Chronic Colds Could Be A Sign Of These 3 Diseases

Chronic colds are not always a common cold.  Chronic colds that don't go away can be a sign that you have another, more serious illness.  For that, consider the following explanation regarding the causes of chronic colds.

Sore throat, sneezing, runny or stuffy nose, cough, headache, and feeling tired, you will usually feel when a cold strikes.  No matter how bad cold is, it usually goes away in about 14 days, either with or without treatment.  However, if the cold doesn't go away for more than two weeks or even years, it could be caused by another medical condition, such as allergies, sinusitis, asthma, vasomotor rhinitis, or nasal polyps.

Various Conditions That Cause Chronic Colds

The following are various medical conditions that often cause chronic colds:

Allergy

The most common cause of chronic colds is an allergy to an allergen (the thing that triggers an allergy), such as house dust mites or pet dander.  In addition, allergies can also be triggered by wood chips, pollen, and flour.  When an allergy occurs, the immune system will react to the allergen.  This is because the cells in the nose release histamine and other chemicals when they come into contact with allergens.  As a result, the nose becomes inflamed and causes characteristic symptoms, such as a runny nose and mucus.  Symptoms of a cold that occur due to allergies usually include coughing, sneezing, runny nose, body aches, and fever.  These signs usually appear quickly when in direct contact or only in close proximity to the allergen.

Sinusitis

Chronic colds can also be caused by sinusitis.  The sinusitis itself is inflammation or swelling of the wall tissue that lines the sinus cavities, which are air-filled spaces located in the nose, cheeks, nasal cavity, and above the eyes.  This condition occurs when the sinuses are filled with air, become blocked, and fill with fluid.  As a result, germs can grow and cause infection and inflammation, known as sinusitis. Colds and sinusitis can cause pain around the eyes and nose, and produce yellowish mucus.  Symptoms of sinusitis, such as a cold, can last up to 4 weeks.  If the cold symptoms persist for more than 4 weeks due to sinus, then this condition is categorized as chronic sinusitis.

Nasal polyps

In addition to the two conditions above, nasal polyps can also be another cause of chronic colds.  Nasal polyps are swelling of the nasal membranes that occur inside the nasal passages and sinuses.  Nasal polyps don't always cause symptoms, especially if they're small.  However, if the polyp is large, it will usually cause symptoms in the form of a stuffy nose, runny nose, and mucus that drains down the back of the throat (postnasal drip).  Not only that, but large nasal polyps can also be accompanied by pain around the face and teeth, nosebleeds, to disturbance of the sense of smell and sense of taste.  This is especially true if nasal polyps are causing difficulty breathing, swelling around the eyes, severe headaches, or visual disturbances.  Immediately consult a doctor if you experience these symptoms, to get the right treatment.

In some people, chronic cold symptoms appear every day at certain times. However, there are also chronic cold symptoms that come and go randomly. If you experience symptoms of a cold that won't go away accompanied by earaches, shortness of breath, difficulty swallowing, chest or stomach pain, stiff neck, pain around the nose and eyes, sore throat, or cough with phlegm for more than a week, consult a doctor immediately ENT specialist to get treatment.

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