Hi,

Our children are currently experiencing the wrath of a severe flu virus whose symptoms include fever and sickness.

We are due to fly out early March 2011 and we are hoping it does not affect our plans and they are well and fit for the flight.

I wondered this morning whether colds and flus were still common in Australia (Perth in particular !) due to the differing climate and thought who better to ask than the BE community... !

Thanks

Colonel

I have just had my 2nd cold in 6 years. My kids have maybe had 1 or 2 each. Husband hasn't had one. Some people have had the opposite experience and the change has made them more sick than they were in the UK.

So true....I have had fewer colds (used to get at least one a year in the UK) but they are much worse when the do arrive. In fact, so bad that they are officially classified at Man flu.

I am very familiar with the term "Man-Flu" and have experienced the pain first hand !

My youngest son and I tend to pick up colds more frequent that my Wife and the other kids so I am hoping that a change of climate will correct that !

Pack your favourite cold/cough remedies. It can be quite difficult finding a cough mixture that works here. At least I find it so - I'm one of those whose colds/coughs are worse here. Don't get them often, but they hit hard. Some people find the change between hemispheres can take some adjusting to.

If the people at work are anything to go by life is one long bout of flu. Never worked with so many people taking time off for colds and "flu". Seem to be a lot of germs around in the winter and just about everyone goes down with something

Australia isn't all that different when it comes to cold and flu I think.

One thing that is VERY different though is my hay fever. I suffer from hay fever very badly in the UK, in fact the Doctor stated that it was one of the worst reactions to pollen he had ever seen!!!

It is the tree pollen in the UK that gets me especially around May time as that is when the kind of trees that really get me give off pollen. When I was younger and I didn't keep the medication up my eyes would totally close up and become so puffy I could hardly see out. Breathing was very difficult indeed, you can almost feel the pollen stinging your lungs! I would regularly not be able to breath through my nose from May - July. Even with medication it was bad.

However in Australia I am hay fever free That for me is reason enough to head back.

I hear the people who suffer from grass pollen still get hay fever in Australia, depends on which kind of pollen you are allergic to.

Colds and flu exist in every country regardless of the weather. The local viruses have adapted to suit the local climate.
What you may find is that in the first couple of years after you move you get more colds than most. That is because the locals have had a lifetime of exposure to the local viruses and so have built up some resistance over time. Sadly all the immunity to viruses you were exposed to as a kid are of no use here so you have to start from scratch in building up your immunity.
Having said that, some people do tend to live healthier lifestyles once here (more exercise, more fruit intake etc cos of the weather) and so dont get as many colds, or dont feel them as intensly. There is also something to be said for not having to use the germ spreading mechanism that is London tube everyday!

I get far worse hayfever here than I ever did at home; like you say its down to which pollen irritates you. At home rape seed used to get me, and tree pollen. don't know what it is here but spring is terrible for me. Also whenever the wind is from the southwest it brings something twith it that sets me off.
Been discussed on here a few times and it seems a lot of people suffer here when they didn't at home, and vice versa.

I'm one of those who was only a very mild sufferer in the UK (and only after we moved to York too) and suffer much worse here.

Colds seem to be as prevalent here for my family as they were in the UK.

Only the VileEx ever had flu and we didn't bother bringing him with us, so I can't comment on that

Cold and flu viruses exist the whole world over

But there is less variety of flu and cold here.

Sounds exactly like my daughter. No hay fever here yet. It must be the tree one she's allergic to in the UK by the sounds of it.

So far not one symptom.

I don't get nearly as many colds or flu/chest infections like I did in the UK.

Don't get asthma here either although I do have to suck on an inhaler for a few days If I've been at a big bushfire.

I would normal say less colds here but this summer I've had colds/chest infection since before Christmas and I can't seem to shake them off.