[Maflynn]

During my younger years before having children, I'd typically get one maybe two colds a year and once in a blue moon the flu. Now thanks to those little germ bags, there's a cold going through the family several times during the winter.

So this begs the question how often do you get sick?

[Oisín]

I voted 1–2 times, assuming that we’re talking per year here?

I fixed the title to reflect "per year". Glenn

[ghporter]

Like Oisín, I have maybe one cold a year. I'm expecting to get a couple this spring though, because I'm going to be working with little kids, and it's sort of one of the occupational hazards of working with this population.

[dcmacdaddy]

1-2 time per year here. Although when my nieces were in their prime germ-spreading years of 1- 3 years old, I would get sick every time I went to visit them. Thankfully they are past that stage now. Hurrah for built-up immune systems.

[mattyb]

I have two young kids and the daughter (nearly 5) seems to be a more effective biological weapon than anything Saddam ever had. She's always infecting the family.

In France instead of shaking hands or just saying hello to greet fellow workers, the women touch cheeks and do air kissing. This, IMHO, is the greatest contributor to the outbreaks of gastro, flu, etc etc that France experiences every now and again.

I also forget to take my medication for gout and every so often get an attack. Most times I can llive with it unless its in the knee - I can't move if its in the knee.

Pretty unheathy it seems.

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by mattyb 

I have two young kids and the daughter (nearly 5) seems to be a more effective biological weapon than anything Saddam ever had. She's always infecting the family.

In France instead of shaking hands or just saying hello to greet fellow workers, the women touch cheeks and do air kissing. This, IMHO, is the greatest contributor to the outbreaks of gastro, flu, etc etc that France experiences every now and again.

I also forget to take my medication for gout and every so often get an attack. Most times I can llive with it unless its in the knee - I can't move if its in the knee.

Pretty unheathy it seems.

Handwashing won't protect anyone from air-kissing, especially French style. The "Hollywood" style (air-kissing several inches apart) is a different thing-it's supposed to avoid mussing makeup and is exactly as empty as it looks.

Oh, and DON'T forget your gout medicine! I'd think your knees and toes would keep you reminded of that... Avoiding gout attacks is your best defense against gouty arthritis causing more serious damage. But I have a question: how does one follow a gout diet in France?

[Maflynn]

Yeah I meant per year thanks Glenn

[mattyb]

how does one follow a gout diet in France? With difficulty.

I rarely drink red wine, everyone that I know knows that I drink beer.
Kidneys, liver etc aren't my thing so I don't miss that.
Fois gras and paté - I need to be careful
Beans, peas, lentils I mostly avoid, I do miss these things.
Seafood no problems except ...
Shrimps/Crayfish/Prawns : never touch, immediate gout attack afterwards. This is the worst part of gout for me. I love king prawn curry, grilled king prawns, prawns with mayo, spicey mayo, ...

The problem with the medication is that it makes me itch - known side effect apparently.

[paul w]

I think, in my case, personal human contact has to at least play a factor. In Paris I got the flu almost every year for 9 years. And of course in Paris they do the two (sometimes three or four ) cheek kisses thing - heck sometimes straight men do it. The year I didn't get sick I spent most of the time in Japan and then travelling through Spain and Morocco. Very little physical contact.

In New York, since late 05 I haven't been sick at all. A couple small colds but no flu. And of course I rarely come into contact with other people. The odd handshake and one cheek kiss - but it's rare. I don't have nearly as many friends here anyway.

[paul w]

Originally Posted by mattyb 

In France instead of shaking hands or just saying hello to greet fellow workers, the women touch cheeks and do air kissing. This, IMHO, is the greatest contributor to the outbreaks of gastro, flu, etc etc that France experiences every now and again.

I posted before seeing this, so yeah - I agree.

[Laminar]

I'm typically healthy, but about once a year if I get thrown into a new environment, my body will go a bit crazy. I was a wreck for a week after starting my job at a summer camp, and last January when I moved to Missouri, I got all kinds of congested and cough-y. Oh yeah, last summer I was trying to prove to a germaphobe that eating pretzels out of the community bowl at a bar wouldn't make me sick, but then it did.

[analogue SPRINKLES]

I haven't had a cold in 2 years but I normally get one nose cold about once a year.

[Chuckit]

Do hangovers count?

[Paco500]

I'm another who used to get sick once or twice a year, but kids and frequent air travel have changed all that. I get at least 4-5 colds a year serious enough to make me miserable.

[Eriamjh]

I get a sinus infection once a year like clockwork. Otherwise, I never get a cold or flu or anything else.

[Oisín]

Originally Posted by analogue SPRINKLES 

I haven't had a cold in 2 years but I normally get one nose cold about once a year.

What exactly is the difference?

Is a nose cold just a mild cold where you get no other symptoms than a runny nose and a bit of sneezing? ’Cause I get at least twenty of those every year, I just don’t count that as being ‘ill’.

[Rumor]

I said once or twice, but I cannot remember the last time I got sick.

Being hungover doesn't count, does it?

[sek929]

I haven't had a cold in two years. Once I stopped going to school/class I stopped getting germs from all the sick bastards around me.

I also smoke cigs. My immune system is impenetrable.

[Gregg]

Originally Posted by Maflynn 

.... how often do you get sick?

Multiple times... if you count sick and tired.

[analogue SPRINKLES]

Originally Posted by Oisín 

What exactly is the difference?

Is a nose cold just a mild cold where you get no other symptoms than a runny nose and a bit of sneezing? ’Cause I get at least twenty of those every year, I just don’t count that as being ‘ill’.

Perhaps you just have allergies?

[Oisín]

Originally Posted by analogue SPRINKLES 

Perhaps you just have allergies?

Not that I know of. I used to have lots and lots of asthmatic allergies, but I’ve outgrown those. I’m not allergic to dust or pollen or have hay fever or anything like that.

[EndlessMac]

I don't get sick too often unless I'm around children. Adults usually know better than to sneeze on someone or to not wash their hands. Kids don't care about any of that. They run around with runny noses, sneezing on everything within a few feet of them, picking their friends nose and then putting it in their mouths, etc.

Although I've been told that being sick a lot as a kid builds up your immune system and I was definitely sick a lot as a kid. I've read that doctors have theories about allergies being caused when children live in an overly sterile and clean environment and their immune system never fully developed because they were not exposed to some germs. They found that people who grew up in farms had lower rates to animal and outdoor allergies when compared to people who grew up in the city.

[ShortcutToMoncton]

I get the cold/flu about 2 to 3 times a year I imagine. I move localities quite a bit due to school (about 1900 kms distance from "home") so I'm back-and-forth between them about 4 to 5 times a year, which does take its toll on the immune system depending on what local bug is going around.

Interestingly enough, while growing up I was almost never sick, I'm told – maybe once or twice until I reached 13. That Grade 8 year I caught double pneumonia, almost died (41.8 C temp!), and since then I get sick pretty much whenever everyone else does.

greg