DOES DAMPNESS CAUSE COLDS, SORE THROATS OR VIRAL ILLNESSES?

Below are varied and interesting responses I received from readers with FMS/CFIDS about this question. I BOLDED certain parts of each response for easier reading. My own comments are in TEAL. Those of us with FMS/CFIDS struggle with wayward immune systems and don't respond like "normal" people to many stresses and stimuli. - Dominie www.fms-help.com

1. "I have just moved from a condo that had so much mold that I had suffered for years with. I do understand what you had gone through. I have respiratory problems still and my fibro had multiplied. I moved some furnishing in the house where I live now and I will have to get rid of them because of the mold. Yes, dampness and cold will make me come down with a cold or sore throat. If I should be outside on a cold damp day and don't cover my nose and mouth I will seem to get sick everytime. I do have allergies and thought that may be my problem with our immune system like it is."

Read my experience of working in a moldy building for a year at www.fms-help.com/mold.htm.

2. "Cold and dampness does NOT cause viruses or colds. Sorry. Scientifically there's negative evidence for this (though my mother has made that claim for years, too). What most likely happens is that there are molds present on whatever object is damp and the mold/mildew reduces your immunity (or causes an allergic reaction very similar to a cold or the flu). My first allergist speculated heavily that I'd never had a real cold because I have such a wide range of allergies. Since you already know that you've had mold exposures and are highly sensitive to molds, chances are really good just a hint of mold or mildew on the damp dress caused a severe reaction. Here's an interesting tidbit as well. People with CFS/fibro don't have normal allergic reactions. I recently had both skin and RAST testing for my allergies (which were far more than this present ENT doctor had ever seen in one person). RAST testing just looks for IgE elevations to specific allergens, which is the NORMAL response. I had only ONE item elevate IgE - MOLD. Most likely the other allergens are provoking either IgG1 or Th cells. Just remember, the watch word with us is ABERRANT reactions to the world."

Thanks for your insights. Interesting. BTW, I had a RAST test 17 years ago. I was allergic to the world! The BIG 5 were mold, pollen, cat dander, grass and dust mites. There were a zillion others, but those were HUGE. The allergist (who had a busy practice in Tallahassee, Florida) told me I was the most allergic person they had seen there in the past 3 years. They also did the skin prick test, but huge welts formed before they could even get the template up to my arm to try to measure them. I went on allergy shots for a short while (6 months) - they had to dilute the solution down so many times that they didn't think it would do any good. I simply could not tolerate the shots at any greater strength. The itching was so bad I felt like ripping my arms off! After a few months, I think the shots helped a little - I felt half alive instead of half dead (ha). But then I moved cross country - the doc mailed the serums to me, but eventually I quit.

REPLY: "If you're that allergic to mold, then my guess is that's what hit you from the dress. My ENT wanted to start me on allergy shots, but my husband went through the scientific literature. If you're targeting 1-3 allergens, the shots usually work well. If you're targeting a broad array, not only don't the shots usually work but you can over-stimulate your system to the point that you have a hyper-reaction. I chose to forego shots."

3. "My husband [unsympathetic to fibro] is bad to have a ceiling fan running over our bed. I have woken up with a sore throat from breathing the chilled air from it. Another time years ago I got chilled after being hot and had a very bad cold or flu."

Most of us with FMS/CFIDS have had to "educate" our family, friends and co-workers (assuming we are still able to work!) about our illness - it's chronic and it's invisible - and not like we have a cast on our leg or anything that would generate sympathy--

http://www.fms-help.com/open.htm - Open Letter to Normals

http://www.fms-help.com/mnif.htm - My Name is Fibromyalgia (short, great article)

http://www.fms-help.com/neuro.htm - what it's like to have a neuro-endocrine-immune disorder

http://www.fms-help.com/relationships.htm - Relationships & fibromyalgia

http://www.fms-help.com/spouse.htm - Letter from a husband of a fibromite

http://www.fms-help.com/stigma.htm - the stigma of having an invisible illness

http://www.fms-help.com/trying.htm - why "trying harder" doesn't help you get better

http://www.fms-help.com/misery.htm - the surprising misery index of FMS/CFIDS/ME

4. "In my humble opinion--YES!! (my mother believes it too). I have heard many times that it does not cause them. But my experience--my mother's experience and my kids' experience--says different!!! The only specific time that I can remember however--is one day--years ago--when I went to work--and when I got there it was pouring down rain. I tried to wait it out--but couldn't--so I got wet from the car to the door. And then being in the air conditioning while wet brought on a cold in no time."

5. "Not sure about the cold weather, but wanted to offer something that helped me tremendously with sore throat. I was told about a month ago that if I ever felt I was getting a sore throat or sinus infection to pour hydrogen peroxide in my ear canal and let it sit there until it quits bubbling. Sat. before Thanksgiving I felt the sore throat coming on. Everytime I get a sore throat it goes into a bad sinus infection that lasts for weeks. Within hours my sore throat was gone and I never got the sinus infection. I will always try this method each time I feel something coming on. Intersting fact, only one side of my throat was sore; the right side. This is the only ear that the "bubbling" occurred. I tried it in the other ear just to see and no bubbling occurred. I feel like it was killing any infection that was in the infected ear."

Quick question - a couple days before I got sick, I had to stick my fingers in my ears a number of times at church when the P.A. system kept squealing severely (I have sensitive hearing and tinnitus, so this is excruciating) My hands were dirty because I play the piano and there's no telling how many germs are on it from other people. Because of my fragile immune system, I try to never stick my fingers in my ears unless my hands are clean. Do you think putting germs in my ear canals could have caused this? I am going now to put hydrogen peroxide in my ears!

6. "Your e-mail brought up some memories for me. I lived in [Nevada] for five years as a child and seemed to have a cold a lot. We did a lot of swimming in my grandparents pool at the time. It seems like if I was damp, especially at night, even though it wasn't cold out I got sick. My mother was also sickly as a child and eventually they discovered she was allergic to the down pillow she was sleeping on. My mom also has fibro. My daughter was sick as a child and we discovered she was allergic to dog dander and dust which caused her to have a lot of ear infections. For some reason all three of us fight upper respiratory problems. I have assumed that it is because we share a lot of the same allergies. Here in the northwest our sinuses start acting up when the weather turns damp and cold, when they burn the fields and when the trees are blooming in the spring. The symptoms you've described sound a lot like the allergy symptoms we get. They turn into something more serious if we don't not address the problem and the allergies get out of hand."

7. "In response to your question about getting cold and having that trigger colds and viruses. I don't experience that. In fact-- aside from the FMS (possibly Lyme) symptoms, I never rarely if ever get a flu bug, virus or cold. I've read on the CFS/FMS message board on immunesupport.com similar feedback. That many with CFS/FMS never get "normal" illnesses. Perhaps my immune system is in overdrive - I'm not sure."

8. "My theory, of course, is yes you can get sick from being damp and chill. I am a nurse so scientifically speaking being cold and damp will decrease the immune system (which may already be altered with FM). The body tries to warm up and become dry instead of fighting off any virus. So even though other people can be exposed they have a better immune system then what we have with FM."

9. "I am very prone to bronchitis and asthma. When I get chilled or fail to keep warm, I often find myself coming down with a cold, sore throat, etc., shortly afterward."

10. "Yes, I think that a damp chill can cause us fibromites to become ill.I think we have overly sensitive systems and seem to pick up everything that "comes down the pike" so to speak. I, like you, also teach children (ballet teacher) and I have had one of the worst seasons this year in terms of catching all their colds which have been going on since September. I noticed that when I didn't have as much contact with them over the years that I would not get sick at all or as often. I know about the hypothalamus malfunction in us fibro people but unfortunately I know of no quick fix to combat getting sick so often.The really horrible thing is that when we do pick up these colds/viruses,our fibro sysmptoms intensify (pain and fatigue) and we are really put out of commission. Sorry I can't be of more help but please know that you are not alone."

11. "A chill alone cannot cause illness, but if you have the bug in your system, it might lower resistance. A good place to check for info is Medline. I always look at the studies, not the info for laypersons. Just use the search engine, maybe type chill and illness."

12. "I do believe that being in damp or something wet can trigger a reaction. Non-Fibro people would think this is crazy but when I stay in something damp (like getting wet in the rain and not being able to dry off) or am outside in the humidity (I live in Kentucky), I instantly get a sore throat. Any change in the weather will do it as well…it doesn’t have to be big change either. I have a sore throat and sinus drainage/pressure almost constantly…but it seems worse in damp conditions. I recently had knee surgery (8 weeks ago) and having to ice my knee for hours on end was a struggle. So I think there is some validity to your reaction."

13. "I guess you and dampness just don’t get along. I don’t have much input on this other than to clarify what I think you already have a sneaky suspicion about: That is, people who are really well with a strong immunity just don’t come down that sick so quickly as people who are compromised in some way. I know people who just NEVER catch a cold or flu. Put it down to strong immunity or genetics, who knows? There are those people who are always well, those who are always ill and whole range of other people on a scale somewhere in between. For people who are ill often (like those with FMS / CFS etc) it doesn’t take much to rock the equilibrium. So when you are exposed to damp, chills, moulds etc, it’s going to put a strain on your immune system and then you’ll just catch one (or two or three……) of the multitude of air born viruses and bugs hanging around in the air. My heart goes out to you. I don’t suppose you’ll be trying on any damp clothes in the near future. Best keep yourself warm and dry eh?"

14. "OH MY GOSH YES! I didn’t even realize that this might be it! The last few days in MN it has been c-c-c-c-cold! Between -7 and +15 deg and I have had a sore throat every day, for no apparent reason. I have not been around anyone sick, my son has not had a sore throat, and no one around me has had one. But it’s been so bad it felt like it was on fire the last couple days. I had no idea how I could have gotten it—until now that is. It makes perfect sense, because I too was a “sickly” child living in the cold damp north MN."

15. "I think these people saying it can not cause a cold mean that you must already have been exposed to a virus it will not just pop up if you are cold. Because I have read how when the body's temp is lowered it can take up to hours for it to return to normal, depending on the situation. This overworks the body - another name - stress - and stress lowers resistance so in those of us who are already very weakened it is a nightmare. Also, when I do my ice therapy per my chiro it is for no more than 15 minutes and I get under plenty of covers, with socks, and make sure the room is at a good temp (76-78). The ice does help the swelling from inflammation but I must stay warm. Finally when in doubt, I follow old fashioned advice. Many of these people lived full lives without anitbiotics, etc. So, they always bundled up - therefore, I consider it good advice."

16. "There have been studies that indicate no relationship, but other studies have suggested that there is a relationship between getting cold and damp and then catching a cold/virus. The jury is still out. The body does get stressed in the damp cold and therefore less resisitant to illness. If you wear damp clothing, the blood vessels in the nose get constricted, which keeps white cells out of the area and could increase chance of infection. So, although the cold itself is not the culprit, the cold and damp might allow the virus to get ahold of you. I get sick whenever I drink even just a little alcohol. Just a glass of wine is all it takes. The alcohol apparently stresses my body and always results in a virus. I avoid alcohol as a result."

17. "I'm sure you've found and read about the numerous scientific studies done that show there's no link between catching cold viruses and being in cool-damp locations. One I heard about on TV showed the control group in warm-dry conditions had the same "catch" rate when all were exposed as the cool-damp group. You mentioned people who have difficulty maintaining body temp; I'm one such person, especially after my radiation therapy for a perotid tumor. Along with my fibro, I've developed secondary Reynauds Phenomenon. It's main symptom is fingers & toes (and sometimes nose & ears) losing circulation and turning white mainly when expose to cool temperatures which causes inflamation of the smallest capillaries shutting off circulation. It's hell to have this in Nebraska in the winter or even the fall or spring. It came on gradually along with my fibro and it cycles in severeness. It's a common secondary effect found in Fibro, RA, MS and other immune-ralated illnesses. My radiation therapy may've caused the Reynaud's to worsen, but it may've been going that way anyhow. It just seemed to make a quantum jump during the end of the therapy. One day my body temp dropped to 96.0 (threshold of hypothermia) at a McDonalds during lunch and four fingers went white on me--2 on each hand. It was a chilly McDonalds for sure. So given my temperature issues, you're theory would mean that I should be getting colds a lot more often. It has not been the case. In fact, I've had fewer colds, but that is purely anecdotal. That's the problem with anecdotal evidence; it's easy to make connections when none exist."

18. "Yes, yes, yes, always. I live in Arizona, which is very dry, as we know, but when it rains here and when it's "colder", my throat is sore usually all these months. In fact, we just recently experienced a rain and a cool down (for the Phoenix metro area), and my throat has been so sore, I've been getting the typical hoarseness that I've seen as a symptom I think of M.E. although it might also be one of fibro too. Since I have symptoms of both as well as CFS (or CFIDS, whatever you want to call it), it's hard to tell which symptom is from what. Like the sore throat could be from fibro or CFS, but I think the hoarseness and even loss of ability to speak at all is M.E. But my throat has been raw, and I went out and got my usual 100 sore throat pain drops that gets me through the "winter" here. One winter, I also had such bad shortness of breath and chondroitis that I couldn't stand for anything tight against my chest, couldn't wear a bra or tight clothing and used Vicks Vapor Rub every winter. I have what you have too, except at first my fever was 101 and then it was 98.7 and then up to 100 and then down and up for the past week or two. I'm sure I also have a cold with this, because my head feels stuffed with cotton, but I used something for immune support for Walgreens every three or four hours last week for three days in a row and at least I got rid of "hearing" water in my head whenever I moved my head. Plus, here's what I learned in nursing school, and to tell you the truth your husband is right in one sense. Colds/sore throats are not caused by getting chilled or damp. Nothing is. However, when one becomes chilled or damp, it's a shock to the system and the stress response kicks in. When the body's entire homeostasis is upset in this way, if you're already not 100 percent healthy and normal, you can catch just about everything going around. And with fibro, we're already compromised, although it's not an autoimmune disorder, they say, but having pain and fatigue and never knowing what you can do and when is extremely stressful. And fighting this, we already probably have stress and thus lowered immunity. So breathe air that's filled with viruses or even touch your husband's hand, which he may not have washed when he last shook hands with someone, and he has no problems with his health, so his body is equipped to fight infections, whereas yours is not, and there you go, you're sick. I knew there was a reason I caught everything, and when I got all these tests done at the Fibro & Fatigue Centers, I was shocked to see that my immunity was severely compromised: IgG, IgM, IgA were all way below normal."

19. "I have to be very careful of damp and windy days. Actually whenever the weather changes. From nice to humid, from nice to rain, from cold to very cold. High winds always do my sinuses in. I have fought multiple yearly colds/viruses since I was a little kid. I was probably the first generation who was prescribed penicilliin/antibiotics continually. My parents who had never visited doctors themselves while growing up took me whenever I had "any" symptoms. I was always on antibiotics which I feel has a lot to do with my health issues now. This is what usually works for me now--90% of the time. If I immediately take supplements at the FIRST FEEL of any kind of nose/throat/chest symptoms, I can nip it before it takes over. Even if I am not sure--is it allergy or ?? I take it. I have had huge success with the following routine for the past 5 years. Even when my immune system was very low from breast cancer treatments this kept my symptoms from worsening. I take Cold-Eeze lozenges (which are awful) every 2 hrs, then the following 2xday: Echinacea with goldenseal, Grapefruit seed-125mg, Initial Defense by Kan and a prescribed decongestant Respaire-120. My symptoms usually are gone by the third day without my getting worse. I have to take these asap. I have had symptoms come up when I have not been home and have stopped what I was doing to go home and get them. If I am too far and 4/6 hrs go by it is usually too late and I am down. However, I take the above as soon as I can and often(not always) symptoms may last only a week. I have been known to have a cold/virus for 2-4 weeks in the past. This is what helps for me. Everyone is different and if you have high blood pressure or other med conditions I am not sure what can or cannot be taken."

20. "I too, have always been told by doctors that you can't get sick from being under a ceiling fan, damp or cold air, or by wearing damp clothing etc. I do know that just like you, the humid weather in Florida affects me worse than almost anything else. When we do have those rare days of cooler weather with low humidity..... I feel SO much better. The difference is remarkable! I have seriously considered moving to a drier climate. The other thing that greatly impacts my condition is any changes in the Barometric pressure. When we experience stormy weather here in Florida, I end up so ill and in such pain that I am flat on my back for the duration. So, that makes me think that temperature changes of any kind can seriously affect those of us who suffer with Fibromyalgia."

21. "My son developed pneumonia from sleeping near a "water cooler." They're like an air conditioner, but operate by having water continually flow over the coils and then a fan blows that cooled air into the room. We lived in a dry part of TX at the time. I've found that the old wives tales usually have some "standing" in them ("don't go out in cold weather with your hair wet). The problem with Fibromites is that we've a lowered immune system which allows airborne viruses, etc., to take hold much more easily than a "normal" person. These viruses also thrive in damp areas, situations. With my hypothalamus out of whack due to the Fibro, I find I can't tolerate changes in temperature. I also tend to run a lower body temperature and am told this is also usual for my condition. Therefore, my body doesn't generate the "heat" needed to destroy incoming contaminants. In essence, those with Fibromyalgia are walking targets!"

22. "I find rapid cooling in the weather can chill me and that can make me sick and then I flew on a plane recently and really got sick despite taking vitamin c and using hand sanitizer."

23. "I get sinus, sore throat attacks that come on suddenly but I've blamed them on an allergy to something. I can be fine one minute and then all of a sudden there it is. For you, I wonder if it could be the mold spores coming out when you are near the dampness....could have been some in the dress, etc. As for the ice bags....I agree with your chiro on that one. Sorry, but I've been helped tremendously from ice on the back. More so than heat although the heat feels great. Maybe it's just the wetness and dampness in general for you. I know the cold of Michigan winters really bother me......it's so damp and the wind chills to the bone."

24. "I've always been told that being in cold weather can't make you sick. I don't know about the dampness. Doesn't seem like it should. And having a damp dress on just a few minutes just doesn't make sense. When you get out of the shower and put a towel around you for a few minutes to answer the phone, or something, one doesn't get sick. But then again with fibro, nothing makes sense anyway. I'm more apt to think you picked up a virus when out shopping for that dress. Whenever I go shopping, or anywhere in public, I wash my hands really good as soon as I walk in the house. My mom has been telling me that for yrs, but just started doing that. Maybe we need to keep wipes in our cars and do it when we get to the car and do our steering wheels. I just thought of that, can you imagine what's on the steering wheel? Makes you wonder though if we're supposed to be trying to avoid everything, won't that weaken us even more?"

25. "Just a thought to let you know, I have a sore throat and coughing and sweating and feeling terrible, I felt it came on after the air conditioner was on too cold, I suffer terrible when the weather changes from hot to cold wet to windy, humid just weather in general seems to affect me, my body cannot handle it, I am not sure about damp but going on the rest of it I would say that your body is like mine it just cannot handle different temperatures just another problem when you suffer from Fibromyalgia, good luck and I know exactly how you feel."

26. "This is ridiculous on it's face, not to mention shown in well controlled
studies to be absolutely untrue. FMS is an illness in the brain. When it
"thinks" there is a threat, it acts on it like it would act on a real
virus. That is why they changed CFS to CFIDS. The immune system in
dysfunctional. It attacks things that are not a danger to us, but
doesn't fight infection well. It turns on the immune response, and
sometimes it just won't turn off for days or years. This happens most
when one is worn out or overdoing; and in the winter when the heat we
use in our homes dries out our mucus membranes and they are less
effective at keeping viruses or bacteria to penetrate. (that is their job)
In my business, and among friends not ready to accept a diagnosis of a
syndrome with no known cure, I have heard people repeatedly say," I feel
like I'm coming down with something" they feel like that for a few days,
or feel mildly ill for several weeks or even months, but never actually
get the flue or a cold, etc. When I was in graduate school (at a medical
center), I was overworked due to the studying, working for the school,
and my internship. Then I found out my father-in another State-was
dying of lung cancer. Following finals, I came down with "strep throat".
This triggered an immune response that lasted for 2+ years. Same
symptoms as the writer, and 20 years later I still have health problems.
As long as I take care of myself well, don't overdo anything, have a
great wellness program, and keep toxic people out of my life, I do fine.
Get out of balance, and I get those symptoms again. It is NOT the virus
I got 20 years ago. It is a strange combination of factors that lead to
the study of Psychoneuroimmunology. That was what I studied in grad
school, and there is an association of people that have diseases or
syndromes that fall in this category. Try googling it. If you can't find
it, email me and I'll point you in the right direction. The bottom line?
Just because 2 things happen in close temporal proximity does NOT mean
one caused the other. The best way to unlock these mysteries is to keep a journal of symptoms,
actions, food intake, emotional state or stress, for several months and
then show it to a doctor in the field. Then you can find out what is
really going on and possibly prevent it. I have FMS. I feel awful when I
am cold or damp. Aways have. The answer to "why"?, lies within. Not from
a lifelong virus."

I found this interesting article about whether going outside with wet hair causes colds. Actually, it has more to do with a stress reaction, like this reader was expressing. See http://www.apa.org/monitor/dec01/anewtake.html.

27. "Although getting chilled can lower your resistance to certain viral infections, the virus would have to be in your system already. Most viruses such as a cold or flu virus have an incubation time of between three days and a week. If you have not got a virus in your body, the infection will not ensue from being chilled. If the infection is bacterial, the chilling can cause a relapse because it creates a better environment in your body to replicate. Germs replicate very quickly, so lowering your body temperature can give them a foothold. In both cases, the germs have to be present in your body already. Also, I’d give Wikipedia a careful look askance… Wikipedia can be edited by anyone at any time. It’s a website where people all over contribute their knowledge. Whereas this is very interesting, it is also not necessarily an entirely reliable source for important information. Try health sites like mayo clinic and such for more reliable information."

28. "In spite of what the "experts" claim that cold, damp air does not cause a cold or sore throat, I know my body and when exposed to these conditions I get a cold, sore throat, and sinus congestion. Just this past week our windows were open all night (my husband is always hot, and I am always cold!!!) and a breeze blew over my head, and I came down with a very bad sinus infection. I can not even tolerate sitting near a fan for fear of getting sick. My mother-in-law also has this problem. No one seems to believe us when we tell them. Our medical "experts" may never agree with this, but I suspect you will have many people confirming what we know to be true."

29. "I would recommend you get NAET treatments for dampness and humidity. I am feeling better. They should have them in vials and you can always hold a damp cloth when they do the NAET treatment."

30. "Colds, etc., are brought on by viruses, bugs, and can't be brought on by getting chilled alone. I used to take a shower and wash my hair, towel dry it and go to work the winter. It's a coincidence if you get sick after trying on a wet dress. When I was a little girl, I came down with the Measles the morning after I was doing somersaults in my back yard. I thought that somersaults caused Measles and would not do them for many years after that."

31. "Viruses cause colds ,sore throats etc...you dont get sick from getting wet..but why more in the winter? because when the doors and windows are closed tight the "germs" are trapped indoors and are are more easily passed from one person to another.. The best germ fighter is, on a cold winter day..turn down the heat and open the windows and let the cold air blow through your house( even if the neighbors do think you are crazy...) I do think however if your resistance is low, you might make yourself more susceptible by getting run down, no sleep chilled and damp...then if you have been exposed to a sore throat virus you probably will be more likely to get it.. but the virus MUST be present to start! This article is very informative: http://www.healthcaresouth.com/pages/askthedoctor/commoncold.html."

32. "Mold is always worse in damp or humid climates. I think the mold sort of reactivates. Next time you are in a moldy place, take note of how you feel. When I stay at a hotel, I usually get a sore throat and my guess is that it's probably pretty moldy. I went to visit my cousin who was staying at a hotel near Disneyland in California where I live. There was a huge outdoor pool area and there was indoor/outdoor carpeting in front of the rooms and near the pool. I was there a few minutes and could feel my throat sore and ears plugged and developing a headache. So what we think is a cold might just be our immune system over reacting to the mold - similar to an allergy or maybe the mold reactivating in us. Maybe the dress you got at the thrift store was already old and musty and when you wet it became worse. I do believe that our body doesn't regulate temperature etc. but I feel that the root cause is some infection that affects the central nervous system - like a fungal or bacterial infection. But that's just a guess. I've been sensitive to mold for a while and used to get allergy shots for it. I recently got tested and didn't test positive for mold sensitivity but why is it that when I'm around musty/moldy places I feel terrible?"

33. "As a nurse we were versed on this all the time, and every reasearch says no that a chill will not bring on a cold or virus . However they also say that if you have been ill, or your resistance is low then a chill can make it worse and you would be susceptible to a cold or virus. I have looked into this myself I am seem to get ill when I go in unfamiliar places, touch things that others have touched or worn, eat where there is a large group of people . I hate the Doctor's office because when I go there I nearly all the time get sick a few days after. Just two weeks ago my daughter in law I went to a Goodwill Thrift Shop and were looking at jeans, jackets and other items for the girls for play . I got awful sick in about 24 hours. I try and stay away from stores, shops, events, even church when there is an outbreak of colds and flu going around. True, I think we are more able to catch those things than normal people, but today I was out in the icy wind finding my trash cans that blew away, and putting my downspout up that blew off and I feel fine .Even in the summer going out to eat or a picnic worries me .I think its objects that touch us and have been on other people, or being around places and people that carry it , that does not mean they get ill , but can pass it on to people like us .As soon as school starts and the grand kids come around I get sick right away even if they don't have anything. I keep my house sparkle clean and use lots of bleach, and wash, wash my hands, always cleaning door knobs and counters. I guess that's something we will never know but I do think its things other people touched, germs in the air and people that carry it to us. I started writing down where I was and what I was doing when I go places then see what happens!"

34. "I have ALWAYS, ALWAYS fallen ill with respiratory illness when I get a
chill, damp chill, or even FEEL COLD for a few minutes - if I am lightly
dressed and there is a cool wind. All I have to do is start shivering
for a few minutes and the next day, I will be ill. I have learnt NEVER
to go out without a sweater or jacket because I have learnt that if I
get a chill, I get sick - swollen glands, cough, sore throat, fever.
Whereas others don't, in the same circumstances...
I have however been taking a combination of vitamins that they sell in
my country (South Africa) called Vita-Thion, since April this year when
I could not shake off a lingering cough and sinus infection - and this
has kept me safe from flu and gives me enough energy to get through the
day. It contains:
Ascorbic Acid 500mg
Glutathion 0.5mg
Vitamin B1 2.0mg
Sodium Adenosin Triphosphate 0.5mg
Calcium Inositol Hexaphosphate 100mg
(excipients).
If I do not take it I have zero energy and can only lie on my bed all
day and mourn my lost life."

35. "I have friends in medical fields that would tell you that it is impossible to catch a cold from a chill unless you had a virus just waiting to happen. It could be that there are those that really never get rid of the virus so they do have one just waiting to pop out. Now my Mother's diagnosis would be completely different. If your head or feet got wet or you sit in a draft or in front of or under a fan too long you're going to get a cold. As hard as I've tried in my sixty plus years I've never found my Mother to be wrong. As a side note, I went to my Lyme Disease doctor a couple of days ago and he thinks that 60% of those with Fibromyalgia really have Lyme Disease. He says that research is leaning that way. Either they have not been tested or the doctor who read the test didn't read it correctly. He sends his lab for testing to one lab in New Jersey. This lab only does test for lyme disease. Just food for thought."

36. "I have also heard that colds are not CAUSED by getting cold or damp but because of germs and poor resistance to them. However, if I go out in the cold damp weather I immediately have an increase in my fibro symptoms--one of which is a sore throat. I went camping once and got so misreable with fibro symptoms I had to leave and come home. It was really damp in the tent. I try to avoid getting cold or damp because I feel better if I can stay dry and warm."

37. "I was feeling okay sinus and no colds then got out in the damp to put a few Christmas things out in the yard. Got on the damp ground for a short time. It's been rainy and just usual Tennessee weather for December here. Now I have a cold and sinus real bad. So I think for us Fibro people everything affects us different. I used to never get sick with much. Now my life is so different."

38. " I HAVE HAD A COLD LIKE VIRUS OR HALF GERM/HALF VIRUS FOR EVER I THINK. I LIVE IN THE SALT LAKE CITY VALLEY WHICH IS MOSTLY DRY - BUT I KNOW WHEN IT IS MOIST OUT - THE WIND ETC. SEEMS TO CUT THROUGH ME WORSE. BUT I DON'T THINK IT HAS MADE A BIG DIFFERENCE IN GETTING A COLD OR VIRUS. I WONDER IF OTHERS HAVE A 1/2 OR 1 DEGREE LOWER "NORMAL TEMPERATURE" THAN THE NORMAL 98.6. I ALWAYS RUN LOWER THAN NORMAL. MY BASIC THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT YOU WROTE IS I THINK MAYBE WE HAVE THIS VIRUS/GERM GOING ALL THE TIME AND A LITTLE EXTRA PROBLEM JUST BRINGS IT OUT- THEN OUR SYSTEM HAS TO FIGHT HARDER. I DON'T THINK IT EVER LEAVES ALL THE WAY. "

Yes, my temperature often runs a degree below normal. When I get a mild fever of 99.1 I feel ill. Maybe that's like having a 100.6 temperature for a normal person?

39. "First about the cold: I can't give you the reference but there was a peer review reference study about people who put their feet in cold water. this study demonstrated increased susceptibility to illness like colds from being chilled. (even though in the past this has been dismissed as wives' tale, research now supports). Secondly, I would guess with the thrift store item it wasn't the chilled part but the mold. Honey, as someone with cfs/fms I would never buy anything at a thrift store. Not only are you dealing with storage issues, mold/mildew, but also "who knows what" kind of fabric softener/detergent chemicals are there. These things all make me horribly sick. Also as a warning, you may want to share with your readers; I just got very sick two weekends in a row: First weekend, my husband got a new big screen TV which offgassed horrible chemicals and gave me the worst headache that lasted two days. You could smell it all over the house. Second weekend, my mother in law sprayed air freshener. I probably don't need to expound on that one. But warn people on your site about buying new appliances because heated plastic not only has cancer causing chemicals like phalates which can harm "Normal' people over time, they can make "us" very sick immediately."

40. "Yes getting cold can make you get a cold and sore throat, Know it works that way for me especially if have been under a lot of stress, and the past two months sure have been, So with Lupus and fibro, and now this cold, think closer to pnemoina the way chest is starting to hurt, isn't having fibro lots of fun? And like you have said time and time again people just think we are putting it on so we can be lazy, and most of us work harder than they do and them feeling good all the time."

Read Dominie's CFIDS story at www.fms-help.com/fatigue.htm.

DISCLAIMER: I am not a medical doctor. I am a fibromyalgia/chronic fatigue syndrome survivor. The purpose of this website is not to diagnose or cure any disease or malady, but is presented as food for thought. This information cannot take the place of professional medical advice. Any attempt to diagnose and treat an illness should come under the direction of a physician. No guarantees are made regarding any of the information in this website.

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