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Having Cough And Chest Congestion. Feeling Tired And Fatigued. What Are The Complications?
Question: Hi, I have been extremely tired for several days (slept 11 hours last night), and since yesterday, I have had a semi-productive cough and chest congestion. This began about three days ago as runny nose and lots of sneezing. Mucus is clear, and I assumed it was nothing more than allergies initially -- I have a runny nose from what I believe to be dust allergies. No fever to speak of, but on Saturday and Sunday I spent the night in home with a little girl who had/has pneumonia and strep throat. Not sure whether to rest and get through it, or go visit a doctor. I'm drinking copious amounts of fluid to hopefully loosen the chest up, but it's the constant fatigue that concerns me -- and the sense that I might be incubating something more serious. In case it's related, last week I had a painful period, seven days, in which I remained particularly exhausted. (I'm a really healthy, usually fit person -- swim or run everyday and lotsa yoga). Am I being crazy? Just a normal cold? Have a history of sinus infections. What would you suggest?
Hi there,
Thanks for writing in.
I am a medical specialist with an additional degree in Cardiology. I read your mail with diligence. As you do not have fever, the expectorant is mucoid which is clear. That leaves a contact with a person who had presumably high likely hood of having a bacterial infection. The respiratory infections spread through air droplets. You develop a fatigue. You are doing right by taking copious amount of water. In addition take two OTC medicines, Tylenol 500 mg thrice a day and OTC cough expectorant (guaifenesin) and add a OTC antihistamine tablet (Claritin or Zyrtec at bed time or when you want to rest.
These should make you feel better in 24 hours of rest. If you do not feel better.
Or, if you start having fever, your expectorant changes from mucoid to purulent or there is no relief in symptoms whatsoever, then we are not dealing with viral or allergic rhinopharyngitis, please fix an appointment with the doctor and get yourself examined if need be doctor will get x-ray chest and prescribe an antibiotic.
I hope that answer your question, if not please ask a supplementary, I will be only too happy to answer that. Regards.
With Best Wishes
Dr Anil Grover,
Medical Specialist & Cardiologist
M.B.;B.S, M.D. (Internal Medicine) D.M.(Cardiology)
http://www/ WWW.WWWW.WW
Thanks for writing in.
I am a medical specialist with an additional degree in Cardiology. I read your mail with diligence. As you do not have fever, the expectorant is mucoid which is clear. That leaves a contact with a person who had presumably high likely hood of having a bacterial infection. The respiratory infections spread through air droplets. You develop a fatigue. You are doing right by taking copious amount of water. In addition take two OTC medicines, Tylenol 500 mg thrice a day and OTC cough expectorant (guaifenesin) and add a OTC antihistamine tablet (Claritin or Zyrtec at bed time or when you want to rest.
These should make you feel better in 24 hours of rest. If you do not feel better.
Or, if you start having fever, your expectorant changes from mucoid to purulent or there is no relief in symptoms whatsoever, then we are not dealing with viral or allergic rhinopharyngitis, please fix an appointment with the doctor and get yourself examined if need be doctor will get x-ray chest and prescribe an antibiotic.
I hope that answer your question, if not please ask a supplementary, I will be only too happy to answer that. Regards.
With Best Wishes
Dr Anil Grover,
Medical Specialist & Cardiologist
M.B.;B.S, M.D. (Internal Medicine) D.M.(Cardiology)
http://www/ WWW.WWWW.WW
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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