I was definitely one of those kids who got common colds at least two to three times a year.
Since in my early years I was living up north, the worst times were usually during the transition into autumn at the tail end of summer, as well as the transition from winter into spring.
And then the third bout of sickness would occur in summer or winter depending on whatever viral pathogens were floating around at any given time. More often than not, these issues would occur during flu season, although catching the actual flu virus was rarer for me after I got serious with vaccinations each year. When the issues abated for 10 years, I felt amazing and thought that maybe that would be the end. But, the past three months have had me worried. I kept feeling short of breath and was constantly coughing up lung and sinus congestion. It felt like I was stuffy and couldn’t breathe, so I assumed I was getting sick. My physician ran a few tests and was confident I didn’t have a cold or something else viral like a variant of the common flu. He suggested that I get my air conditioner and ductwork inspected as there could be mold and other microbial buildup that was affecting my lungs. It turns out my physician was right. My HVAC supplier sent a technician out the following day and he determined that I needed my entire system cleaned, including the ductwork. It was an expensive and time consuming process, but the difference after the fact is night and day. I feel like I was magically cured from some unknown illness.