How do people not worry about catching colds / viruses?

[Cloud44]

I know this is a silly question and I never used to worry about it myself but how do people not worry about catching colds / viruses especially when there is a special occasion/ something important coming up? I seem to have no luck avoiding the germs and it’s starting to get me a bit down and I’m becoming a bit paranoid about it.

I'm immunosuppressed, but I don't worry about catching a cold/virus, etc.

I figure if I do I'll be fine, and if not, I won't be around to worry about it, so what's the point.

It sounds silly but yes I did change my toothbrush after the tonsilitis a couple of months ago and I’ve moved it so it’s further away from the toilet 🙈, I just don’t know how to stop bacterial tonsilitis from continuing to come back.

I worry a bit because immunocompromised
Just had tonsillitis so I binned my toothbrush head and got a new one
I also keep emergency antibiotics in

Because I've never really had a cold that's been severe enough to stop me attending anything? If I've got nothing planned I'll have a duvet day and feel sorry for myself, otherwise it's a case of stocking up on nurofen (the one with codeine) and getting on with it!

I think it might be worth getting some low level support for health anxiety. You should have a local service called iapt that can provide cbt if you self refer.

Do you take vitamins etc? I take various, Zinc, vit D and Sambucol/generic elderberry liquid.

Seems to help, although a diet rich in vits & regular hand washing is probably best

I can't just carry on when I get a cold/virus. I always get it really bad where I barely sleep, have no appetite, I'm miserable and really severe symptoms. I never just get a sniffle. I've recently had tonsillitis where I ended up on antibiotics, then a cough that turned into a chest infection, then a virus that made me bed ridden for days. I don't understand how people say just carry on! And yes I have a job and kids so if I could 'just carry on' I would.

I don't worry about colds/viruses really, although I am immunocompromised. I get them a lot and find them difficult to shift, but I refuse to spend the time I'm not ill worrying about getting sick- I prefer to try and squeeze as much fun and activity out of healthy times as I can before the next one strikes 😁

On the other hand, I really understand getting anxious about tonsillitis if you get it a lot, it's the worst. Hope you feel better soon 😣

Are you getting ill very often? If you are, it might be worth going to the doctor to see if you're deficient in anything?

I am thinking about this @Nicole1111 because I’m finding my overthinking annoying and I know it’s not rational.

How long did it take for you to feel better after your tonsilitis @buffyslayer ? How did you manage to get a reserve dose of antibiotics in?

You probably need to improve your immune system. Diet is very important, as is being active. You could try taking supplements for now. Get your vitamin d, b12 and iron levels checked too.

How often do you actually change it?

Do you have a dog or a cat who might give you tonsilitis, because strangely enough it does happen..

So, if - like quite a lot of people hereabouts - you’d got 100 day cough, you would most definitely be trying very hard to try not to inflict it on your friends, family and colleagues. You would also be really wary of catching other colds.

I can't remember having anything that stopped me, never even got a positive covid test. Take two ibroprofen, rub on the Vicks and carry on

I don’t really worry at all about catching a cold but worry about catching stomach bugs due to emetophbia.

I have a friend who’s petrified of catching anything to the point he won’t touch door handles, shopping trolleys/baskets, won’t go anywhere where there too many people indoors and wipes down his shopping before putting it away. I think covid made things a lot worse.

I rarely get floored by a cold or virus so I guess it doesn’t worry me as much, I know some people get quite poorly and need to cancel things or take time off work. Even with covid I didn’t have a day in bed, I guess I’m just lucky. If I get a stomach bug though I’m a mess.

@dayaftertomorrou well I guess when I’ve not had a virus or cold I probably don’t change it overly often- every 3 ish months? I do have a cat….
I have over the weekend ordered at home strep a test as they couldn’t do one at the doctors and that’s come back negative - don’t know if that’s good or not or reliable but the doctor did say antibiotics were needed because the white spots showed it was bacterial tonsilitis.

It started on the Monday and I was back at work by the Saturday so 5 days with antibiotics

I'm prescribed emergency antibiotics as I'm high risk for neutropenic sepsis so it's to cover me in an emergency, take if instructed by a doctor

I don't worry about it.

It does annoy me when I get one though,

My immune system is shit and I have a chronic pain condition so when I get one I tend to go "oh fuck where did I put the hard drugs" (I try not to use them most of the time) and drug myself up while spending three days watching Downton Abbey again on Netflix,

I also have antibiotics at home to start before seeing a GP if I get a bad chest infection I just bloody hate using them because they give me diarrhoea.

I work in early years and have done for 30 years. I take vitamin c with zinc, vitamin b complex and vitamin D. Despite having a chronic health condition, I do keep fairly well despite the germ regularly sneezed or coughed on.

You seriously need to change it more often than that.

Where I live we don’t get antibiotics for tonsilitis anymore. Years ago I had it often, and my doctor said you can actually reinfect yourself, so you are well 2-4 wks and then your body gives it back to you. It hurt, and it sucked.

I never give it a moments thought, I've never had a cold that stopped me doing anything, why waste life on worry, if anything I'd say that's more likely to make you ill

Anecdotally ime people suffer from what they worry about, not just health wise but in all kinds of areas, it can be self fulfilling

@dayaftertomorrou how often do most people change theirs? I’m happy to take any advice here because I may well be doing basics wrong. Did the doctor explain how you can reinfect yourself?

DS2 was the only one of mine who ever had tonsillitis , the first time he had it we got antibiotics, the next time we didn't bother and just treated the symptoms, he has never had it since. That was over 11 years ago now.

I wouldn't say change it more often because it's a waste of plastic, but you could soak it in hydrogen peroxide weekly to clean it
Mine has colour indicators on when to change it but I changed mine as soon as the white on my tonsils had gone

Because worrying won’t stop it happening? And stress is the one of the worst things for your physical health. I rarely get sick - I know it’s partly luck but there’s a lot you can do to improve your immunity. But I would only take antibiotics as a last resort, it’s much better to get your body to fight infection

I catch at least three colds a year due to my workplace (creche) and own children. I get through a cold with paracetamol, chloraseptic and sudafed nasal spray. I can’t really take time off for a cold or I’d be hitting the sick leave quota and be on a verbal warning.