How often are you sick?

[Merryoldgoat]

I’m feeling very low tonight and a bit melodramatic but I feel awful and it’s seemingly never ending.

this year I’ve had two nasty bouts of bronchitis. Covid, what I think was flu a month ago and now I have a cold that it really nasty.

My kids are constantly sick and I’m just at the end of my tether.

I’m having to miss very important work, it’s the second time in 6 weeks I’m off for my own sickness and it’s just awful.

How I can I stop getting every bug the kids get?

And yes, it’s a ‘cold’ but I’m wheezing, I have a fever, hoarse voice and sore throat and my nose is like a tap. There’s absolutely no way I could go into work. I’d be sent home instantly.

This is on top of chronic conditions which I manage ok and both boys having ASD.

I’m actually crying as I type this.

sorry. I don’t know what I’m even posting for.

I’m so sorry to hear you’re having such a bad run of it. I hope this current bug buggers off soon and you start to feel better. I’m not ill but have a tooth infection currently which is making me very grumpy and tired (am taking ABs and lots of painkillers).

I very rarely get viruses. I had a 24 hour D&V bug in August, which was the first time I’d had one of those in about 35 years, and had Covid in December 2020. Nothing apart from those. DH seems to get frequent colds and coughs but our DCs are rarely ill. I’m just really lucky when it comes to viruses (though less lucky with mental health so swings and roundabouts 😬😂)

That does seem a lot, unfortunately I think genetics can play a part here. I used to work with a lovely women who was always getting colds and then her children were just the same when she had them. Genetics can influence the immune system.

@ItsNotReallyChaos the ventilation issue has crossed my mind. I remember going for a walk in deep winter time last year and along my road of around 100 houses only mine and two others had windows open, just the small ones.

Vit D supplement might help. Though saying that I had shingles (thankfully mild) and Covid within a couple of months of each other which is a bad year for me. I’m not particularly prone to colds and sniffles.

Do you eat healthily, exercise, take vitamins, get rest/sleep, be strict with hygiene? Do your kids or family? That's where I'd start.

About once a month. I’m used to it now, but it’s annoying, wearing and affects my work.

I have an auto immune disease, and although it is managed, my immune system is poor - so I catch everything going, and I get it worse. A virus my DS brought home from nursery last year turned in to an ear infection, burst ear drum then agonising sinusitis.

I’ve had low energy levels and brain fog since having my son, plus having Covid twice didn’t help (I’ve now been vaccinated against Covid four times).

I highly recommend you going to your GP and having your blood tested, particularly checking for thyroid, low iron, anaemia or auto immune diseases.

@ItsNotReallyChaos

I actually have sinus issues and enlarged adenoids so mouth breathing is unavoidable. I was a sickly child too so wonder if all connected.

I have just started trying to be healthier and lost over a stone but this has knocked me sideways.

I eat a varied diet with lots fresh veg but I’m very overweight and supplement a good diet with additional awful food. I need to do better with that undoubtedly.

I sleep ok now I have a CPAP but don’t exercise much. I do take vitamins. I could make improvements for sure.

I'm sorry, that sounds miserable.

Sorry this isn't a helpful answer, but I've never really been properly sick. As in, I've never been unwell enough to not go to school, work a planned social meet-up, or to head to bed before 10pm. I'm testing postive for Covid now, but don't really count myself as unwell as I'm still doing all my work meetings etc just online.

I don't always feel 100%, but never feel off enough for it to be an issue. I don't know why!

As a teenager someone spotted that I was a mouth breather and encouraged me to stop doing it.

I've read about this a few times recently. I can't imagine breathing through my mouth, unless forced! In fact, it makes me feel quite stressed (eg I find snorkelling quite hard as I have to breathe through my mouth). Do many people do it??

I have COVID currently and before this hadn't had even a mild cold for a quite a few years. I can only recall being ill twice since my teens - with chicken pox and norovirus. Both were very unpleasant, but I've never had flu or anything that left me bedridden. I don't have children, though!

Physically maybe about twice a year, usually just a little cold. Mentally I'm completely broken 😂

To add to my previous reply, sorry to hear you're having such a bad run of illnesses. It definitely sounds like a lot and miserable to deal with, along with the chronic illnesses and full-on home life.

I'm fairly bombproof despite working in the NHS and then with kids.

I attribute it to having autoimmune disease - as my immune system throws a shit fit over parts of my body daring to exist and then strange, alien poisons such as wheat and milk, there's no way it's going to let a real invading organism get it's feet under the table.

Worked as a childminder for 22 years and haven't had a day off sick in that time. U only had 2 weeks off when my daughter was born. I think my immune system is cast iron- I haven't even caught covid!!

I'm not sure hygiene is the issue, kids always bring home bugs, the trick is to build your immune system and get fit

Hardly ever really. Only been off sick from work once in the past 4 years with Covid, and that was because I wasn't allowed to go in, not because I felt particularly ill. I get mild colds every now and again.

I'm not particularly strict with hygiene either.