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Type 1's: How often do you get the common cold?

A

atomeye

Member
Messages
10
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Type 1 here for over 30 years. Every fall/winter, I feel like I'm a magnet when it comes to colds. For example, I just got over a cold (which turned into sinusitis) last month and now I have another cold that started today. Woke up today with congestion. I'm getting super frustrated and to be honest, it's putting me into deep depression.

I'm wondering if this is just something Type 1's have to live with or if there is some other sort of issue going on. My endo does a ton of bloodwork every year (including Vitamin D) and it always turns out normal.

I take a multivitamin, eat predominately plant-based diet and exercise around five days a week. Is there anything else I can do to boost my immune system?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

Adam
 
I probably get 2-3 colds every year which is about the average for an adult if I remember rightly.

I don’t believe there’s anything you can really do to prevent getting a cold aside from washing your hands regularly, keeping as healthy as you can do and trying to stay away from anyone who is sick. In theory we are at more risk of catching a cold due to being immunocompromised but I don’t think I get anymore colds than anyone else I know who doesn’t have diabetes. Unfortunately just seems a bit of bad luck you’ve had a cold back to back.

I managed to avoid the cold my entire workplace had a few weeks ago yet the minute my niece who lives with me got one I caught it a few days later and I did nothing differently and spend a lot more time with people at work than at home.
 
T1 for 6 years here.
First 4 years after being diagnosed I haven't caught a cold worse than a slightly runny nose, last year I did have a nasty one but I suspect that one was covid; despite testing negative I lost taste and smell during that one.
This year I'm not so lucky, first one early october and the cough lasted, second one started 10 days ago and won't go away.
atomeye said:
Is there anything else I can do to boost my immune system?
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How are your blood sugars in general? High blood glucose doesn't help the body in lots of ways and it drains energy. To my thinking, getting my BG as normal as possible leaves more room for my body to fight viruses.
atomeye said:
I just got over a cold (which turned into sinusitis) last month and now I have another cold that started today.
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Which could well be a stupid coincidence of course.
And with all the social distancing over the past years it may well be 'everyone' (statistically spoken) gets hit harder now they're meeting more viruses again after a two year break.
Nicola M said:
In theory we are at more risk of catching a cold due to being immunocompromised
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I've never heard having T1 makes us immunocompromised or at higher risk of catching anything.
Only that we're more prone to consequenses if we catch something because infections can lead to high BG, which can lead to infections not clearing up as quickly, leading to higher BG and so on.
 
I rarely get ill at all. I cannot remember the last time I had a cold - I thought I may be going down with one earlier in the year when I became very bunged up but it turned out to be a mild dose of covid.
 
Hmm, quite rare... and besides, I can easily tolerate any cold. I must admit, I always thought it was because of a very strong immune system and was afraid that it would kill something besides my pancreas
 
Sorry to hear about your depression Adam, hope you are getting some support ? Unfortunately being ill in itself can heighten the mood, so if already low, it can worsen things.

It's luck of the draw sadly, some can have good resistance to colds/viruses, others don't, but as mentioned before just taking more steps to help prevent them occurring will help, so keep hand sanitiser on you, boost your immune system, echinacea seems to rate highly in helping with boosting your immune system along with Vit c, also try to get out for fresh air/daylight/exercise if you can to help boost your immune system during the winter months.

I get the odd cold but nothing different to when I was a non t1.
 
Zhnyaka said:
Hmm, quite rare... and besides, I can easily tolerate any cold. I must admit, I always thought it was because of a very strong immune system and was afraid that it would kill something besides my pancreas
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I agree. I thought Type 1 was from an overactive immune system, not an under active one.
 
Thank you. I'm actually looking for some kind of support today. I do feel like it's the luck of the draw. That being said, ever since I was diagnosed with Type 1, I've noticed more colds.
 
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