Coughing?

I’ve been dealing with this cough for about two weeks now, and it’s finally reaching that point where it’s just plain irritating... I don't have a fever, and I’m not feeling particularly wiped out—I can function just fine—but I’m coughing enough to worry about my upcoming training schedule. I’m hacking up bits of white phlegm here and there, though it feels like the more I cough, the less actually comes up, almost as if it hasn't quite loosened yet. To manage it, I’ve been sticking to fruit juices and honey every morning, plus just eating regular meals. I don't smoke myself, though I do spend a fair amount of time moving around near people who do. I've never had any history of lung issues before this. Is there really any reason to be concerned?

ruggedpanther64 said:I've been dealing with this cough for about two weeks now, and frankly, it’s becoming quite irritating. I don't have a fever, I'm not feeling fatigued, and my energy levels are perfectly fine—I can function normally—but the coughing persists. It feels like I'm clearing out small amounts of white phlegm here and there, though it seems like the more I cough, the less actually comes up, as if nothing is truly "ripe" enough to clear. To manage, I’ve been having fruit juices and honey every morning, alongside my regular meals. I don't smoke myself, though I do spend a fair amount of time around smokers. I've never had any history of lung issues... is there any actual reason to be concerned?

It could be anything from a common cold to bronchitis or perhaps an allergy. Generally speaking, any cough that lingers beyond the two-week mark warrants a professional opinion. You should go see a doctor.

Sandra Martin72 said:It could be anything from a simple common cold to bronchitis or maybe just some seasonal allergies, but honestly, any cough that hangs around for more than two weeks really warrants a trip to the doctor, so you should probably go get checked out.

I haven't dealt with allergies once in all my years... I picked up some over-the-counter cough medicine last night and things seem to have settled down a little bit.

Hey there.

I've heard just about every horror story under the sun regarding illnesses that seemingly appear out of thin air.
I don't mean to scare you, but you really need to see a doctor.
It’s likely nothing, but get checked out—maybe even get a chest X-ray if necessary—just for your own peace of mind.

In fact, I actually ended up at Jordan for some tests myself the other day, purely out of my own stupidity.
I won't even begin to tell you how much I panicked.
Especially since I'm a long-time smoker.
After this experience, I'm officially quitting.
Thankfully, everything turned out fine, but you can't afford to ignore these things.

So, my advice is to listen to what your doctor says and follow through with any tests they recommend, just to be safe.

I went through all the full scans and chest X-rays back in January 2008... I was prepping for a basketball tournament at the time, and everything came back perfectly fine

So, is the cough actually letting up?
Look, coughing for two weeks straight isn't something you just ignore. It could easily be allergies.
Just because you've never dealt with allergies before doesn't mean you're immune now.
I'm no doctor, but you really ought to get checked out.
It's entirely possible you're dealing with pneumonia.
I’ve had it three times myself, and you don't always run a high fever with pneumonia.
My temperature stayed right around 98.6—just barely elevated.
Since you're an athlete, you're likely in better shape and more resilient, which might be why you aren't even running a fever.

It’s tapering off... though it hasn't quite reached full maturity yet, so I'm still having a hard time getting everything out... but it’s looking good... I stopped by to see my doctor and he said there isn't any throat infection at all.