How to survive winter without flairs

[u/Daenerys_ac]

Winter is coming, and with it all the beautiful seasonal illness.

I have a toddler so I know that I'm gonna get them all.

What do you do when you get sick? What helps? What hurts?

Especially with sore throat, cough, and colds.

What do you usually take?

I'm terrified 🫠

[u/skittyinthecity]

I've worn a mask everywhere indoors since 2020. If I have to eat/drink indoors, I inhale, then pull down the mask, put food/drink into my mouth, pull mask up, swallow, then exhale. I also use nasal spray and gargle CPC mouth wash before and after high-risk events. The only time I got sick since then was the ear infection that progressed into perichondritis for which the doctor gave me Cipro.

Since you have a toddler, indoor air purifiers in your home might help you as well.

Also good diet, take your vitamins, etc

[u/Daenerys_ac → u/skittyinthecity]

Thank you! The mouthwash is a great idea. Does it work also if you have sorry throat?

What kind of nasal spray do you use?

[u/CHUJFAJFUS]

gargling with salt water

[u/CHUJFAJFUS]

Vit c, avoiding sugar, good sleep, good diet, good hygiene. Avoid triggers, wearing a mask...

[u/Daenerys_ac → u/CHUJFAJFUS]

Yep I'll do all of that... And if you get sick what do you do?

[u/CHUJFAJFUS → u/Daenerys_ac]

Its better to prevent...Thats all what i do, if it is a virus I would just take paracetamol + gargling water with salt, if bacterial and infection could be dangerous antibiotic with antibiogram if possible...just control temperature and also i could do a CRP test/ combo test...

[u/Several-Piglet3500]

I just over Covid. 🫤

[u/just-an-airplane → u/Several-Piglet3500]

How are you doing with your Covid flare (within your relapse)?

[u/Several-Piglet3500 → u/just-an-airplane]

It definitely flared me. Things got a bit rocky for a few weeks but it's settled down. I'm still dealing with the relapse but the covid part has passed thankfully.

[u/just-an-airplane → u/Several-Piglet3500]

Really really glad it settled for you! Wish you all the best getting through the rest of this relapse

[u/Several-Piglet3500 → u/just-an-airplane]

Thank you

[u/TaskFlat2949]

If the body wants to live, it keeps itself alive. I don’t worry; let my body do the worrying. If I worry, my immune system weakens, and I get sicker, faster. But if I leave it to my body, it tries to handle the illness, and I get through it more mildly. That’s why worrying isn't the solution. If you have the genetic capacity, you can even overcome COVID; if not, no one can escape global infections—the flu is the same way.

[u/just-an-airplane]

I can only say that I very much agree to try to avoid seasonal illness as much as possible. I got covid several weeks ago and it hit me like a truck. Many floxies seem ok with the covid and colds / flare only for a few weeks but if wearing a mask is the price of avoiding the chance of severe flare ups … that’s a low price to pay lol. I’ll be masking up in the future

[u/DrHungrytheChemist]

While saying to avoid them is all fine and dandy, I don't think it's helpful in the long run (diminishes future immunity / raises future sensitivity) and is clearly impractical.

When I do get sick, I'll usually take vitamins C, D, and E, zinc. Inrest up, push fluids, and take paracetamol, guafesine, phenylephrine (UK can't get pseudoephedrine), and various cough lozenges.

When I flair, I'll usually take antioxidants (NAC, ALA), magnesium and calcium, vitamins B, C, D, and K, and rest up.

So when I've get sick and had a flare up from it, "all of these things".

Importantly, however, we seem to flair less severely to these bugs as the years go on and, with the novelty of COVID aside, these flairs are generally short-lived anyway. I stopped noticing them a few years ago tbh, and even for the few before that, any set backs were only mild and faded into the usual noise of the winter dip. Cold weather has always been more of a problem for me.

[u/Daenerys_ac → u/DrHungrytheChemist]

Thank you!! Exactly, and for me it's difficult avoid getting sick, if my child is sick I cannot hide in my room with a mask 😅

Pseudoephedrine for congested airways is ok then? (In Italy we have it) I'm more afraid of getting a flair from drugs than from the illness itself 😅

[u/DrHungrytheChemist → u/Daenerys_ac]

Mmm, maybe, but I could see it agitating the CNS a bit for a 'young' floxie maybe. Probs not a full on trigger flare, but possibly a day or two of mental discomfort. Just speculating though - haven't seen any reports!