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upper respiratory infection (uri)

an upper respiratory infection (uri) is an infection of the nose, sinuses, or throat. examples of uris include colds, influenza (flu), and sinusitis. common symptoms are a runny or stuffy nose and a cough.

most uris can be treated with home care. this may include drinking lots of fluids and taking over-the-counter pain medicine. most people feel better in 4 to 10 days.

if a doctor suspects that a uri is caused by bacteria, antibiotics are prescribed. but almost all uris are caused by viruses. antibiotics don't kill viruses, so they won't help cure a viral infection.

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