How’s often are you ill?

[BuffaloCauliflower]

Just that really. I’ve got a doctors appointment today to talk about various symptoms I think might be connected, one of which being recurring illness (but not just that)

In the last 8 months I’ve had 3 cold/flu things so bad I’ve had several days off work, two were really awful week long things where I was mainly confined to the bed/sofa, just seemed to take ages to shift. I’ve also had I think 3 D&V bugs, as well as multiple headaches, stomach aches, feeling sick. Just generally feeling unhealthy. Last year and the year before were the same. I’m only 31 and a bit chubby but eat a pretty healthy diet.

People around me don’t seem to get ill anything like as much as I end up feeling like a hypochondriac! How often are you ill?

Probably twice a year with a virus/cold but not enough to have any time off work. I did have a week of this year as I had a planned op but probably have had about 5 days since I worked at my current company (28 years) apart from 6 months maternity leave. Everyone else I work with has about the same rate of illness.

hardly ever but then when I do become unwell its usually something major! Although I don't analyse every twinge / headache / soreness and really try to just power through, not because i'm a saint but I can't afford to be ill! It does sound like you have something going on OP, i would ask for some bloods to include coeliac testing.

I'm on medication to suppress my immune system (been on them coming up to one year, so have done a winter) and other than a few viruses I've had nothing significant. The viruses I've had though have been pretty rotten..... headache, neckache, lethargy, nausea, dizziness, blocked ears, hot and cold sweats and its lasted best part of a week.

Before my medication I remember one sickness bug and I had tonsillitis 3 years ago.... and normal amount cough / cold.

Urgh yes hopefully the doctor will be useful. Would rather not coeliac right before I get married and have lots of lovely wedding and honeymoon food to eat! 😣
Good to know (strangely) that I actually I am ill more than others though. It’s hard to know what other people are doing and I did wonder if it was jus the my perception

I'm the same age as you and also a little bit chubby atm.

I've been ill once at the beginning of the year with flu which left me in bed for a week. I've never had flu before and it was dreadful.

I've had a couple of headaches and a uti but worked through that.

I went through a phase of tonsillitis about 5/6 years ago and was admitted to hospital twice. That was the last time I was ill apart from flu this year.

I think once you start getting ill it can keep continuing. This isn't based on any facts that I know of, but I think it's that when you've been ill your immune system is down and it's easier to catch germs again. I would avoid public transport and swimming pools for a few months until you feel healthier again.

I can’t really avoid public transport, I have to get to work! Can’t remember the last time I was in a swimming pool though.

And I’ve had this same level of continual illness for years, it isn’t new, it’s just become clearer recently

To be fair, I'm rarely sick enough to need a trip to the doctors. I tend to get a bit of a sniffle once or twice a year, and one bout of tonsillitis a year that needs an AB. Neither of which floors me enough to keep me off work. Rarely get UTIs - maybe once or twice in my life?

The last few years though I've been unlucky. Had pneumonia last winter which kept me off work for a few weeks. A couple of years before that had a ruptured cyst that had me in hospital for a week, with another week off work.

It does sound like you might have something else going on though, OP. Worth pushing to get some tests done for coeliac, particularly.

I had one sick day in April this year and the last one before that was the February the year before. So probably once a year? I can feel rough but still manage with day to day activities.

Very rarely...nothing this year so far!! And I’m a teacher....and no I don’t take vitamins or tonics. My dc are the same...the youngest (3) has had one tummy bug this year, eldest (6) has had nothing either. I also DO NOT give my dc vitamins supplements.Dh is NEVER EVER sick!! I think he has visited the doctor twice in 14 years!!

Very rarely, I did get ill over Christmas, but put that down to being pregnant and lowered immune system, before that it was about 2 years ago, had a throat infection and lost my voice for a week. I don't get colds either.
But I'm one of those horrible people that if I'm around ill people (say in the office) I take it home and give it to dp.

I seem to get unwell a fair bit. Have had 3 D&V bugs since Feb 2018. I've never had the flu, I'm sure my time will come as I'm pretty young. I get colds often (say 4-5 per year) & catch most viruses I'm exposed to. < not envy

DP is always telling me I should speak to a GP but it seems pathetic to go to a doctor and say "hi, I get sick a lot" when the NHS is already working so bloody hard

You sound like me. Definitely get some blood tests from the GP. I was found to have one type of immunoglobulin below normal but they don't treat it. At the moment I am putting up with weekly illness, eczema, asthma and more. It really is pretty rubbish. I will be going back to the gp to request more testing. Good luck.

Don't forget that once you are ill with one thing then it is easier to catch something else. I find that if I'm run down or ill then I can get one thing after another. My sister always used to be arsey about people being ill and then catching something else, then she had kids and the associated bugs / germs and found out for herself how it can be occasionally!

Oh and cutting out gluten and dairy helped quite a bit with asthma and eczema. Have a really good look at your diet and take a good probiotic.

For D&V I've found Bimuno very effective.

Since working in a school, I’m I’ll maybe twice a year. I tend to get ill in the holidays, typical.
When I was flying being surrounded by hundreds of germy passengers all day, I was ill quite a lot. Took echinacea (sp?) that would only work if it was the start of a cold.

There are no 'averages' OP so there's really no point asking on a forum. I went YEARS without so much as a sniffle, then in the past 5 years I seem to have caught every bloody thing going! Honestly, I'm fed up of it 🤦‍♀️ No real reason (and nothing earth shattering either...but still, enough to keep me home for a couple of days at a time, three or four times a year!) I've also had, in the past 5 years, a hysterectomy, a broken arm and a broken rib 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️ You can't make this shit up 😂 (my employer hates me...although to be fair I did have the hysterectomy in my own holiday time 🤷‍♀️)

Hardly ever, touch wood.

Maybe one cold a year and that's it but it's usually a few days of snottyness and that's it.

Have you read the book 'How not to die' it's interesting about eating all different things and superfoods, may be good for you.

Hardly ever these days. I might get a cold once a year, but not bad enough to take time off work. Never get D&V or anything like that. Haven't been to the doctors for years. I hate to say it, but it's since I switched to a vegan diet.

@MarieFromStTropez I used to eat a vegan diet but went back to pescatarian and definitely feel better eating this way.

I'm ill all the bloody time.

I finished antibiotics for tonsillitis on Saturday and have woken up this morning with tonsils full of pus again (apologies..)
Since the start of June I've had 3 bouts of it
(maybe one long recurring bout?)

I've also had ear and chest infections (all confirmed) and numerous colds.

Fed up of my throat at the minute though!

I could catch a cold from a character in a book! It's rare for me not to have a problem with my sinuses. Either a cold, or hayfever. I might have a few weeks clear but then another bout will start. And I quite often get to the point where I could legitimately take a day off work.

I don't tend to get other illnesses though. I had noro last year, but that was the first time I'd been sick-sick in about 20 years.

I haven't had d&v for 5 years. And that one I caught off dc. Before that 2 years and also caught off dc.
Before that I have just had a couple of bouts of v from food poisoning as an adult.

Colds I get about 2 a year, caught off the dc also. But I get them very mildly, the dc run mild fevers and stay home with the same virus. I always manage to feel well enough to go to work. I work with children (and the public) and have a fairly good immune system considering. I can't remember having a flu that kept me in bed though, not for many years, probably as a child or teen.

However I have used quite a lot of sick leave recently for surgeries and accidents and the dentist. So swings and roundabouts.

I usually get 2-3 colds a year and I tend to get a sickness bug once every 3-4 years for some reason.