What do you do to not catch colds/flu/chest infections??

[getmesomewater]

For months I get one a cold or chest infection am well for a week then bam pick up something else ! I must have a awful immune system!! Apart from the norm diet, exercise & everyday hygiene... what do you do to ward off being ill? ?

I'm the exact same. I'm currently in bed with the flu and this has been since Monday. I take a shit load of vitamins, eat healthy and workout 4-5 times a week. I'm bloody sick to death of it

Just realised I've not helped answer your question, I'm so sorry. I'm feeling very sorry for myself just now.

I have no idea... but I don't ever seem to pick up colds at all. I honestly can't remember the last time I had one (or any kind of virus at all). DH is prone to them, and brings them home (and takes a while to shake them off as his immune system is slightly compromised), but I just don't catch them.

I work in a job where I meet the public, I spend time with others through my hobbies, I go out to bars/cafes etc. But things tend to evade me.

I exercise a fair amount (5x a week) and have a reasonably healthy diet (pretty much all home cooked rather than processed, but could certainly do with more fruit and veg), but I don't take any vitamins or supplements.
I honestly think it's just luck or genetics, or something like that.

Would love to know the answer. I'm in bed with pneumonia and just feeling worse and worse.

I'm never ill. On a rare occasion I've had a cold it lasted 24 hours. I've had covid twice but both times I had absolutely no symptoms at all. No idea why, I'm sure I don't do anything different to anyone around me.

Literally don't do anything and l never get ill.
Was the only person at work who didn't get Covid.
Got a good immune system l reckon!

Work in a hospital for 20yrs. My first year I was so sick - building up my immune system probably. After that - hardly ever. Took me well over 2 years to catch covid and was working with covid all the time. I think the more you are exposed to people, environments and germs, the better your body will be prepared (unless you're immunocompromised - then it isn't the same!)

Someone once told me take ginseng tablets everyday takes a while to build up but wards off colds etc so I'm willing to try anything ! And also family member said sleep and positive thinking 🥴🧐 as sleeping is healing ..I agree and if you think ill you are ill 🧐🧐

Nothing really. Wash my hands. Colds etc are part of life, I just accept that sometimes im going to get ill. I usually get 4-5 colds/viruses a year I’d say.
DH never gets ill, not even a cold. Until last week I hadn’t known him see a GP in the 14 years I’ve known him. He’s currently in bed with pneumonia.

Wear a mask. Wash your hands. Stay away from people who are coughing and spluttering. I work in a hospital and we are still wearing masks, all day every day. We'd have no staff otherwise

I'm not sure how useful it is but I try and give my body the best chance to fight something off quickly. So
at the very first sign of any URT infection/virus, whether a cold, sore throat, feeling chesty etc I:

• Take a daily berocca
• Drink orange juice
• Make a big pot of chunky veg stew to try and get as many vitamins in as possible
• Gargle 3 x daily with salt water
• Take daily really hot, steamy showers in the morning and a hot bath a night
• Make sure I drink several litres of water a day
• Make sure I'm having a decent amount of fresh air (which isn't a problem as I walk the dog for an hour a day anyway)
• Consciously go to bed earlier than usual to try and make sure I'm well rested

It might just be a bit of a placebo effect or maybe it's boosting me to fight something off - but I usually get rid of whatever it is within a couple of days.

I get 2-3 colds a year which I think is about average but prior to lockdowns, I used to get about 6 a year. The only difference now is that I've become much more aware of either washing my hands or using hand sanitiser. So I keep some in the car and after I've pumped petrol or been out and about, I give my hands a bit of a clean. I'm not obsessive or paranoid about it but since I read that a lot of us pick up bugs from surfaces, I've started doing it more often.

Might be a coincidence that my colds have halved...but it also might have helped...who knows?

Allegedly, it has a lot to do with you gut bacteria. Best way to improve it is lots of plant based stuff (around 30 different types a week is ideal, but that includes stuff like herbs and having mixed salad leaves rather than say rocket only or mixed berries rather than just raspberries).

I have no idea how true that is, but after catching the recent cold / flu thing and it lasting 3 weeks, I'm gonna give it a try and I can't see how eating more fruit, veg and pulses will hurt.
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33803407/

I avoid people.

Sorry, that should have said your gut bacteria.

But I like Bosk's anwser too. 😅

I do the opposite (I don't work in a hospital though) - no mask, mix and don't be too het up on everything being clean or washing your hands every 5 mins.
Dirt = good for the immune system.

Do you have young kids OP? When mine were younger (youngest a toddler, let's say) I used to get cold after cold after cold. They're both older now (mid primary), and even though I still get a cold occasionally, it's more like a couple a year rather than every single month.

Still haven't had covid, mind you!

I have two kids at school who pick up sniffles and colds. Getting sunshine late summer always helps I think. I usually manage to avoid most viral things. I think it's luck and regular hand washing.

How stressed are you?

I always get stressed at Christmas as I do all the planning, buying, wrapping, deciding on food, putting up tree etc. Basically do it all. Every boxing day I come down with flu. Been like this for thirty years. The past two years I've pared back what I do and am less stressed. No boxing day illness (or any day after) at all.

I'm now trying to find a way to totally destress my life, ie lose 18st of deadweight.

I'm exactly the same (other than my DH isn't compromised in any way, but he picks up everything!) - I agree that it's luck / genetics as my mum is the same as me.

That’s interesting about the gut. I need to read the book that’s been on my shelf for years, as that seems to say everything is down to the gut…

Either a shot of sherry or whiskey every day.

I've just started taking high dose vitamin d everyday

Last time one of the dc had antibiotics the GP casually reminded me to pick up probiotics which confused me.

She said you should ALWAYS take daily probiotics when taking ANTIBIOTICS and for several days after or they kill off all the good bacteria and leave you susceptible to other illnesses. She was really shocked that I was unaware of this, seemed to think it was common knowledge.

I've always done it since though.