Question: I have had a sore throat for over 2 weeks but not on the outside glands, in the middle of my neck/throat feels bruised. I can push on it and feel pain more to touch then swallowing. To swallow is noticeable but not like a strep throat pain. My face and neck feel like I have a fever but when I take it it is normal. I have a very little dry cough almost like when your around dust for a minute. I have been extremely tired for well years but I don't get enough sleep and I am a 46 yr old mother of a 7yr old. I am an ex-smoker, quit 8 years ago. I have a very bad neck, fractured it in 1997 and have Stenosis and Arthritis in my neck, a few discs that are not so nice to me anymore. I get weird hot/liquid like sensations in my neck as well. I was scheduled to have neck injections back in May but got pneumonia and it was cancelled and I have just not felt good enough to reschedule. I am always concerned about Cancer of throat,glands or lungs due to my years of smoking and being raised in a smoking house as a child. I have had my lungs looked at periodically and looks good, had my tonsils out when I was 17 yrs old. I also get regular blood check ups for the normal stuff. It looks good but maybe cholesterol getting up now. I don't want to be a pain to my Family Doctor but he just looks at the surface of things. What should I ask him to look at or could a virus just be hanging on a bit longer than normal or could be something else?

Thank you. So how long can a cold go or how long is safe to go? If after a month of the throat pain doesn't go away than go in?