Mmmm are these symptoms common for a cold?

If I die, I would like to donate all my Lurve to charity.

I have had colds that went into my chest, & made my lungs feel ‘itchy’ inside. Are you feeling better aside from the cough? If not, you should probably see a doctor to rule out a secondary infection.

Yeah I am feeling fine. The only other problem is feeling cold most of the time but I cannot be sure if that is because I have moved from a really warm house to my cold one as I came home from holiday and my house mates at uni insist on having heating on all the time.

Should I just ride it out then but seek help if it lasts for more than a week?

There are two possibilities here which I have experienced several times in my life.

It could be a bronchial infection which then requires antibiotics to clear up.

It could be pneumonia which also requires antibiotics.

Only a doctor (and possibly a chest X-Ray) can tell for sure. If it’s either of these two, the longer you wait, the more deeply entrenched the infection can become.

You sound as if you’re in the UK so since it isn’t a matter of cost, why would you hesitate to seek medical diagnosis?

There is no downside to getting it defined asap.

Are your coughs ‘productive’ (bring up mucus) or dry coughs? Are you experiencing any fever? What kinds of remedy’s have you tried? (ie. breathing steam, menthol rubs, cough remedy’s) I am a big fan of menthol-eucalyptus salves on my chest for colds and coughs. Any sinus problems accompanying these other symptoms? dang! I’m question boy this morning To cover myself, I would make an appointment for an examination if you dont clear up in a couple few days. Hope you feel better soon, Merry Christmas!

Slow onset (more than a day) -> Cold

Quick onset (several hours) -> Flu

Sounds like upper respiratory infection or congestion. I always take something for chest congestion if my cough is not producing phlegm that can be spit out. Drink plenty of fluids!

@Buttonstc Because I generally don’t like to take medicine if I can avoid it altogether. I feel that if you just take medicine every time you get a cold its bad for your immune system in the long run. Plus I didn’t want to go to the doctors if it was something that just went away on its own within a week. It also feels like it is fading away or at least has reached its peak already.

@majorrich They are being productive now – producing a small amount of thick mucus sometimes (like only 3–4 times today) but it is not bloody or any scary colour. I haven’t had any fever symptoms besides feeling cold but as I said I think thats due to the house being cold as I am fine when lying under many covers in bed. I have tried syrup that is supposed to help “chesty coughs” and I haven’t noticed any improvement.

But yeah it seems to be diminishing. What I was worried about was how it spread from my neck down to my chest. Is that normal or something alarming?

@daemonelson What do you mean by onset? How can you be sure when you first “picked” up the cold/flu?

I think I got it on Sunday when I met my mum to go home either in town or just her carrying it (as my little sister seems to have the same problem as me) and I think I started developing coughing later that day but thought nothing of it. I don’t think I could have contracted it before Sunday as I had never left the house since the Thursday before (lol sad yes but I was packing/cleaning/pokering).

Mm seems the other symptoms of cold are catching up. My nose is starting to get blocked, and I have sneezing sensations (and sneezes).

In 3 weeks you will probably be all better and wondering what the fuss was about!

@rooeytoo I am hardly sick though, so this is a big thing for me :D. Must be because I am getting older and frailer (almost 20 years old, ouch)

@Ame_Evil – heheheh, yep that is probably it, once you hit 20, it all starts to slide downhill.
Hang on and enjoy the ride! ;-)

My son has essentially the same symptoms. Have been seeing a lot of it here, but I am in the US. It eventually sorts itself out but it is lasting longer than most colds. Having productive coughs and sinus with a slow onset are not symptoms associated with flu (H1N1 or anything else) I recommend irrigating your sinus’ and chest plasters to comfort your cough. I think you’ll be fine.

It sounds like you might have the flu, the good old fashioned plain ordinary seasonal kind. You may want to see your doctor. Most people get over the flu in a week or ten days or so, sometimes it takes longer for some people, but still, the flu can be dangerous. Seeing your doctor, when you have a medical problem is always probably a better bet than asking people online who have no medical expertise to diagnose you.

I would take some kind of over the counter expectorant to get the mucus out of your lungs Drink a lot of water with this. Mucinex, or the generic of it is good. Anything with a higher amount of dextromethorphan is good for the cough. Sleep as much as you can. It’s a great way to heal. If you start running a fever and it’s not gone after a day or so, see the doctor.

Seems every day something new is happening. My coughs are starting to get more plegmy and my nose is either feeling wet or blocked in one nostril (it keeps switching for some annoying yet humorous reason).

@Ame_Evil By ‘onset’ I mean transition time between feeling perfectly normal and feeling utterly terrible.