colds - who else has these symptoms

[tigerlelly]

My sister and I don't often get colds but when we do we are completely out for the count for about three days and I'm sure our partners and colleagues think we are swinging the lead. We both have incredibly itchy ears, throat and sometimes eyes, can hardly speak or hear and feel that our bones have turned to water. We spend our time relieving the throat with a scratchy toothbrush and poking hairgrips down our ears to relieve the intolerable itching. Sorry if this next is too much info (squeamish go to another post now!) but we then feel a release of pressure on the second or third day and sponge-like blood streaked chunks of mucus come from where the nose and throat join;all the while our noses are absolutely streaming day and night. Cold remedies don't help. Our friends and partners think we are weird but the two of us have always been like this with colds - our parents not. Colds don't go to our chests and no, it's not flu because we have had that and it's even worse. Surely some other people must experience the same symptoms?

[Sqad]

Well, I am sure thousands of people have those symptoms quite regularly.

It sounds suspiciously like symptoms of an allergy.

I would seek help from your GP and possibly a referral to an ENT surgeon to exclude an underlying sinus problem.

[trionam]

similar but maybe not as extreme but then I can have some of these symptoms for a much longer period than 3 days,I get the itchy ears throat and eyes and lots of sneezing I ve always had sinus and hayfever problems and I think I got some steriod inhaler once when I was really bad,Ive kind of learned to live with it but sometimes take an antihistamine to help with the itchyness or sinutab or similar,Ive often thought about going to an e.n.t specialist just to see if there was something that could be done for me but keep putting it on the long finger,sorry this is not really an answer but I do sympathise!

[milly143]

Can't help with your question but I am so glad you made the point that you knew it wasn't flu. People claim they have flu all the time and then are fine a couple of days later, it drives me nuts. It's a cold! I've never had it but have been told you actually feel like you are about to die.

Hope you feel better soon!

[tigerlelly]

Sqad, we only get these symptoms when we have a cold so are we allergic to the cold virus? The glands in our necks come up too. The cold usually lasts about 9 days and it is the three days in the middle when we experience the above.

Milly 143 A Dr once told me that if you have flu you won't bother to get up if you see a £50 note blowing around your garden.

[Sqad]

tiger.....no you are not allergic to the cold virus and that wasn´t my point, my point being, that the symptoms may not be due to a cold, but to an allergy hitherto undiscovered.

However the glands in the neck would, I admit be against an allergy, but would not rule it out. If you saw an ENT surgeon as I suggested he would not only investigate your nasal symptoms but also ask for IgE measurements in a blood sample which might "put to bed" my theory of an allergy.

[tigerlelly]

Hi Sqad,
Thanks for your answers. My only thought is that if it is an allergy then I've never had a cold in my life and neither has my sister because this is our only experience of colds. Or do you mean that our having a cold triggers an allergic resonse to something?

[Sqad]

tiger........maybe......but you can be in contact with something for 30years and then suddenly, become allergic to it.