Does your asthma make you more prone to catching bugs/viruses?

I've just caught a virus and am off work.

Someone outside of work has criticised me for being ill again.

[twinkly29]

Really feel for you - yes, my asthma is mainly triggered by infection, and it's usually viral infections. So although the asthma may not cause the infections, catching the infection affects the asthma. People without the asthma fight off the infection and off they go. We don't.

Hope you are on the mend soon x

[Hidden]

I was diagnosed 2 years ago. I'm 40 and do seem to pick up more colds. I sympathise with you as I don't think until you have the symptoms you know what it feels like. I have yet another chest infection now but very lucky to have an understanding manager. Hope you are on the mend.

[Hidden]

There's no proven cause and effect as far as I can tell from what I've read but you're more likely to be off work with an asthma exacerbation cos it hampers you so much whereas most people with infections alone will drag themselves in anyway. That's where the difference lies -although from a personal anecdote perspective ordinary colds always turn into chest infections for me unless I start my brown inhaler at first signs of any lurgy. It's such a trigger for me now that I've been advised to just take my brown inhaler all winter and be done with it. Fortunately my boss is asthmatic herself and has been super understanding while I've been off all this week!

[yaf_user681_51802]

Every time I get a cold, I get a chest infection. Annoying. My daughter caught a cold, then my hubby, then me, then son in law. All of them got over it in a couple of days. Over a week later, I'm still coughing and have chest infection. Don't want to, but will go to doc tomorrow. Pants. I'm 50 and was diagnosed with asthma last year. X Sue

[Annista]

It would help if people wouid stop coming in to work while they are ill. We have - Miss Indespensible (a director) who comes into work with a cold because she thinks the company can't function without her and then gets bent out of shape when 3 other people catch her cold and have a week off or when I catch it and have 3 weeks off. Cause and effect!

[Hidden]

Since October I've been housebound, only been let out to appointments or whatever because of this new study I'm starting which I had to be well do (confusing I know) , so therefore that means no infections or anything being caught, which has made an improvement to my asthma I say (not to jinx it) but that's not living.

[twinkly29]

Flutteraway, that's rubbish for you That you have to live like that I mean. I've been similar but because I had 3 admissions between mid Oct and mid Dec.

Agree about others going to work ill - same with parents sending children to school (I am a Reception teacher) ill/full of cold/etc. ""But they wanted to come"" - No, you are the parent and we do not want their germs spreading thank you!!