What Is an Upper Respiratory Infection?
Upper respiratory infections are a set of common illnesses that impact the upper tract of the respiratory system. This system is comprised of the sinuses, nasal passage, pharynx and larynx. Each year, URIs cause more people to miss time from work or school than any other reason.
If you’ve ever had a cold, you have had a URI. Other illnesses lead to similar symptoms, with varying degrees of severity. Fall and winter tend to be the time of year when URIs are most persistent due to the close proximity between people in indoor spaces and the lower humidity air during that time of year.
