I tested negative for Influenza A, Influenza B, RSV, and Covid. With my compromised immune system this cold not only lingered but became the worse I'd experienced since I was in my 20s or 30s. Particularly nasty was the painful racking cough that not only hurt my chest but caused lightheadedness at times. One side effect that I never have experienced in my 7 decades plus of life is this:

My ophthalmologist indicated that the severe coughing ruptured blood vessels in my eye. Never heard of this before. I was also told it would be 3 weeks or so for it to heal with the color going from red to yellow to cream (healed).

Geez'es my friend. Wow. I knew someone who broke blood vessels in his eye from coughing, but did not look this bad.

Hope you get on the mend quick.

Thanks Casey. I'm working on it!

I hope that clears up for you. I must be good at coughing because I got a bug at work and it's just giving in after a full month. Maybe the cronky virus as I did lose my taste buds and could smell nothing. I had hellish congestion and coughing up just clear junk, running out both nostrils bad. I burned through 6 boxes of tissues, 2 rolls of bath tissue and lots of napkins. Never have I had the bug so long. I could just about cough my lungs out and I've never been sore from doing it.

Wow.

I had an eye like that after a wreck, but not from coughing.
A speedy recovery to you!

I had that same problem when I had a severe migraine that made me puke until I didn’t have anything left in me at which point I started dry heaving. Ruptured the vessels in both eyes and it turned a nasty yellow color for almost a month afterwards. Not a pretty sight. Here’s to hoping for a speedy recovery my internet friend!

That happens to my wife every time she pukes. I freaked out first time I saw it.

Yeah, I've never seen anything like that from a cold before. Might want to talk to an optometrist, he may be able to recommend a particular eye drops that would help.

Wow, bald1, that looks pretty scary.

My wife and I caught something nasty, dunno what--we didn't get tested, just before Christmas. It made us cough so hard, so often, our ribs hurt. As in really painfully hurt. This went on for a couple weeks before the coughing began to subside.

There were no other symptoms, really. Just the coughing.

I recovered pretty quickly after that. My wife's recovery took quite a bit longer--a couple months or so.

Holy cow – I hope that you’re better soon! And thanks for the heads-up.

Actually, I haven’t had a single bronchial illness, not even a cold, since I retired (2011). Pre-retirement, I usually suffered a couple of colds per year.

I know a cough can come from many causes. In my case the racking coughs are from pulmonary congestion. Every three years or so I get a cold that eventually settles in my lungs. As I age, that congestion gets worse and takes longer to clear up. Now as soon as I feel the first indications of a cold, I start with Mucinex or the equivalent. Taken as directed on the container keeps the congestion loose and allows the body to more easily evacuate it with more productive coughs. Now I rarely have to struggle like you describe.

Given some of the responses here, it would seem that others too have experienced this crud aka mother of all colds.
Any of our medical professionals have any insight as to what's going on?

Subconjunctival hemorrhage. Looks real bad, but it's really benign. Treatment: Watchful waiting. It will resolve on its own. Obviously, your ophtho is right. Btw, get some good cough med from your PCP.

https://www.aao.org/eye-health...junctival-hemorrhage

quote:

Originally posted by 12131:
Subconjunctival hemmorhage. Looks real bad, but it's really benign. Treatment: Watchful waiting. It will resolve on its own. Obviously, your ophtho is right. Btw, get some good cough med from your PCP.

Thanks Q. Yeah he recommended Robitussin DM which I've been taking.

Still curious about this long lasting nasty crud. Is it just a seasonal cold that is much worse than normal? Or something else?

Had a virus for 6 months last year, bronchitis for 3 months, coughed so hard I separated 3 ribs, the middle one could be manipulated a bit with pressure.

Ask me how I know.

Shit sucks.

Yeah, I've had several episodes of some unspecified viral cough that lasted for 2 - 3 months in the past. For 3 years, always in summertime / early fall, hacking coughing like crazy. Chest Xrays, even a CT scan, were all negative. I just had to tough it out. Don't know how long you've had it, Bob, but make sure to follow up with your PCP, as things can evolve to something else that requires different treatment regimen.

Regarding the cough med, there is a non-narcotic prescription cough med, benzonatate, that works well for many patients, when the OTC stuff is not doing the job. Check with your PCP, if your cough continues to be unbearable.

Coughing is nothing to sneeze at......Had a senior citizen friend who had been a heavy smoker for many years that during a coughing episode somehow ruptured her esophagus and almost died and had a long recovery time. ................. drill sgt.

quote:

Originally posted by 12131:
Yeah, I've had several episodes of some unspecified viral cough that lasted for 2 - 3 months in the past. For 3 years, always in summertime / early fall, hacking coughing like crazy. Chest Xrays, even a CT scan, were all negative. I just had to tough it out. Don't know how long you've had it, Bob, but make sure to follow up with your PCP, as things can evolve to something else that requires different treatment regimen.

Damn Doc!
Yeah I've had it since March 8th. Got tested on the 11th...all negative as I mentioned in my opening post. It has reduced in severity thankfully but still lingers, especially the cough although again no longer a racking kind.

I'll ask about that benzonatate stuff. Again my thanks Q!

quote:

It has reduced in severity thankfully but still lingers, especially the cough although again no longer a racking kind.

That's the most important thing to hear, from a doc's perspective. Things are improving.

Glad to read from the comments you are on the right track Bob ... thinking about you everyday.

My daughter got sick a week ago, headache was the worse for two nights and now a consistent cough.

Concerned since she had a kidney transplant in September. She did test positive for Covid.

The docs reduced her immune meds a little to give her a boost.

Ashley is doing okay, just a bit of a cough that we understand is better to have the cough than to suppress.

Anyway, thought to share with you sir and know we are thinking about you too.