Ok when the common cold lasts say 3 weeks, do you need to worry about it?

How about a month long common cold, is it time to worry?

How long should one wait to get a doctor to look at the common cold - assuming you are in relatively good health, not in one of the age groups where the cold turns nasty.

You know the symptoms, sneezing, sniffling, coughing, sinus drip, that "icky" feeling.

Now I know there is nothing that they can do for the common cold, but is there an amount of time when it should be seen?

David

Is there a fever related?

If its just feeling yucky, no fever, etc...I don't think there is much point to going to the doc. But if it goes on for that long and has a fever, you need to go, because it may have turned from "common cold" to upper respiratory infection.

Fever means infection, all righty then, I will go see the octor.

Thanks

Today went to doctor. It appears that I have a sinus infection and it has dropped to the lungs. The paper says: Mycoplasma Infection.

A quick look on the Internet and I find that this is also called Walking Pneumonia. Ain't I special, don't just get a cold but get walking pneumonia as well.

So I am on antibiotics, inhalers and codeine cough medicine and "rest" Yeah, right rest....

Next time - if anyone gets a cold that lasts more than 14 days, go to doctor ASAP - it appears that you can get your death of cold....

David

Wow David, I am sorry that it is so serious. I hope you get to feeling better soon.

I think the general rule of thumb is symptoms lasting 7-10 days, no biggie, but if longer see the doctor, and if combined with a fever, 5-7 or so.

Its hard, because we all get told not to rush off to the doctor for antibiotics, so now we tend to wait too long.

Get well soon.

David --

Be very careful with walking pneumonia,it reoccurs very easily -- often times much worse than when it started. You may start feeling like your old, healthy self and can over-do it and wind up with a much worse infection.

Get lots of rest, drink lots of fluids, and be sure to eat healthy. Don't rush off to the gym or do too strenuous exercise too soon!

Good Point Oceangurl!

And just to add to that....take all the antibiotics. Don't stop just because you feel better!

For the record, "walking pneumonia" refers to any case of pneumonia for which the patient does not need to be hospitalized. It does not have specific behavior, such as recurring more frequently than other conditions, in that the bugs that cause pneumonia are many and varied. M. pneumoniae, which is evidently what David has, is but one of many that can cause pneumonia; if it's serious enough, a person with pneumonia gets hospitalized. In the old days, that meant most, because antibiotics were fewer and less effective, and pneumonia was often fatal. Nowadays, most people with pneumonia, assuming it's a de novo disease and not a complication of other illnesses, don't require hospitalization. Thus, the term "walking pneumonia," which was never an official medical classification, has less meaning.

Obviously, Sid knows best. Regardless, the point is to take good care of yourself David!

Another good reason to get checked out if the "cold" doesn't go away within a reasonable amount of time is pleurisy.
I had that along with walking pneumonia in March 1977, after having had a cold for 3 months! And let me tell you - the pleurisy was worse than the pneumonia!
I hope you're well by now, David!

I finished the run of antibiotics (on Christmas day!), I felt great for about the span of a week, but now the sinuses are all stuffed up, the lungs feel "tight" and I have that run down feeling - even though I haven't been playing in traffic.

Right now I am uninsured. I am "between" plans - In case you don't know there are new domestic Partnership laws which have required California companies to carry insurance for domestic partners, somehow this worked against the plan my Partner has through his company. So I am waiting patiently for the fourth medical card of the past year.

Doc said to take Claritin OTC - I've been doing that and my sinuses are still clogging and post nasal drip. Right now my ears are stuffy and itchy, way down deep. Pressure behind my eyes, my tear ducts feel itchy - they no longer produce many tears kind of dry.

I am at a loss as to what to do - If I go to my doctor the bill will be high - If I go to a free clinic or my old doctor with sliding pay scale the bill will be lower, but then there is the issue of medical files - after all I have this being done by one doctor, getting another involved at this time seems a tad dangerous to me. I have had issues take place with doctor switch over before.

So Unless somebody says go to the ER I am going to wait until Kaiser gets it's act together and sends me the card and the confirmation of an active medical insurance plan -