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Advice - chest feels congested

15 Replies

Hi,

I had covid mid October and still have a few little niggles. I've got a weird feeling in my upper chest when I breathe as if it's congested. The back of my throat feels as if I've got phlegm stuck too and yesterday evening there was a little blood in my phlegm. I just wondered if anyone could offer some advice.

Thanks

15 Replies
Poobah profile image
Poobah

The published advice on continuing symptoms from covid is to contact your GP or 111. They may wish to run tests to ensure any secondary infection isn't the problem. Blood can be a sign that the membranes are sore & inflamed from long term or past infection. Lots of coughing can be really tough on the respiratory system. Hope you feel much better soon. Keep us posted.

in reply to Poobah

Hi,

Thank you! My chest feel doesn't feel clear when I breathe it's as if there is fluid there. I've had bloods and an ECG and I've got a review as something has shown up on my bloods.

Poobah profile image
Poobah in reply to

That's such a horrible sensation. The bloods and ECG are recommended after covid if symptoms are ongoing, and an x-ray if necessary. My sister had the same. She got covid last March and it's taken months to get on top of the worst symptoms. But despite long term symptoms they have recently ruled out long term damage. Her bloods indicated infection and so stronger antibiotics were prescribed, even though x-ray was clear. Good luck with your review. When is it?

in reply to Poobah

Hi,

Thank you! I'm hoping it'll clear or can be treated. The review for the bloods is next Friday so not too long

Poobah profile image
Poobah in reply to

Long enough! Good luck.

Itswonderful profile image
Itswonderful

Definitely 111 for advice a d GP apt.

in reply to Itswonderful

Thanks for the replies. I spoke to an asthma UK nurse yesterday and she was super helpful! I explained all my symptoms and she ran through things with me. She also said to push for a referral to a long covid clinic as they specialise in it.

Itswonderful profile image
Itswonderful in reply to

That’s great! You have a good AN on your side.

ACooper profile image
ACooper

Hi amyjhill, I came down with a strange type of cold last year in March. Massive sore throat, with lot of blood in throat clearing, lot of sweating. Back then in Australia we didn't have covid testing for locals, I finally got tested in April, there was no trace of any kind of virus. Yet, plenty of blood laced phlem, fatigue beyond belief. CT scans for chest and sinuses, full blood picture and finally sputum culture, all showed nothing, sinus endoscopy did not show cause of bleeding either. Then came shortness of breath and fast heart rate. My GP put me on two months of Doxycycline and Dymista and blood cleared, another two months down the track and everything was back and still continues, though some improvement overall.

A quick update my bloods are good. My iron is slightly low got a couple of weeks worths of monitoring then there was talk of a referral to a long covid clinic to look at the weird fluid feeling and joint pain. It felt good to finally be listened to by the doctors

twinkly29 profile image
twinkly29 in reply to

Having been there myself, well there now, the covid-chest feelings are very different to any asthma feelings I have (generally). I know what you mean by it feeling congested. Is weird! Hopefully your referral will be useful for you because it's the covid-effect that needs a different approach I think.

in reply to twinkly29

Sorry to hear that you have covid I hope it isn't too bad look after yourself. I've never had an asthma attack so I have nothing to compare too really. It's always been really well controlled...I've got a pulse monitor for 2 weeks but the doctors will look at a referral for the remaining issues - the weird fluid feeling and the joint pain etc

twinkly29 profile image
twinkly29 in reply to

Despite having asthma that's a nightmare, the issues are very separate I've found. I'd heard that's mostly the case but actually experiencing it is really interesting.

I think many people (in life generally, not you!) think that they now have asthma after covid, or that asthma is now worse after it. And of course that because they have asthma it will definitely be a problem. I suspect in the vast majority of cases the issues will be covid (whether immediately afterwards or in the mid or longer term) and so will need physio or other approaches (for breathing issues) - piling in drugs for likes of asthma only help if the driving issue is the asthma at the time. Likewise the asthma = more likely to have long covid thing - I feel that it may come across like that but it's quite possible that it's just a coincidence that they have asthma underlying - the asthma is probably as it was but breathlessness being mistaken for asthma when it's not causing the issue.

I'll stop rambling now lol! But I hope you get a referral. Even if things then improve, the whole picture is important (eg the joint pain and things), not just people's breathlessness for example. There needs to be post covid specialists!

in reply to twinkly29

No worries at all! Yes definitely like I say my asthma was never an issue I knew that when it's really warm or cold I may have needed my blue inhaler. I totally agree I spoke to a really helpful nurse at Asthma UK who said what I would be looking for if it was my asthma. Yes the clinic will be able to look at each thing and take it from there I assume. Take care of yourself

twinkly29 profile image
twinkly29 in reply to

You too!

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