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Q: Anyone else get ill a lot?
I seem to get ill a lot here, and it seems to be happening more and more often. I feel like absolute crap today. Don't know how many times I've had what they call a viral cold (病毒感冒) where you feel weak and ill but don't have a blocked nose or cough. I'd never even heard of the thing till I came to China.
Anyone else seem to mysteriously get ill a lot?
9 years 36 weeks ago in Health & Safety - China
I'm generally healthy, or as I say: 'I'm OK!', however MDs could always dispute that.
I feel sometimes weak for no reason, and I think cause is either 'moon size' or 'diet' without red meat.
On 'moon size', I followed it few times: 'always when I feel weak, I would check the moon, and I found out, when moon is losing volume, I'm weak, I have stupid accidents, and other 'ben' things (losing my valet or documents and such).
When moon is gaining volume, I'm blast. Energetic, 'feel like a tiger', sometimes I sleep only 2h in a day, and I'm OK.
If I don't eat red meat for two weeks, I fell exhausted and sleepy all the time.
Last two weeks, I feel 'not in a mood'. I planned to go for short vacation, but I'm keep sitting in my hole, and can't/want to go to the Train Station for the tickets.
I guess, everybody is different!
Scandinavian:
You need to read up on terminology around the moon. "New", "Waxing", "Full" & "Waning" would be the correct terms to use about the moons state. It's size, volume, mass and whatnot remains the same no matter how illuminated it is
Also, read up on the difference between "correlation" and "causation" and then stop blaming superstition and have a beer.
xunliang:
I think I eat quite well. I eat plenty of meat because I cook for myself. I could eat more fruit I guess, but then again, I didn't really eat much fruit back home.
icnif77:
My 'moon' wording sucks! When moon is growing in size toward full moon, I'm good, and when is losing volume from full down to less full
, I'm not that good. I also spotted changes in the weather in EU: when moon is rising is always sunny, and when moon is losing it, then is rainy and things. Some diabetics are sensitive to the changing weather patterns.
I saw IWolf is talking about high blood glucose/sugar. When high sugar above 6mmol (EU)/140 (US) measure, then patient is considered 'diabetic'. One feels tired all the time, with dry mouth, excessive liquid intake (more than 2l in normal, not too hot climate), followed by often pissing (more than 10 times per day). However, glucose level with that 2 signs is probably very high. I would say above 15-20mmol or 250-300 US, what is not that big deal, if treated immediately. 'treated'=glucose lowered to normal levels.
Untreated diabetes 'eats' body from the inside. Very sneaky disease.
Constant thirst and often pissing should make you check your glucose ASAP. Every pharmacy will do it, I think.
I'm an insulin dependent diabetic (with my own glucose machine/meter) and an excellent glucose levels, which should be measured many/several times per day. However, I measure it twice a day the most, and always when I go off my no-white-sugar-diet. I consider myself 'lucky'. Some people with this shit suffer a lot. My own diabetologist doesn't argue 'my therapy', 'cause I'm OK at the detailed glucose Hospital check-ups. I see my MD on average every 3 years once, 'cause I'm busy man.
royceH:
Hahahaha..... I must have missed this link back when it was hot. Keep posting, icni. I miss you Man!
I'm generally healthy, or as I say: 'I'm OK!', however MDs could always dispute that.
I feel sometimes weak for no reason, and I think cause is either 'moon size' or 'diet' without red meat.
On 'moon size', I followed it few times: 'always when I feel weak, I would check the moon, and I found out, when moon is losing volume, I'm weak, I have stupid accidents, and other 'ben' things (losing my valet or documents and such).
When moon is gaining volume, I'm blast. Energetic, 'feel like a tiger', sometimes I sleep only 2h in a day, and I'm OK.
If I don't eat red meat for two weeks, I fell exhausted and sleepy all the time.
Last two weeks, I feel 'not in a mood'. I planned to go for short vacation, but I'm keep sitting in my hole, and can't/want to go to the Train Station for the tickets.
I guess, everybody is different!
Scandinavian:
You need to read up on terminology around the moon. "New", "Waxing", "Full" & "Waning" would be the correct terms to use about the moons state. It's size, volume, mass and whatnot remains the same no matter how illuminated it is
Also, read up on the difference between "correlation" and "causation" and then stop blaming superstition and have a beer.
xunliang:
I think I eat quite well. I eat plenty of meat because I cook for myself. I could eat more fruit I guess, but then again, I didn't really eat much fruit back home.
icnif77:
My 'moon' wording sucks! When moon is growing in size toward full moon, I'm good, and when is losing volume from full down to less full, I'm not that good. I also spotted changes in the weather in EU: when moon is rising is always sunny, and when moon is losing it, then is rainy and things. Some diabetics are sensitive to the changing weather patterns.
I saw IWolf is talking about high blood glucose/sugar. When high sugar above 6mmol (EU)/140 (US) measure, then patient is considered 'diabetic'. One feels tired all the time, with dry mouth, excessive liquid intake (more than 2l in normal, not too hot climate), followed by often pissing (more than 10 times per day). However, glucose level with that 2 signs is probably very high. I would say above 15-20mmol or 250-300 US, what is not that big deal, if treated immediately. 'treated'=glucose lowered to normal levels.
Untreated diabetes 'eats' body from the inside. Very sneaky disease.
Constant thirst and often pissing should make you check your glucose ASAP. Every pharmacy will do it, I think.
I'm an insulin dependent diabetic (with my own glucose machine/meter) and an excellent glucose levels, which should be measured many/several times per day. However, I measure it twice a day the most, and always when I go off my no-white-sugar-diet. I consider myself 'lucky'. Some people with this shit suffer a lot. My own diabetologist doesn't argue 'my therapy', 'cause I'm OK at the detailed glucose Hospital check-ups. I see my MD on average every 3 years once, 'cause I'm busy man.
royceH:
Hahahaha..... I must have missed this link back when it was hot. Keep posting, icni. I miss you Man!
Since I've come to China the amount of times I've been sick has been lower than back home, but on the flip side it has been more serious here in China.
The first year I had some terrific rounds of laduzi. Since then, I think I have had no problems at all, apart from the add jock itch and what not that can be attributed to sweating 24/7
And the alternative to a viral cold would be...... ah that is right, nothing, because all colds are viral.
Ummmm, isn't every cold caused by a virus? I don't know why I know this but a "cold" is medically referred to as acute viral rhinopharyngitis (guessed at the spelling of that baby)
If you are local, go immediately to the hospital, get a blood test, get a saline/glucose drip, antibiotics (??) and various TCM pills and fork over a few hundred rmb.
If you aren't, take a few tissues and go to work as usual.
Scandinavian:
Dr iWolf, I think you nailed it. But for the non-locals, I think the old house wife remedy of a big gulp of whiskey/rum/vodka could be recommended, and in doing so, stress it has zero medical effect other than helping to cheer up. (just like those cheerful drips the locals use)
xunliang:
Yeah, that's what I don't get about it. I don't have cold-like symptoms. No runny nose or cough. Just really weak and a bit nauseous. That's why I said I'd never heard of the so called 病毒感冒 viral cold, as opposed to just a cold. At least in the Chinese language, there is a difference between a cold and viral cold. I realise both are viral but I'm not sure how to express the difference in English because I'd never even heard of this sort of illness before I came here.
iWolf:
Mr Scandanavian, my grandfather recommended a bottle of rum and then bed.
When you wake up either your cold is gone or you have one bitch of a hangover and don't worry about your cold.
Mr xunliang, Dr iWolf suggests that you may be suffering from hyperglycemia....high blood sugar. Dry mouth? Or you are pregnant.xunliang:
I hope it's not hyperglycemia, I just had a Red Bull to try and wake up....
iWolf:
Well I hope not too. The good news is that you are pregnant. Congratulations!!
coineineagh:
its not a cold its a viral cold. its not a real wine its grape wine. welcome to china.
I generally get a lot of colds during the summer but I attribute this to the air conditioners blasting out 15-25 degree air during the middle of the Guangdong summer.
If you have to deal with crazy aircon settings, maybe you felt cold, and this week's rhino pharyngitis virus took advantage of a temporary weakness.
My wife got that recently too, for once we did it like we do back home:
* Take some paracetamol for your headake if it's a problem to do anything, and carry on. Or stay in bed if you're knocked out and enjoy the fever dreams.
* You nose might run and your throat might hurt a bit in a couple of days. You drink hot water with lemon, ginger, honey, and what not, everybody got a mix for that. It won't fix anything, but it eases the throat pain.
Result : she thanks the Heavens for paracetamol. Sorry, crappy hospitals and quack medecine.
Scandinavian:
actually if you look up recent research with putting people in freezers and see if they git sick easier, the link with being cold and getting sick is gone. not saying there is definitive proof (in what I've seen) but basically "reason why people get sick in winter has to do with humidity, temperature and viruses ability to hang in the air under these conditions"
I'd guess air conditioners main contribution is circulating the air so you can be sure if one person gets it every person gets it
If MDs are reading our 'often tired' discussion here, you all need help! Except 'moi'!
I don't expect to be 100% well 100% of the time.
As the thought of going to a hospital in China scares the **** out of me, I employ preventative measures as best i can.
Dr Monkey outlines some of the standard remedies so nothing i have is so debilitating I can't move.
i notice here that a sniffle results in a student taking to their bed for a few days 
I don't smoke never have, but since coming here and experiencing the polluted air I consider myself a smoker with the general poor health that goes with being a smoker.
When I find myself coughing a lot, feeling run down when I shouldn't be I know I'm probably a pack a day man.
Yes, I get it all the time. The sudden changes in temperatures affects me a lot. Recently it dropped from 42c to 19c overnight and next day I'm down and out. Took me a week to recover. Usually it takes less than a week to recover when I was back home but here it appears that I need 10 or more days. Perhaps it's the air, the food or simply the medicine. I try not to get sick by eating right but even then with each changing season I get it. Sucks big time!
I get "washed out" often. Feels like flu, aching all over sort of thing. I go to bed with a lemsip and sweat it out. Sometimes it only lasts a day, sometimes longer.
I put it down to diet and heat and whatever the latest hungry mozzie has injected me with.
xunliang:
Need to get me some Lemsip then. Just finished my last box of Tesco cold and flu capsules today.
ScotsAlan:
If I don't have lemsip I make my own from paracetamol and those fizzy orange tablets in the aluminium tube. Does the job.
xunliang:
Oh....I'll try that then. I still have a huge pack of paracetamol. Thanks for the tip haha
I did my first two years in China and I got prostatitis, but now for the last 8 years never got sick.
iWolf:
Ouch, prostatitis. Sorry to hear that.
My first year here I got shingles. That sucked too...sick as a dog (pun intended). Nowadays, I've am rarely sick. It must've been like boot camp for my immune system and unless I am dying I just get up and go to work and brush that shit off
...caught a cold once since arriving three months ago...however, it took me a week and a half to recover (sigh).
I did get really sick in China and always had a runny nose. I think exposure to something may have caused me to develop allergies to some thing. Two years later my nose runs all the time or just a little, but never clears and I have a (steroid?) spray from my doctor.
I got sick here and there, usually only when poisoned though.
Usually whilst passing public lavatories here. The stench makes me want to chuck.
I got sick more than 6 times in 10 months. That's with sinus and fever.
i had bronchitis the first year. my kids got it too. the nasty gunk
stays in your respiratory system, but it will be milder if it resurfaces next summer. don't believe the cold drinks myth; this thing has nothing to do with temperature. you'll just add to your discomfort by not drinking cold drinks.
stay healthy, eat a varied diet. if you're a lone expat who doesn't cook and stick to a few restaurants, your lack of nutritional variety may be the issue. keep eating enough fruit & veg every day. you'll get diarrhoea from time to time: all you can do is be careful what you eat. montmorillonite powder is a harmless and effective medicine for the runs. it's just a kind of clay powder!
my immune system sucks big time. i get a bad cold after a long flight almost every time. working around kids i feel i got a lot more colds because of their grimy hands and lack of sneezing etiquette i ve had food poisoning twice now. i think its unavoidable if you t eat at restaurants regularly
Not too much. But I pay extra attention to hygiene more than ever. If you take public transportation, change your damn clothes when you get home and don't sit on any of the furniture in your room while you're wearing those dirty clothes. People in China seem to barely ever do their laundry.... Never eat a meal without washing your hands somehow - even if you're using eating utensils. You usually never pay attention to what you're hands touch until it's too late. Eat a few fruits every day and try washing them in one of those fruit washing solutions you can buy in an import store.... Avoid the pollution as much as possible, and drink plenty of water all the time...
xunliang:
I do all that, apart from using that fruit and veg soap. I think China's turned me into a germaphobe, but you kind of need to be here.
Nessquick:
Yeah man, It is pain in the ass to teach my wife, let she reguraly change our sons clothes after coming back from kindergarden...
Such a simple thing. and it is already 1 year. day by day repeating the same sentence ...
I have found that most times I have gotten sick in China was the result of a bad hangover. Other than that I just get a bad runny nose for a few days per year.
I was sick a lot last year, but I starting teaching family and friends to cover their mouths when they cough or sneeze and we all have been a lot healthier. They didn't understand that coughing and sneezing on people make others sick. I even made it a game with my niece and other little ones.
I want to say that I never get sick, but I won't. That would be a bad omen.
icnif77:
I think, you should use word 'rarely' in proper Englo. Aaand to trick 'bad omen'
