Hi, my family has been ill from christmas eve with cold symptoms, coughing, blocked nose, and since around last saturday I started coughing alot, and have had a temperature, headache and painful hip joints. I started off with the coughing and for the past 5 days have been coughing green and yellow phlegm and sometimes clear. I sometimes also get phlegm in my mouth and dont know if its from my throught, but its sometimes yellow with streaks of blood. I have had a blocked nose and my neck glands hurt and I do still have runny nose with green stuff, but mostly a bad cough and wheezing sometimes, and a temperature and chills. The chills have been on and off for the past 3 or 4 days. Is this a chest infection, flu or cold, and how long should it last? Should I see a doctor if it lasts any longer? I know these symptoms sound pretty bad, but i dont feel very ill, I do feel tired though coz I was coughing all night last night, and my back/chest was painful to sleep on one side for some reason! Any way I'd be grateful for any advice! Thanks!

I'd say that you have a bad cold. The flu would knock you completely out and you say that you don't feel very ill. Colds are horrible as they can hang on for a couple of weeks or more. Something like Tylenol (Paracetemol in the UK) or Ibuprofen will take care of aches and pains as well as fever. Just hang in there and I hope you feel better soon!

Thanks for the replie! The coughing always gets to me when I egt colds,. It always seems to go down to my chest. I also have asthma so I find it hard to know if I have a chest infection or if my asthma is playing up. I went to the pharmacy today and got some cough medicine so hopefuly that will help. Thge pharmacist thinks I should see a doctor though incvase its a start of a chest infection. I might wait and see how I feel and then go if it carries on. Thanks again for the replie!

cat

No problem! :) I'm the same way..a lot of the time a cold will end up going straight to my chest. I've had pneumonia twice and I have very slight asthma that only acts up when I start to get a cold. I don't know about you but I would rather get a stomach flu than deal with coughs, colds and flu!

Take care and feel better soon!

Nicole :wave:

yes exactly!!! My asthma is pretty good all year, but once i getba cold it acts up and makes me cough all night for weeks! Its so exhausting! Id also rather have a stom,ach flue than the coughing and stuff! I hope it goes soon.lol

cat