Any type of infection in the throat, sinuses, trachea and lungs is called Respiratory Tract Infection (RTI). Cold is the biggest RTI problem. Doctors have identified RTI in two ways. These are-
1. Upper respiratory tract infection: An upper respiratory tract infection is an infection of the nose, ears, throat and sinuses. Tonsillitis (infection of the tonsils), sinusitis (infection of the sinuses), laryngitis (infection of the larynx), otitis media (infection of the ear) etc. are the main ones. Symptoms of these infections include sneezing, coughing, sore throat, headache, runny nose, etc.
2. Lower respiratory tract infection: Lower respiratory tract infection is an infection of the trachea and lungs. These include flu (infection of the respiratory tract), bronchitis (infection of the respiratory tract), pneumonia (infection of the lungs), tuberculosis or tuberculosis (chronic bacterial infection of the lungs).