4th cold / chest infection of the year!
Discussion
I was going to look for another forum to stick this on but after almost a lifetime on here, I found "Health Matters" so I'm wondering if one of the PH docs can help me on this.... 
I'm now entering the fourth cold / chest infection I've had this year and quite frankly, I'm pretty fed up with it all.
I moved to Gibraltar in June last year and was fine up until December. In fact, I had a very mild cold in November time but it wasn't bad and disappeared within a couple of days and I usually get a cold or two each year.
In January however I got a bad chest infection and the doc diagnosed me with bronchitis and gave me a course of antibiotics for a week. The infection duly went away. However about 2 weeks later I got another cold. This disappeared again after about a week but then I developed a severe chest infection. This went on for three weeks and by the fourth week, I saw the doc again and it was diagnosed as mild pneumonia. I was immediately put on a course of antibiotics (again reluctantly), for 2 weeks and within another 3 weeks, I seems fit and healthy again.
Now just 4 weeks since all that happened, I'm sick again with another cold and I feel it moving into my chest again.
I consider myself to be pretty fit. I cycle 100km once a week road biking, I don't smoke and I don't drink very much. I eat healthily although I don't eat as much fruit as I should.
On the negative side I've had a very stressful year going through a divorce and relocating to another country. I imagine that has something to do with it but who knows.
Can anyone suggest (before I go to the doctors again), what could be the issue and what I should try and get the doc to look for? I figured a full health check should be on the cards but is there anything else? In Gibraltar since my doctor is private, antibiotics seems to be the cure for everything however I do not want to take any more unless I am dying.
Thanks!
I'm now entering the fourth cold / chest infection I've had this year and quite frankly, I'm pretty fed up with it all.
I moved to Gibraltar in June last year and was fine up until December. In fact, I had a very mild cold in November time but it wasn't bad and disappeared within a couple of days and I usually get a cold or two each year.
In January however I got a bad chest infection and the doc diagnosed me with bronchitis and gave me a course of antibiotics for a week. The infection duly went away. However about 2 weeks later I got another cold. This disappeared again after about a week but then I developed a severe chest infection. This went on for three weeks and by the fourth week, I saw the doc again and it was diagnosed as mild pneumonia. I was immediately put on a course of antibiotics (again reluctantly), for 2 weeks and within another 3 weeks, I seems fit and healthy again.
Now just 4 weeks since all that happened, I'm sick again with another cold and I feel it moving into my chest again.
I consider myself to be pretty fit. I cycle 100km once a week road biking, I don't smoke and I don't drink very much. I eat healthily although I don't eat as much fruit as I should.
On the negative side I've had a very stressful year going through a divorce and relocating to another country. I imagine that has something to do with it but who knows.
Can anyone suggest (before I go to the doctors again), what could be the issue and what I should try and get the doc to look for? I figured a full health check should be on the cards but is there anything else? In Gibraltar since my doctor is private, antibiotics seems to be the cure for everything however I do not want to take any more unless I am dying.
Thanks!
a) could you be anaemic?
b) do you ever get heartburn or other symptoms of reflux?
a) would be fairly straightforward immune system not working well due to the anaemia (stress can also do this). b) is me speculating that you might be having bad reflux (if so probably at night) which is ending up with some stomach acid and stuff going in your lungs and causing these infections.
b) do you ever get heartburn or other symptoms of reflux?
a) would be fairly straightforward immune system not working well due to the anaemia (stress can also do this). b) is me speculating that you might be having bad reflux (if so probably at night) which is ending up with some stomach acid and stuff going in your lungs and causing these infections.
BlackVanDyke said:
a) could you be anaemic?
b) do you ever get heartburn or other symptoms of reflux?
a) would be fairly straightforward immune system not working well due to the anaemia (stress can also do this). b) is me speculating that you might be having bad reflux (if so probably at night) which is ending up with some stomach acid and stuff going in your lungs and causing these infections.
I had to check up on anemia. I'll try and take multivitamins to see if it helps but I'll suggest it to the doc. I've never had this type of issue before but let's see.b) do you ever get heartburn or other symptoms of reflux?
a) would be fairly straightforward immune system not working well due to the anaemia (stress can also do this). b) is me speculating that you might be having bad reflux (if so probably at night) which is ending up with some stomach acid and stuff going in your lungs and causing these infections.
Regarding reflux, I've never had a problem before either. I had food poisoning the other day if that helps!!! But other than that, I've never had any problems of this sort. Probably a daft question but how could you tell you have reflux at night?
Thanks for the suggestions. The anemia could be possible so I'll have the doc do a red blood cell count check on me.
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