How often do you fall sick in a year?
By scheng1
@scheng1 (24649)
Singapore
April 27, 2011 2:38am CST
I am down with a throat infection.
Yesterday when I was walking towards the town center near my house, I was very shocked to see every clinic full of patients, even though it was nearly two hours after the opening hours.
I thought that by noon time, the clinics would be quite deserted, and I could go home after the consultation.
There are about ten clinics near my house, and nearly all are packed full of sick people.
I cannot imagine why so many people are falling sick.
Some did not look sick at all. They were playing games on their iphone while waiting for their turn.
It was a long wait.
By the time I managed to enter the consultation room, I was nearly dead.
This is the second time in a year that I have fallen sick, breaking my personal record of being sick just once or twice per year.
How often do you fall sick in a year?
How long do you have to wait for a consultation with your doctor?
4 people like this
17 responses
@1hopefulman (45111)
• Canada
29 Apr 11
If I follow my healthy diet and healthy lifestyle I rarely get sick. I have had no need to visit a doctor for a few years now.
I hope you get better soon!

@1hopefulman (45111)
• Canada
3 May 11
Hi scheng1! How are you doing?
You may have read my article on microbes on Triond or on Mylot. I have a theory that we invite microbes to our bodies by providing wastes (which they view as food). Microbes are always looking for work, which is to break down wastes. They multiply in our bodies and in turn poison us with their wastes. When I'm clean, I have hugged and been close to people with colds and flues and did not catch anything.
I believe we could eliminate most diseases by right living. That is eating only food that is beneficial and exercising to keep the system running well and also getting adequate sleep.
1 person likes this
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
3 May 11
Hi 1hopefulman, there is an element of truth in your theory.
If our bodies cannot process waste, and eliminate waste, then we will definitely get sick more often.
I think the effect of weather is another factor.
The alternate rain and shine in a day can cause our body immunity to weaken.
This is precisely what is happening here.
Sometimes we have to take in our wet laundry into the house, and then bring them out again when the alternate rain and shine pattern appears.
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
30 Apr 11
Hi 1hopefulman, fortunately we have a long weekend.
I can rest during the long weekend, and return to work next Tuesday in better health.
I just hope that the weather could change for the better.
Over here, the alternate rain and shine weather pattern is causing many people to get sick.
Travelling in the packed train every day is no help too.
Virus tends to spread very fast in a crowded and confine space.

@GardenGerty (169406)
• United States
28 Apr 11
It has been a long time since I have been sick enough to need a doctor. If I do need one, I get an appointment by calling the office. This time of year where I live there is a lot of allergic reaction to pollen and things like that, and some people go on into infections from their allergic reactions. I was sick earlier this monthbut I treated it myself and I am fine now.

@GardenGerty (169406)
• United States
28 Apr 11
I see. Some jobs require a doctor's note. Some only do if you miss more than three days. I hope you are doing better now.
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
29 Apr 11
Hi GardenGerty, over here, getting medical certificate is a national culture.
There is no way to make your boss believes without the medical certificates.
Fortunately I can look forward to three days of rest, since 1 May is a public holiday here.
i should recover pretty well by next Monday.
1 person likes this
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
28 Apr 11
Hi GardenGerty, actually I do not need to consult a doctor to get medication.
However, I need to get medical certificate in order to stay home and rest.
The culture here is that bosses do not believe you are sick, unless you have medical certificates to certify that you are really sick, and unfit for work.
It is a real nuisance.
Most of us can get well by resting enough, and drinking enough water.
There is no medication to cure flu anyway. The medicine just makes us sleepy, so that we can sleep well, and rest enough.
1 person likes this

@cream97 (29085)
• United States
27 Apr 11
Hi. scheng1. I usually will get sick about three times in a year. This is usually due to the weather changing and me getting an illness because germs was spread from someone else.
I have been sick a lot this year. It was not fun at all. I had the Flu twice in a row. The first Flu that I had it was a stomach virus. The second flu that I had was a headache, and body ache flu. I was in terrible shape. The Doctor's Care was packed up with so many people. It was something else! When I feel sick or in pain, I try to go and see my doctor as soon as possible. I hope that you will feel so much more better very soon. Take care of yourself and God bless you!

I have been sick a lot this year. It was not fun at all. I had the Flu twice in a row. The first Flu that I had it was a stomach virus. The second flu that I had was a headache, and body ache flu. I was in terrible shape. The Doctor's Care was packed up with so many people. It was something else! When I feel sick or in pain, I try to go and see my doctor as soon as possible. I hope that you will feel so much more better very soon. Take care of yourself and God bless you!

@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
28 Apr 11
Hi Cream, that sounds very bad.
I hate it when the virus spreads around the house, and everyone starts getting sick.
i can imagine the pain you have gone through, since I got throat infection or flu about twice a year too.
Fortunately the body recovers rather fast, and never sick for twice in a row.
I think the worst is waiting in the packed consultation room for an hour just to see doctor for three minutes.
I feel sicker than resting at home.
At least I can sleep, and adjust the temperature at home.
After two days of sick leave, I really have a lot to do at work today.
Really regret going back to the office to deal with all the urgent, urgent, urgent matters.

@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
28 Apr 11
Hi Akp, at least you know what triggers your problem.
The worst about getting sick is that you do not have any idea who harbors the virus in the body.
There is simply no way to prevent against an invisible enemy.
Since you know that drinking cold water or juice can trigger your tonsil problem, then stop drinking anything cold.
That is far better than getting flu when you least expect it.
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
27 Apr 11
Hi Akp, are you born with the Tonsil problem?
If it is genetic problem, then there is really nothing a doctor can do for you.
I get sick usually once or twice per year.
This is the second time I am sick this year, and it is even less than half a year.
I have only myself to blame for it, since I have started to eat snacks in the office recently.
I guess I have to revert to the no-snacking policy, or to eat more fruits instead of unhealthy snacks.

@SIMPLYD (90717)
• Philippines
27 Apr 11
For the past years, i barely get sick. I even did not catch a cold.
But just last second week of January, i had a severe cough and colds. It started as a sore throat and went bad. I had it for more than a week, thinking i could just have it gone with those traditional medicines but it didn't. The doctor gave me a strong antibiotic. I was meant for 3 days only, and lo! after 3 days it was suddenly gone.
I guess, my having to cook and wash the dishes last Christmas holidays had taken a toll on my body.
So now, i am taking 1500 mg of ascorbic acid everyday, along with my vitamin E and calcium. I am also eating lots of fruits and vegetables. So far, i can feel that i am stronger now.
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
27 Apr 11
Hi Simplyd, sorry to hear about your sickness in January.
I think you are blessed with a strong immune system.
That is why you recover remarkably fast.
I think if you take very good care of yourself, you can even live to a hundred without any serious ailment.
Over here, the climate is a factor. The weather alternates rain and shine, and the humidity is always very high, at 95% or more.
It is very common for us to fall sick since this environment makes the virus spreads very fast.
Fortunately mine is just a normal throat infection.
If I were to get dengue fever, I would be out of workplace for a month or more.
@SIMPLYD (90717)
• Philippines
27 Apr 11
In some places here in the Philippines, dengue is also common. Luckily, in our place, my mother -in -law always burns the papers and cartons at our backyard and front yard so it drives away those mosquitoes.
Take care of your throat infection.
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
27 Apr 11
Hi Simplyd, thanks for the concern.
I am much better now, that is why I can login here.
Yesterday was rather bad, partly due to the hot and humid weather, partly due to the long queue at the clinic.
I think I had chosen the right herbs.
I had to visit a western medicinal practitioner to get the medical certificate for submission to my company.
But I prefer to take herbs from the Chinese medical hall next door.
I think herbal cure is still better than chemical treatment.
@misterMR (796)
• Philippines
27 Apr 11
I am very prone to sickness, especially airborne disease. Last year, I think I had coughs more than 5 times, colds or flu around twice and I had loads of stomach ache. I was even able to vomit once last year because of food poisoning (I guess, I was not sure because I ate something then I vomited it out). Thus, breaking my 2 year record of not vomiting. I always feel awful after that. I don't usually consult the doctor because I have roommates who are nurses, so it was fine if I got sick. They'll be there always for me.
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
27 Apr 11
Hi MisterMR, so sorry you hear about your frequent sickness recently.
Are you facing a lot of stress in recent years or just plain bad diet?
I think you have to look into the root cause of your condition. It is very painful to suffer from coughs, especially those that wreck you apart in the middle of the night.
I had suffered from such coughs before.
Except for quick weight loss effect, there is nothing good I can say about coughing.
I just hope that my throat infection does not become a prolong cough, as is the usual case.

@sizzle3000 (3036)
• United States
27 Apr 11
I get sick a lot during the summer because I'm asthmatic and the heat bothers me alot. But other than that since I've moved I do not get sick as much as I used to. My husband might get sick once a year if that. My daughter gets sick a bit more than she used to. Maybe bout four or five times a year. My daughter's husband gets sick bout two or three times a year mainly in winter because of where he works. He works in a cold storage facility.
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
27 Apr 11
Hi Sizzle, I think you have to avoid travelling to the tropical islands in this case.
The heat here will kill you, and everyone knows that the combination of heat and humidity provide the perfect environment for the viruses and bacteria to grow.
Over here, the recent weather pattern of alternate sunny and rainy weather, plus a high humidity of 95% and above, is the main cause of the spike in patients, especially among the young and the aged.
Plus the fact that most of us travel to work in public transportation, packing into the train and buses, which are fully air-conditioned.
This means that we have to breathe in what others are breathing out.
When one person next to you cough persistently, and you cannot even move an inch, you can see how fast the virus can spread.
This is the second time that I have throat infection.
Hopefully the last one for this year.
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
28 Apr 11
Hi Cher, over here, the employment law limits paid sick leave to just 14 days a year without hospitalization.
Most of us dare not use up all the 14 days, or else bosses will not feel happy about it.
Some people even take annual leave to stay at home, instead of using up the sick leave entitlement.
I think the work stress here is making people sick, and also making them fearful of taking time to rest.
@tinkerick (1257)
• United States
27 Apr 11
I really don't get sick that often. If I do feel like I am coming down with something I immediately start drinking hot green tea. Sipping green tea all day seems to really help keep sickness at bay, or if I'm already sick, make it go away faster.
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
28 Apr 11
Hi Tinkerick, I tried to ward off this throat infection too.
However, I do not have time to rest enough.
The air conditioner in the office makes the office rather cold, and outside is very hot.
That is what makes the body weaker.
The weather pattern also crazy. It can rain one minute, and then sun shines brightly the next minute.
if I have enough time to sleep, and rest at home, I may not even get sick for the past two days.
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
28 Apr 11
Hi Dodo, I am not as fortunate as you.
Most of the times, I get either throat infection or flu.
After the initial high fever, the cough accompanies me for a couple of weeks, even months.
It is annoying to spend the night coughing instead of sleeping.
I really hope that the illness can last just for two to three days.
It is impossible to tell employers that we are going to take a week off to recover fully from a throat infection, or a month off to get over the chronic cough.
@salonga (27775)
• Philippines
28 Apr 11
I thank God I am not a sickly person. All my life, I was hospitalized just twice, the first was when I gave birth by Cesarean operation and the last when I had miscarriage.
I have always been a healthy person and I thank God for this. I believe I am blessed because "Health is Wealth." For this reason, I have always been an advocate of healthy living. I don't eat or do any unhealthy thing because I want to protect this healthy life God has given me.
People get sick mostly because of unhealthy eating and wrong lifestyles so I've always been careful not to follow the same mistakes. Although I know we will all die no matter what, I still prefer to die healthy rather than die languishing in bed of sickness. I always believe that I should show my Creator that I've cared and protected the physical life He gave me.
Have a nice day!
Have a nice day!
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
28 Apr 11
Hi Salonga, I think you have very good genes too.
If only your children have your good genes, and they learn to take care of themselves, they can enjoy a fruitful life.
Most people abuse their health, thinking that they can eat all they want without facing the consequences.
Usually it takes years to destroy the healthy body.
Once health is gone, nearly impossible to bring back.
@nijolechu (1842)
• Canada
28 Apr 11
I don't really get sick all that often in a year. I think maybe I get sick like 2 or 3 times in a single year on average. But I don't sick that often. I guess I have a much stronger immune system than the other people around me. I would wait maybe around 5 days of a severe illness before I would have to go to see a real doctor because I want to give a few days to see if I can get better by myself.
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
28 Apr 11
Hi Nijolechu, I get sick about two times per year.
This year is an exception since this is my second sickness in a year, and it is not even half the year yet.
I prefer to go to the doctor earlier.
I want to get the medical certificate so that I can stay home and rest.
With enough rest, I can recover rather fast.
There is no need to consume all the medications.
@gmkumar08 (396)
• India
27 Apr 11
Last year,i remember that i fell sick almost 10 times,every time with a different cause,but,i suffered a lot when i was infected with malaria,i frequently used to get affected with flu,however,it stopped later,it was really a nightmare.
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
28 Apr 11
Hi Gmkumar, that sounds very bad.
it seems that you get sick practically every month.
I think the malaria really affect your immune system, weakening it so that other virus find it easy to attack you.
I think you must have suffered a lot, and possibly lose a lot of weight.
Hope you are better now, and getting better and better every day.
Having a good health is really a blessing.
@tink91879 (742)
• United States
27 Apr 11
I have to say I rarely get sick. Although this year I got really sick with a cold and than bronchitis. My kids hardly get sick as well. My son did start pre-school this year and a nasty big went through the school and I think thats why we all got so sick. So this year has been a bit more chaotic with illnesses. I dont even get us the flu shot. When the H1N1 came out I didnt get us that either. My doc pushed for it, but i told her I dont believe in those. My kids get the vaccinations they need. We didnt get sick. the one year we got the flu shot we got sick and so I vowed to never get it again. On the clinics, er though they always seem full. To find it empty you have to go in really early. Friday nights and weekends are the worst. earlier you go in the better though. The ones who arent to sick and seem to fill it up are still sleeping, than getting their morning coffee and getting ready. I have seen plently of ppl who to me really dont seem to sick. My last trip in for my bronchitis, because I was coughing and cldnt breathe this woman came in with her son and the doc says, you just have a cold. Drink plenty of fluids, take some meds and rest. While Im sitting on the other side of the curtain having a breathing treatment. I always dont get in unless you have too, your subjecting yourself and children to more illnesses by going there.
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
27 Apr 11
Hi Tink, I hate to visit the clinic too.
If only the companies in my country can change the policy, I will not ever want to wait for hours just to spend three minutes with the doctor.
Over here, we have to get a medical certificate in order to get sick leave entitlement.
That is a very stupid regulation.
Everyone can see how sick I am by my sound, or look.
After visiting the doctor, and gotten home with antibiotic, I threw that aside. I bought some herbs from the Chinese medical hall next door to the clinic, and brew a pot of herbal tea to drink whole day.
I do not want that antibiotic, since it will just weaken my immunity towards viruses and bacteria.
So sorry to hear about your bronchitis.
Just plain bad luck to have the cold worsen into something serious.
On the side note, I think you can see it as a quick but nasty weight loss!
@dragon54u (31633)
• United States
27 Apr 11
I hope you feel better soon!
I haven't been sick for years. My appendix had to be removed a few years ago but other than that I've been healthy for about 7 years without even a common cold.
I think that my immune system fights off germs and bacteria because I allow it to be exposed to everything. I never use hand sanitizer or take extraordinary precautions to avoid germs. I don't get flu shots and have not had the flu even though I've been around those that have it. My theory is that if you let your immune system be exposed to everything it will build up immunity. So far that has worked for me. That, and a good balanced diet.
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
27 Apr 11
Hi Dragon54u, I believe in your method.
I think letting my immune system exposes to the common bugs is a good thing as well.
I much rather have frequent flu and infections than to have a major illness later.
I am not by nature a very clean person, so my body has chance to expose to many viruses and bacteria.
I guess the recent diet, as in taking more snacks, have to do with a lower immunity towards the bacteria.
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
27 Apr 11
Hi Katie0, I believe you are more courageous than me.
I have tried many times but never could sustain the effort.
Getting sick 15 times per year is hard to imagine. Your bosses must be really upset when they see your frequent absence due to illness.
How long have you taken up the Veganism diet?
Thankfully my immune system still strong, even though I have not really eaten a lot of vegetables and fruits lately.
I guess I have to take more care of myself.
It is less than half a year, and I have been sick twice.
Not a very remarkable record.
@ohsodianne (433)
• Philippines
27 Apr 11
When I fall ill, its usually 3-5 times a year but it's only the mild case of a fever or so. Not really special. If you're talking about more severe diseases, fortunately it's very rare for me.
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
27 Apr 11
Hi Ohsodianne, mine is considered a very mild throat infection.
The doctor issued just two days of medical certificate.
I have to return to work tomorrow, even though the medicine given by doctor was for five days treatment.
I still feel weak, but well enough to work.
So far I have not a major sickness that requires in-hospital stay.
Whenever I fall sick, I know that I have to take better care of my diet and exercise routine.
Maybe I was less careful in the past few weeks.















