Rhinovirus infection in adults

What is a rhinovirus infection

This is one of the varieties of SARS, which affects the upper respiratory tract – the nose and nasopharynx. It proceeds in the form of rhinitis and pharyngitis. You can catch a rhinovirus infection all year round, but usually the epidemic rise is observed in autumn and spring, when our immunity is as weak as possible. A person can get sick more than once in a year.

The body is highly susceptible to rhinovirus infection. Therefore, it is rapidly gaining momentum of the epidemic. Outbreaks are recorded in groups – among the military, students, schoolchildren. At particular risk are children, as well as the elderly, weakened, malnourished people.

Causes of rhinovirus infection in adults

The causative agents of the disease are small rhinoviruses without an outer shell. They are unstable in the external environment and quickly die when exposed to adverse factors.

The source of infection is carriers of the virus or patients who become infectious the day before the onset of signs of the disease and remain so for the next 5 to 10 days (until the runny nose stops).

The method of transmission is airborne. The bacilli are spread by particles of saliva and nasopharyngeal discharge from an infected person. Microbes penetrate into a healthy body through the cavities of the nose and mouth, the mucous membrane of the eyes. The risk of getting sick depends greatly on the state of your immune system, as well as on how long and close you were next to the infected. The chances of getting sick increase from hypothermia, being in public places.

Symptoms of rhinovirus infection in adults

The first symptoms of the disease appear after a short latent period, which lasts from 1 to 5 days. The focus of infection is formed in the nasal cavity.

Rhinovirus infection is characterized by:

• nasal congestion;
• sneezing
• profuse runny nose;
• temperature (up to 38 °С);
• feeling of chills;
• sore throat, coughing;
• general malaise.

Due to a runny nose and the constant use of tissues or a handkerchief, the skin in the nose area may turn red and begin to peel off. Sometimes there is herpes on the lips and under the nose. There may be photophobia, lacrimation, redness of the eyelids.

When complications occur, pain in the bridge of the nose, loss of smell and taste, pain in one or both ears, and hearing loss are added to the above symptoms.

Treatment of rhinovirus infection in adults

As a rule, a rhinovirus infection develops within 5-7 days, proceeds quite easily and ends with a complete recovery.

Diagnostics

Most often, rhinovirus infection is diagnosed according to the clinical picture, and the epidemiological situation in the environment of the patient is also taken into account.

To clarify the diagnosis, specific studies are used:

• Virological examination of discharge from the nose. It is taken no later than 5 days from the onset of the disease. The goal is to detect rhinovirus in the sample.
• Serodiagnostics. A reaction that allows you to detect antibodies or antigens of the infectious agent in the patient’s blood.
• Express diagnostics – PCR. Determines the presence of rhinovirus in exhaled air.

In the event of complications, the patient may be referred for examination to the ENT or pulmonologist.

Modern treatments

Treatment of rhinovirus is mainly symptomatic therapy. To get better soon, follow these tips:

• drink more – tea, juices, fruit drinks, ordinary water;
• eat right – the diet should be balanced, include foods containing many vitamins and minerals;
• limit physical activity, if necessary, lie in bed;
• do hot foot baths;
• rinse your nose with a weak saline solution, use vasoconstrictor drugs to ease breathing, and Interferon to increase local immunity;
• take anti-inflammatory and antihistamines;
• if you have a cough, add cough medicine.

Prevention of rhinovirus infection in adults at home

There is no vaccine for this infection. It is impossible to develop a vaccine, since there are so many types of rhinovirus.

To avoid infection will help the observance of the general rules of prevention:

• if there is a sick person in the house, if possible, isolate him in a separate room;
• ventilate the room, do wet cleaning with disinfectants;
• allocate a separate set of cutlery and dishes to the sick person;
• in the season of SARS epidemics, eat well, drink vitamins;
• do not neglect the rules of personal hygiene;
• when returning from the street, rinse your nose with saline;
• avoid crowded places during SARS epidemics.

By following these basic rules, the risk of infection can be minimized or even prevented.

Popular questions and answers

We asked to answer questions about rhinovirus infection therapist, occupational pathologist Svetlana Burnatskaya.