Congestion

[Jeanette Bissell]

About 4 and1/2 weeks ago, I came down with what felt like a sore throat in my lungs, sort of a burning feeling. Later it moved up and I had a sore throat, starting far down in my throat, that moved around up and down my airways... Had a unproductive cough, & also mild joint discomfort after a few days, also headache. Tried many natural approaches: eating little sugar, drinking water,etc., & so, despite a continuing sore throat, & cough, it didn't become terribly acute, but after 2 weeks,
I still couldn't shake the sore throat & cough. One night I woke up and it seemed
that the sore throat was affecting the epiglottis & had trouble breathing. But
that passed. Finally,I went to the doctor, & he couldn't hear anything
in my lungs, & told me that he thought it was a virus & that stuff was draining from
sinuses down into the lungs, & I was coughing that up, but that was NOT the case, since
I had no upper respiratory symtoms. Also no fever. He also could not see my sore throat
although I definitely had one.  Since he thought it was a virus, no meds, which was fine with me. I tried to get a strep test, but I am so gaggy, I couldn't co-operate.  So went home and continued my natural methods. Finally after more than 3 weeks, my sore throat lessend. Now it has been 4 and 1/2 weeks, and I am still coughing up phlegm, not all the time but several times a day, and have
felt tired. I wonder how to get rid of the congestion. I wonder whether the diagnosis was correct, and whether I had a mild case of strep, as both my brother and I have little
resistance to that. It started in my lungs however.  Also, I had just gotten back from an overseas
trip, so my immune system, which is not real strong, may have been down. Any comments/suggestions.