For as long as I can remember, I've always gotten sick very frequently, about every other month I would come down with a cold or the flu. Ever since I moved to LA, I've been getting sick at least once a month, sometimes twice. It starts with my tonsils, which get swollen and painful, then I get severe congestion/runny nose, and soon after very painful muscles and joints along with chills, but never a really high fever even if it feels like I'm burning up inside. Some of the times I've gotten sick my colds have turned into sinus infections.
Note: Within the past year or so I've gotten tonsil stones more and more frequently. Sore, swollen tonsils along with the stones seem to come with the getting sick every month. Ever since I was a kid my tonsils were always swollen and painful and sometimes had white spots when I was sick. The doctor recommended getting my tonsils removed, but my parents refused because they didn't want to pay for what was deemed an unnecessary procedure. Now every time I get sick, I have to pick tonsil stones out of mostly my left tonsil with a toothpick.
Am I getting sick all the time because of my tonsils? Or is it the other way around and my tonsils are a symptom of the sickness? If so, why am I getting sick so frequently? It's lessened my quality of life for sure because I get sick so often it has become the norm for me to just take OTC medicine and go to work sick and in pain because I have to. Acetaminophen and IB profen barely work for the muscle and joint aches when I'm sick anymore, only naproxen does.
I'm going in to the doctor to get a physical to try to get this issue resolved and figure out what's wrong with me, but the appointment is in May and here I am, sick again when I was just sick for a week literally 2 weeks ago. I'm tired of getting sick because I'm not an unhealthy person; I have good hygiene and eat a balanced diet, take vitamins, and exercise. I barely drink alcohol because I hate the stuff. I don't party. Does it sound like I need to get my tonsils out or is it a different underlying problem? I don't want to pay for such an expensive surgery if that's not the problem, and I've heard it's a difficult healing process and experience if you have the surgery as an adult.
Please help! Thank you!