Healthy in the US, ill in the UK

A few years back I met a friend from UKY and she was always getting sick. Because she wasn't happy, she always blamed in on living here so I thought..hmm, that's odd she is not feeling well so much of the time but it can't be living in England. 

After seeing this thread and a similar one, it seems to happen to a lot of folks. For me, I have been lucky (knock on wood) and have only had a cold once a year rather than the usual twice a year back home.

We are moving back to the states soon so maybe I will have a problem back there? I  hope not. 

Certainly being depressed would make you more vulnerable, but I'm perfectly happy and settled here.  I haven't had a difficult adjustment at all.  My immunity has been better over recent months until I got that nasty bug last week, but we'll see how next winter goes (not that this summer has felt any different from winter!)

I don't think I did get that sick my first few years here. A cold once a year I think. But now with a kid, I get stuff more!

I also often get a cold when traveling - no matter where I go.

Add me to the list.
I lived in Texas (north of Houston) for 8 years and didn't have  problems with my asthma.  However, since coming over here, I have to use my inhaler during the winter.  The first winter here I coughed so much I cracked a rib. 
I might as well camp out at the surgery during the winter-if I'm not sick it's one of the girls. 
Fingers crossed that this coming winter (it will be our third) will be better for all of us.   

I also often get a cold when traveling - no matter where I go.

That happened to me when I was traveling (by air) every week for work...back home. I got two dreadful colds within about a six week period and it freaked me out.  After that, I didn't get another for my last two years of traveling every week. I guess I built up an immunity. Once I was back into a regular office routine, like clockwork I had a cold once in the spring and once in the winter.

Knock on wood, I haven't had the stomach flu since I was about 12. I have a phobia about that so thank goodness! 

Im so thankful that IM not the only one who's been sick constantly since I've got here...

In two years I've:
-had 6 serious sinus infections
-terrible headaches
-asthma like never before
-have torn all the ligaments in my right knee (surgery required)
-been diagnosed with diabetes

what else..bring it!

Oh...one more thing..

I had perfect teeth in the US...never a problem.
In 5 months in the UK I've been to the dentist 3 times for emergency cleanings...

They tell me the hard water is affecting my teeth...
grrr.
thames.
grrr.

Murphy's law.

I shouldn't have said that my immunity was better.  I now have a nasty cold dragging me down!  Dang immunity!

I actually find that I am less ill than I was in the US.
I used to get lots of colds but now I only get one every 18 months or so. Weird huh?
Saying that, as I type this, I am coming down with one. 

My family have been healthier in the 2 1/2 years that we've lived in the UK.  I'm reluctant to put that in print though.  Murphy's Law we'll get typhoid now.  The amazing thing is that we traveled for 5 months (trains, planes, public restrooms, friends' houses)and got not one bug, and then my kids started school here and caught colds the first week.  Maybe the real reason we've been healthier is that our kids have gotten older and don't pass along quite so many germs to us anymore!

Both my kid's asthma is quite a bit better here.  I told the doctorn that and he shook his head saying "Well, you've been lucky."  I wondered whether it wasn't because we moved from a big city with lots of air pollution in the US, to a small town out in the country here?

That said, my husband's asthma was ok in the US and is ok here at our house, but whenever he goes to his parents he wheezes absolutely the whole time he's there.  My son wheezes there too.  Both have molds as a big trigger for asthma.  I wondered whether it wasn't these old stone houses which store damp in the walls?  My in-laws house is a lovely old cottage and they don't dehumidify.  They have chronic respiratory illnesses.  We bought a dehumidifyer  and you can't believe the amount of moisture it pulls out of even a small closet.  Also, my house doesn't smell musty.

I don't really know anything for sure.  Asthma is complicated and I feel like the only way to figure out what makes it better or worse is to keep trying stuff.

I was very rarely sick in the US - last living in Tampa, FL.  I used to get sick after the transatlantic flights here/back when Steve & I were dating.  I'm telling ya - for long haul flights - smear Neosporin gel up your nose, it works!  I don't get sick when I remember to do that.

Since I moved here to the UK, I get maybe one cold a year, so not too bad.  My health is actually much better since living here, because I have a MUCH healthier lifestyle now & I'm happy.

Mrs Robinson, good call about the Neosporin. The flying used to do me in too

I've always been hypersensitive to water changes.  If I go to a different area in the state, I have stomach problems.  When I moved to Finland, I was sick for about a week until I adjusted to the water.  I am not alone though.  A girl from Canada had to be hospitalized because of the change the year I was there.

My husband always gets sicker here, but that goes away somewhat if he's here for a while.  However, we have more things that he's allergic to.  When we went to Vegas, we both got super ill.  We blamed it on radioactive water, the masks from an oxygen bar, bad buffet, but it was probably all the strange buggy-boos from Vegas itself and all the people from everywhere.

Weird.  My English friends just went to Los Vegas this summer and were sick with tummy bugs nearly the whole time they were there.

I dont think I get ill MORE in the UK.. I do think it takes me longer to get rid of the illness here though.  I was sick 2 weeks ago with a cold/flu and Im better now, but i cant seem to shake the coughing & runny nose that accompanied my cold.