Why do I RARELY get sick?
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Anonymous
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I'm going to be self deprecatory here, but bear with me (and no comments on my unhealthiness; it's a work in progress!)
I'm overweight. Obese, actually. 5'7" and 240 pounds. I eat really horribly. Few fruits and vegetables. In fact, I just realized one of my main fruit consumptions comes in the form of the strawberries in my Starbucks refresher. I'm a horrible sleeper. I get probably an average of 5 hours per night on week nights, pull all nighters probably once a week, and then "make up for it" on the weekends (sleep 15+ hours). I don't exercise. I don't go outside much. I work in an elementary school and am surrounded by germy kids all day long. I'm not very religious about hand washing. After the bathroom, yes obviously, but there are definitely times when I'll pop food in my mouth, touch my face, etc. without washing (usually actually). I have anxiety & depression and take Effexor. I'm somewhat of a workaholic and have a hard time managing stress. I got COVID in December 2020 (pre-vax) and I had a horrid headache for a few days + fatigue, but was completely fine within a week after spending a few days in bed. Ok, sense of taste/smell was off for a few months, but that was nothing more than mild annoyance. Got my two shots in '21 (Moderna) but never got boosted after that. I've gotten a few flu shots over the years but not usually. Have all routine vaccines. I gladly wore a mask during the mandated periods and whenever/wherever required, but absolutely never outside of that. Besides the COVID, and getting hit with a pukey gross stomach bug twice since I became a school counselor in fall 2018 (norovirus? - confines me to the toilet with puke/diarrhea for about 36 hours but after that I'm like perfectly fine), one sinus infection in summer of '21...I don't get sick. All the signs are there...I don't take of myself, don't practice great hygiene...just being honest here. But I feel like I get sick waaaayyy less than pretty much anyone I know, especially considering my, uh, risk factors. Am I just a ticking time bomb running on borrowed time here? True medical mystery. |
Anonymous
| Were you always like this? I think some people are just born with a robust immune system and some aren’t. I also think that working in a Petrie dish like elementary school (I do as well) helps build up immunity with micro exposures. |
Anonymous
| From your post you are, in fact, CONSTANTLY sick. You are just used to being sick every day you think it’s normal. From your lack of sleep to your mental health. your diet and obesity is a significant contributing factor to your sleep and mental health issues. Your heart is likely working extremely overtime and will give out sooner than you hope. |
Anonymous
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How old are you, OP? The younger you are, the more you can get away with eating junk, and feeling functionally shite (think "went to work w/ a hangover"; unwell, but not incapacitated).
I didn't start having any trouble until I hit my 40s, and even then, I don't really suffer. I whine a lot about having to update my habits/exercise, but it's totally doable. So not 'ticking time bomb' but also: nothing lasts forever. Enjoy it while you have it! |
Anonymous
skinny beeches always want this to be true to justify their lack of calories, and it's usually not. My heart health was WAY worse when I was anorexic than it is now that I'm "obese", and my cholesterol is enviable. Die mad and hungry. 
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Anonymous
36 |
Anonymous
Yes. |
Anonymous
I was much healthier in terms of exercise/diet in my teens and 20s but was significantly more anxious. Sleep issues are more related to hyperfocus on books or the internet I think...I have a hard time putting them down. But once I do, I sleep well and fall asleep easily. |
Anonymous
NP +1 for robust immune system. I'm 55 and really haven't ever been sick. Ever since I was a kid, I would barely catch whatever was going around school, but then my mother who had a compromised immune system as a breast cancer survivor would be horribly sick for a week. I keep up with recommended vaccines. I've never had the flu, never strep, never any of the common things that go around. Barfing flu that went around in 2010ish? Everyone in the house one by one, but I only had one night of not feeling quite right. I'm a teacher and haven't worn a mask for two years. It wasn't until a few weeks ago that JN.1 finally caught up to me and I had Covid for the first time. Had a drippy nose on Saturday and then was stuffed up on Sunday. Thought I actually had a cold for the first time since the before times. Took a Covid test so I could tell people on Monday that I just had a cold, but whoops! nope - Covid. I was pretty cleared up the next day (day 3), but my college kid caught it for the first time, and then my husband for the first time. Both were mostly just cold symptoms, but they were sick for 10 days. I'm generally healthy besides being overweight and not super active. My husband is pretty healthy too, and my kids (in their 20s now) really never get sick. So yes - good immune system, probably with some genetic influence. |
Anonymous
| You are lucky. I catch everything. I barely leave the house and constantly get sick from either what the kids bring home or from the rare times I got out, which is mainly to the doctors. |
Anonymous
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I’m the same way and have a similar lifestyle. In the last year since my first child went to daycare I’ve had a couple fairly mild upper respiratory things but before that I’d go years with not a sniffle. I almost never wash my hands out of the shower, and my food safety habits are extremely questionable.
I don’t remember being sick much as a kid. One memorable stomach flu in middle school. Never had strep, never had ear or sinus infections, never even went to the doctor between ages like 16 and 25, and I was “vomit free since 2003” for 10 years until my 22nd birthday. Can’t remember the last time I had a fever over 100, maybe high school? I don’t think I’ve ever had the flu—I’ve had moderate colds, but never body aches and extreme symptoms. I have only ever taken antibiotics twice, I believe. Once for wisdom teeth removal and once for BV. I had mild UTI symptoms once and just waited til they passed. I think part of it is a naturally robust immune system but I think a big part of it must also be physical/structural?—like not having ear/nose/throat issues that keep fluid and junk from draining properly so all the filtered junk accumulates, or having a urethra that somehow collects bacteria more easily, or creates issues that even a good immune system can’t fight efficiently. |
Anonymous
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In 6 years (2018-2023) you’ve been sick 4 times (COVID, 2 norivirus, sinus infection) that isn’t a lot of illness, but it isn’t exactly a medical miracle of health.
I’m a decade older than you and obese and I’ve only had one illness in that time (horrible cold thing in 2019) and I’ve avoided COVID so far. |
Anonymous
| Some people really just dont get sick much. I dont understand it. I have one sister who never gets sick and one who is sick every single month. Both are over weight and both have kids. |
Anonymous
| Your chronic illness is masking the acute infections. You are very sick. |
Anonymous
| I didn’t know this was weird. I get sick less than once a year. Is that weird? |