Psychosomatics of frequent colds and weak immunity
Adults get 2 to 3 colds a year on average, and children get more. If colds follow one another, drag on or leave you without strength every time, it is worth checking your health with a general practitioner. The Ladder method adds questions about when exactly you get ill and what comes before it.
Updated
When to see a doctor
Book a doctor’s appointment if you notice:
- Colds return every month or two
- Recovery drags on for more than two weeks
- You have no strength for a long time after being ill
- Blocked nose, sore throat, cough
- Tiredness and sleepiness even without a fever
- You get ill on holiday or right after a tense period
Start with a general practitioner: they will examine you, order a full blood count and look at iron and the thyroid. For frequent throat and nose problems you need an ear, nose and throat doctor. If you are at the limit of your strength before every cold, discuss that too.
What medicine knows
MedlinePlus calls the cold probably the most common illness: adults have an average of 2 to 3 colds a year, and children have even more. More than 200 viruses can cause a cold, most often rhinoviruses. They are very contagious and spread through the air and close contact, and also when you touch something with the virus on it and then touch your eyes, mouth or nose. Colds are more common in winter and spring.
According to the NHS, symptoms come on gradually over 2 to 3 days: a blocked or runny nose, sneezing, a sore throat, a hoarse voice, a cough, feeling tired. You usually begin to feel better in about 1 to 2 weeks. A cold differs from flu: flu appears within a few hours and knocks you down harder.
A cold is usually treated at home: rest, plenty of fluids, light food, gargling salt water, steam. Medicines from a pharmacy ease symptoms but do not cure the virus, and a nasal spray should not be used for more than a week (NHS).
If you get ill noticeably more often than 2 to 3 times a year, a cold drags on for more than two weeks or comes with severe weakness every time, see a general practitioner: they will check for anaemia, thyroid problems or another cause.
In the Ladder method
In the Ladder method a cold is not explained by "weak will" or "not coping". Viruses cause it, and you are not to blame for getting ill. But it helps to notice when exactly you get ill.
Many people say they catch a cold on holiday or right after finishing a big project. This is an observation, not a proven cause, but it hints at something: maybe the body gets the right to stop only when it is ill.
On the ladder this shows up as a step "I must not simply rest". You can go through it. A doctor prescribes treatment.
These are questions for reflection, not an explanation of what causes the condition and not a treatment.
Frequently asked questions
How many colds a year is normal?
MedlinePlus writes that adults have an average of 2 to 3 colds a year, and children have more. If you get ill noticeably more often or colds last longer than two weeks, see a general practitioner.
Why do I catch colds so often?
More than 200 viruses can cause a cold, and they are very contagious (MedlinePlus). People get ill more often in winter and spring, and when they are around other people, including children. If colds follow one another, a doctor checks for anaemia or another cause.
Can I catch a cold because of stress and tiredness?
This page cannot prove that link and does not claim it: a virus causes a cold. But many people notice that they get ill after a tense period. That is a reason to look at your rest. In the Ladder method it is a separate step, but you still need to see a doctor.
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Psychosomatics does not replace tests and treatment. Only a doctor can make a diagnosis.