To not understand how I've got another cold

[Dishwashersaurous]

I seem to have had a permanent cold for most of last year. Started in May with horrendous flu and then just seemed to have one a month.

Then another really horrendous one in December and antibiotics for a sinus infection.

Then took some leave for Christmas and finally started to feel better.

This morning woke up and nose streaming again.

I eat healthily. I exercise. I was my hands all the time.

Aibu to just not understand how I keep on getting colds and ask for advice on how to get rid of yet another one

Thanks all for the advice.

I think what this is helping me realise is that these colds are affecting me more than I realised.

Basically I am doing my normal very busy life but with a streaming nose and cough most of the time

Colds/flu/covid/rsv are all spread by droplet infection.

As well as optimising your immune system with a good diet, adequate hydration, exercise and supplements in the winter months, I would try to be strategic to avoid other people's germs. This might mean, wearing an fp3 mask during your commute, keeping your office window open, and maintaining a two metre distance from cold sufferers (and one metre from everyone else). Oh and avoid all small children completely until spring.

You could consider private jabs for flu and covid, (and rsv if old enough and willing to pay £250).

But for perspective, most adults will have a few colds every year, some of which will be unpleasant. It's annoying when you have a run of them, but it doesn't mean there is anything wrong with you.

I think it's impossible to stay in bed every time you have a cold.

I have not had a cold for years but I do have the flu and covid vaccine every year.

So does my husband and so does my son. Non of us have been ill for years.

(all HCW’s)

I think you would be poorlier if you had leukaemia, but any inability to fend off infections and viruses for several months should be investigated with a lymph node exam and full blood count.

I think it's impossible to stay in bed every time you have a cold.

Totally agree, what can be helpful though is adopting good habits afterwards to help you recover. When you are ill you mostly have to do what you can to get through, but once you are through the worst it is worth making the effort to get a good nights sleep, eat well and do things like go out for a walk in the fresh air at lunchtime.

So you have never let your body recover or fight any one infection properly

There you ton

You have to give yourself a break and time to recover. Easier said than done, I know.

A year of recurring colds isn't normal - ask your GP for blood tests including a full blood count and your vitamin and iron levels.

I had a few years when I was younger (20s/30s) when I seemed to get constant colds. I was commuting by tube and working in an office, and I also went to the gym regularly. It was really miserable but as far as I know there was nothing 'wrong' with me, I was just in contact with a huge amount of people (particularly the tube in rush hour) so had plenty of opportunities to catch colds. Once I stopped commuting and worked at home the colds eased off to one or two a year.

Hi, OP: could it be allergic sinusitis? My DH has this. It's very uncomfortable. Go ask your GP to test you for allergies. I hope you find a solution soon 🙏

Not stopping is a false economy

I'd take a day or two in bed , work from home rest of week and be far more productive than those who carried on as normal and were off form for weeks and prone to catching more things

( I know zero hour contracts are shit for enabling people to look after themselves )

How nice for you. Not sure how this helps the OP though. 😒

I think im just cross because ive had two weeks off work and have been doing all the right things. Lots and lots of.sleep and rest. Walk in the woods every day. Loads of fresh fruit and vegetables. And I was feeling so much better.

Then today woke up.with another dripping nose. Not that bad, certainly not bad enough to see a doctor or go to bed. Just very irritating.

And I woke up really early and everyone else is still in bed, so going out to the anonymous miasma of the Internet because I wanted to talk to someone

Did you just want a moan or did you actually want some advice?

Because lots of people have tried to help and you've either ignored their posts or knocked them back 🤦‍♀️

I never get colds. Nor does my husband. I also don’t particularly look after myself or eat well.

We put it down to the fact we sleep with a bedroom window open 365 days a year.

Maybe I'm hoping for a magic pill.

I do all the healthy things suggested including working from home as much as possible.

I will try and see the gp in the new year, although getting an appointment for a non emergency is almost impossible.

OP I don't think you've answered if you have small children?

Not being ill from cold viruses is as much a combination of good fortune and lack of exposure as it is about your general health. It's good to optimise your underlying health for lots of reasons, but even the healthiest person doesn't have a force field to repel all viruses.

If you have children you are exposed to colds almost constantly I'm afraid.

Love the idea of a force field. Think that's what I want!

I have primary age children, who aren't ever really ill, or at least never miss school. But they probably incubate.

Also, does anyone know if there's a menopausal link to a weakened immune system

If you're deficient in certain minerals or vitamins then eating a good diet isn't going to be enough - you also need supplements and monitoring via bloods to make sure your levels are where they need to be.

Also as PP said, you'd want to check things like white blood cells to make sure your body is healthy and fighting infections the way it should be.

I have folate deficiency anemia and need to supplement daily in order to maintain my levels. Eating a good diet just isn't enough for me.

When kids were small I had permanent colds /flu/sinusitis and was on report for years over my attendance at work.

Now, thankfully immune system so better (just shared bed with DH when had flu and am fine ). The two things that changed are :

kids have grown up so am getting more sleep ;

no longer drink alcohol.

DH still drinks and gets more colds than me so I think the alcohol is definitely the factor. Might be worth trying not drinking for a few weeks and see how you get on ?

I’ve had one cold after another since September which then culminated in influenza A in November. But I do work in education.

Anyway, out of desperation I’ve been taking high dose echinacea since and I used extract of pelargonium when I had my post flu cough (I saw it mentioned on the NHS website).

I’ve not caught anything else yet but who knows what next term will bring.

When my kids were small I had a similar episode to you, cried all over my GP who wanted to give me antidepressants (!) whilst I got bloods done. My bloods came back as almost non existent vitamin D. He prescribed supplements for 6 months and I actually began to feel better within a week or so.

@Totaleclipseofthemind the 2 years running when I had both vaccines I didn’t get any colds either. Maybe a bit sniffly. I no longer qualify for them but it does make me wonder

👏🏼👏🏼

Don't need to see GP. Do an econsult, say that you have been very ill for many months and would like a full blood panel to include B12, D and ferritin.

My GP then allows me to book a blood test at the local hospital using the hospital app, usually get a same day appt and then results take about three days.

Ideally vitamin D should be over 200nmol
B12 may show incorrect results if you are already supplementing
Ferritin is supposed to be over 70 and ideally over 100.

Dont take a multi vitamin, there isn't enough in them to help.