurs after hypothermia, and ARVI - after infection from a source of viruses.
- Pathogens may be streptococci, staphylococci, pneumococci, as well as viruses - pertussis, measles, respiratory syncytial, adenoviruses, influenza and parainfluenza viruses. The latter can cause and SARS.
How to distinguish ARVI from ARI by symptoms?
The symptoms of ARVI and ARI differ a little, and that is why it is difficult for a layman to distinguish between them.
Signs of ARVI:
- sneezing, the formation of transparent mucus in the nasopharynx - the natural reaction of the body to the invasion of viruses;
- general weakness;
- on the second and third day of the disease, a sharp temperature jump up to 38 degrees is possible, which does not last long; this is due to the virus getting into the blood, which causes intoxication;
- there is a high probability that the virus will affect the mucous eye and gastrointestinal tract;
- At the final stage, if they have a cough and runny nose, they are wet.
Signs of ARI:
- as a rule, the disease manifests itself brightly from the first days - the temperature rises, which lasts for a long time, the throat either becomes covered with white coating (with angina), or looks red and inflamed (with pharyngitis);
- cough - first dry, then wet; bronchitis;
- nasopharyngitis - inflammation of the mucous membranes with the release of clear liquid, mucus or pus;
- Tracheitis - usually occurs with a dry cough.
To distinguish a bacterial infection from a viral infection is possible by the appearance of the throat - with a white touch shows a bacterial infection, with red veins - a viral infection. Sputum during a viral infection is transparent. When bacterial it has green, yellow and other shades.
Thus, the signs of ARVI and ARI are similar, and to distinguish them,
Treatment in ARI and ARVI
Treatment of acute respiratory viral infection and acute respiratory disease is different only if the ORZ is caused by bacteria. In this case, antibiotics are needed, to which the bacteria are sensitive. If ARI is combined, and caused by both bacteria and viruses, then immunostimulating agents are also needed. ARVI is treated with immunostimulating drugs, abundant warm drinking and local treatment of the upper respiratory tract with nasal and throat sprays, and inhalations.