Please help, respiratory [post viral] issues driving me nuts!

[Double_Rainbow]

Exactly 4 weeks ago I came down with a bad head cold, non-stop coughing, runny nose, aches/pains and all that good stuff. Well, I have pretty much recovered now, but the cough has never fully went away. In addition, I have this hypersensitivity and tightness in my throat, which changes locations depending on what I do and time of day. In the evening when I lay down, my upper throat starts to be very irritated and I cough. Even breathing air through the nose irritates it enough to want me to cough. This happens every evening, funny eh? In the day, however, it's either my lower throat (where thyroid is) or my chest/lungs feel tight and/or congested. Sometimes I feel like a ball is stuck in my throat where my thyroid is. Also during the day, sometimes cough can be provoked by bending down and straightening up, or even by starting to talk. Most of the times I can suppress the cough by for example clearing my throat, but sometimes I can't. It's not a lot of cough but it stays at the low level and it gets me scared. And all that throat/lung tightness and irritation is also annoying. I also have some stuffiness in my throat and have to clear it often. When I do, my throat often gets so irritated as if somebody got it with the sandpaper. This irritation I feel makes me want to cough.

I am trying to be rational but of course my brain gets hung up on the terrified thoughts about lung cancer. I want to run to the doc to get an x-ray, but I don't want to get back into that rabbit hole with nonstop doctor running. My bf thinks I don't need an x-ray and it's just a post-viral thing! Please, tell me something good. I did not have any symptoms before this head cold. I have a lot of irritation (and most of it) in my throat, not in the lungs. It comes and goes, and changes locations. Please give me some reasoning why or why not I should get an x-ray!!! Thanks!

[ankietyjoe]

The last infection I had took about 3-4 weeks to go, but the cough took closer to 3 months to disappear completely. It's normal.

Stop over analysing the small details of the symptoms, it'll pass in time.

[Double_Rainbow]

The last infection I had took about 3-4 weeks to go, but the cough took closer to 3 months to disappear completely. It's normal.

Stop over analysing the small details of the symptoms, it'll pass in time.
Thank you so much for your response! I appreciate it. Hugs!

[Carys]

ahhhhhhhhhaaaaaaa......I had a cold about 2 months ago, a really bad one that kept me up coughing all night long. It was about the worst I'd ever had. The cold went after 10 days, the cough remained, which I had never had before. I never even thought 'lung cancer', why would I? as there was a very obvious cause and effect, just as you have here.

The cough got worse when I went to bed (lying down), and if I was in certain positions but I was all day clearing my throat, feeling tickly and having odd sensations in my soft palate. I started using cough sweets just to try and supress doing the cough, but apart from distract me they did nothing much.

I understand from my own reading that if you have a cough with a cold (not everyone does) then it can take many weeks to go, apparently 8 weeks isn't uncommon. It is a combination of irritation, post nasal drip and an over responsiveness to the cold virus which remains for some time in the mucous membranes. The only need to see the doctor is if it gets worse, you are breathless or have chest pain/start coughing up thick yukky stuff all over again or have a temperature.These could indicate a bacterial infection following the cold.



Mine has gone this week, hurrah ! I suspect yours will slowly slowly get better also.

[ankietyjoe]

Actually looking back, I had the virus in October last year and the cough didn't go until March this year. Almost 5 months.


And, what Carys said.

One thing that I learned was that coughing too hard and too much will keep the inflammation going. Try to cough as little as necessary. I used a lot of steam inhalers to make the......stuff....come up easier.

[Double_Rainbow]

Thank you Carys and Ankietyjoe, I appreciate your responses! It seems like an awfully long time to have the lingering cough after a [presumably viral] infection. I was coughing so bad that I was getting sore chest, but that kinda cough has long been gone. Now I only have minor cough, which I can suppress in most cases, and yes, I do try to cough as little as possible, because coughing drives anxiety up.

It is worse at night or when I lay down or get up, and I feel all stuffy, I am clearing my throat, feel tickling and irritation in my throat. Occasionally I think that I have a very mild tightness in the chest, but it goes away and I am not sure if I am imagining it or not.

Thank you once again guys for your support.

[ankietyjoe]

You're still analysing it......:winks:


Just let it be, it'll pass.

[Carys]

Yep, no need to analyse, it'll clear up.



It is worse at night or when I lay down or get up, and I feel all stuffy, I am clearing my throat, feel tickling and irritation in my throat.


Literally what I described above :D

[Double_Rainbow]

You're still analysing it......:winks:


Just let it be, it'll pass.

Yeah, this too shall pass.

I guess I am sensitive to this because of a recent very sad event. I won't go into details to avoid possibly triggering people, but someone was coughing for a long time and it didn't end well. So now I am super sensitive to this whole thing :weep: