This is ridiculous...

Serendipity

Every time I move into my dorm room (at the start of every September and January), I get a sore throat and usually this is accompanied by a cold or sinus infection.

With that said, now I'm starting to think that there HAS to be some kind of environmental issue causing this. Whether it be the carpet or something like that, I don't know, but this is starting to get ridiculous.

I've read that living in crowded spaces can lead to the spread of viruses, such as in this article: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/36620/how_to_remain_healthy_living_in_a_college.html, but I don't stay indoors much.

Just had to vent as I hate dealing with this 3-4 times a semester. I should be doing something productive right now but feel like crap.

I hate colds

obieone

As my sister would say, "Suffering builds CHARACTER!". Hope you feel better.;)

george daniel

Try a good ,,, eh,,,, pm me you addy,,, I'll send you some wipes that we use in the ICU,,, it'll pretty much kill the bad boys,,sounds like you need to hit it when you move in--good luck

BaggedLancer

Germs build immunity....by senior year you should be ok.

treitz3

Check the building for mold spores. That is something that can cause what you are describing. Check everywhere, literally everywhere inside that building. Ill maintained plumbing [leaks] are the #1 reason for mold spores. A toilet leak may just have a small "puddle" of water at that toilet but the damage and mold could be 6 continuous floors down spreading 20 feet horizontally in any direction. This damage along with the mold spores works its into the duct work which is distributed throughout the building creating a health hazard.

Mike682

Same here appadv, although I don't live in a dorm

Just recovered from a sinus infection myself...on the last day of the z-pack.

For some reason, I usually get sick during the end of summer/beginning fall

Serendipity

Mike682 wrote: »

Same here appadv, although I don't live in a dorm

Just recovered from a sinus infection myself...on the last day of the z-pack.

For some reason, I usually get sick during the end of summer/beginning fall

Maybe it's a Long Island thing? I never got sick so much when I lived in Queens.

steveducie

im sure they don't really disinfect those room to good. its probably mold spores irritating you.

John30_30

appadv wrote: »

Every time I move into my dorm room (at the start of every September and January), I get a sore throat and usually this is accompanied by a cold or sinus infection.

With that said, now I'm starting to think that there HAS to be some kind of environmental issue causing this. Whether it be the carpet or something like that, I don't know, but this is starting to get ridiculous.

Just had to vent as I hate dealing with this 3-4 times a semester. I should be doing something productive right now but feel like crap.

I hate colds

If I were a betting man, I'd say it's definitely allergens, be they mold, pollen, student-dander :eek:, or more likely, a combo of all the above.
The tell is that you get a sore throat first, which is indicative your body is reacting to something you're inhaling. The infections & colds come later as your immune system weakens trying to fight whatever it thinks the enemy is, which you keep inhaling.
Living in Central Oklahoma, which is one of the armpits of the universe for allergens, we've gotten some 3-way active filters which also have a UV bulb and ozone-aerator. Gotta be careful with ozone, but I really tout it. I can look up the URL if you're interested.

BaggedLancer

Alex, might I suggest purchasing this:



You can get it here:

http://www.floridagunworks.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=FG&Product_Code=1382&Category_Code=_SALESURPLUS

For only $40, that should protect you from whatever is floating around in your dorm. I recommend wearing it at all times when you are in your dorm, especially to the bathroom. Just buy whatever Nato filters you feel you need. That website sells those too. Trust me, the girls will love it, they'll wanna play with your hose all the time.

treitz3

There was this Mexican family that I had to do some repair work in there apartment. It started out with a simple sheetrock repair job that at first, shouldn't have been more than a hundred bucks. Well, long story short....we were in that apartment for about a week and a half.

All of her belongings were put into one of those porta-storage units and we had to completely gut 2/3's of her apartment down to the studs. Some of the framing needed to be replaced and all mold was wiped away, bleached and then hit with a very thick layer of Kilz, including the floor [the carpet and padding were ripped out] All of this due to a leaky pipe, bad roof/gutter system and a backed up storm drain system. $62,000 later [after all was said and done] the apartment and storm drain system were fixed.

The reason I told you about this is that the family was staying across the hall while I was doing the repairs and that gave me the opportunity to get to know them a little bit during breaks. It turns out that her three children were constantly being hospitalized for one thing or another and that her health wasn't very good either. This constant hospitalization almost made her homeless because of the amount of money that it cost her.

Anyhoo, I kept checking back with her over the course of the next two years and it turned out that the hospital visits stopped completely about 3-4 months after the repair. She was so happy that every time I saw her she would run up and give me a hug. The kids would do some finger painting and hand it to me along with some food or a cold drink. Every time I saw them, this would happen.

This is just one experience I have had of many that were kinda in the same situation. Do not ever underestimate the power of mold.......especially when it's black mold. Ever.

John30_30

treitz3 wrote: »

There was this Mexican family that I had to do some repair work in there apartment. It started out with a simple sheetrock repair job that at first, shouldn't have been more than a hundred bucks. Well, long story short....we were in that apartment for about a week and a half.

All of her belongings were put into one of those porta-storage units and we had to completely gut 2/3's of her apartment down to the studs. Some of the framing needed to be replaced and all mold was wiped away, bleached and then hit with a very thick layer of Kilz, including the floor [the carpet and padding were ripped out] All of this due to a leaky pipe, bad roof/gutter system and a backed up storm drain system. $62,000 later [after all was said and done] the apartment and storm drain system were fixed.

The reason I told you about this is that the family was staying across the hall while I was doing the repairs and that gave me the opportunity to get to know them a little bit during breaks. It turns out that her three children were constantly being hospitalized for one thing or another and that her health wasn't very good either. This constant hospitalization almost made her homeless because of the amount of money that it cost her.

Anyhoo, I kept checking back with her over the course of the next two years and it turned out that the hospital visits stopped completely about 3-4 months after the repair. She was so happy that every time I saw her she would run up and give me a hug. The kids would do some finger painting and hand it to me along with some food or a cold drink. Every time I saw them, this would happen.

This is just one experience I have had of many that were kinda in the same situation. Do not ever underestimate the power of mold.......especially when it's black mold. Ever.

Word.
I remember doing an inspection type check of a house the renters had black mold coming through a water-weakened hole in the bedroom ceiling sheetrock. I wasn't in that house myself for 10 minutes, I started getting woozy.
The landlady had asked me to check out repairing a "hole in the ceiling", but not to mention anything about mold to the renters. What a slimeball she was. I told them everything, they moved out a few weeks later.
Living there had been hell for those folks.

And you may think to yourself, "how can people live in such an obviously vile situation?"
It's not that simple. You live somewhere, that stuff creeps up on you over weeks or months, slowly shorts out your rational decision-making processes, like it's stalking you. Someone else has to shake you up and say 'Get out now!"

SolidSqual

I used to suffer from the same problems when I was in college. I would always get severe sinus infections until I moved into nice apartments. I think the real issue is that over time those old dorms and student apartments are not cleaned. I bet there's fungus in the walls and other stuff that just craps all over your lungs.

audiobliss

I'm definitely not liking all this talk about nasty, uncleaned, dangerous environments in dorm rooms. I jsut wrapped up my second week of classes and this past Friday I just started getting something. I'm not sure what it is, yet. It started with a sore throat, then a headache, achy eyes, coughing up lots of green junk, blowing my nose all the time, etc.

I took a Zyrtec yesterday, but I don't know if it's allergies or a cold.

Mike682

audiobliss wrote: »

I'm definitely not liking all this talk about nasty, uncleaned, dangerous environments in dorm rooms. I jsut wrapped up my second week of classes and this past Friday I just started getting something. I'm not sure what it is, yet. It started with a sore throat, then a headache, achy eyes, coughing up lots of green junk, blowing my nose all the time, etc.

I took a Zyrtec yesterday, but I don't know if it's allergies or a cold.

Found out coworkers have been sick with similar symptoms (what I had too)...something is just going around. And it's not even the cold season yet!

Serendipity

audiobliss wrote: »

I'm definitely not liking all this talk about nasty, uncleaned, dangerous environments in dorm rooms. I jsut wrapped up my second week of classes and this past Friday I just started getting something. I'm not sure what it is, yet. It started with a sore throat, then a headache, achy eyes, coughing up lots of green junk, blowing my nose all the time

That's just like what I get at the beginning of every semester when I go back to my dorm room. When I first moved in, I noticed that the carpet wasn't too clean, and the HVAC tends to have a musty smell to it.

treitz3

appadv wrote: »

........and the HVAC tends to have a musty smell to it.

Pay special attention to my posts and then reflect on what you just mentioned here...........;)

carpenter

appadv wrote: »

Every time I move into my dorm room (at the start of every September and January), I get a sore throat and usually this is accompanied by a cold or sinus infection

......

I've read that living in crowded spaces can lead to the spread of viruses, such as in this article: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/36620/how_to_remain_healthy_living_in_a_college.html, but I don't stay indoors much.
......

I hate colds

audiobliss wrote: »

I'm definitely not liking all this talk about nasty, uncleaned, dangerous environments in dorm rooms. I jsut wrapped up my second week of classes and this past Friday I just started getting something. I'm not sure what it is, yet. It started with a sore throat, then a headache, achy eyes, coughing up lots of green junk, blowing my nose all the time, etc.

I took a Zyrtec yesterday, but I don't know if it's allergies or a cold.

you guys remined me of this scene ....

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/5o-SuRXwK5o&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/5o-SuRXwK5o&hl=en&fs=1&quot; type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

lightman1

treitz3 wrote: »

Pay special attention to my posts and then reflect on what you just mentioned here...........;)

Tom couldn't find his butt-hole with flashlight and a funnel... He's just a lackey and coffee fetcher for the real crew... He plays scratch and sniff in his pants... the only thing he does with Kilz is huff it....



..and black mold is some nasty stuff.. wash rinse repeat if you do find some..
Lightman loves you.:D

Serendipity

I am going to clean this room from top to bottom then. I got a Dirt Devil vacuum and a lot of Lysol, and also some sponges to clean all the surfaces in the room.

The place smelt horrible when I first moved in - like a damp basement that has not been aired out for a while.

Another indicator is that last year, my roommate also got sick around the same time I did.

BaggedLancer

Not gonna take my advice on the mask?

treitz3

lightman1 wrote: »

Lightman loves you.:D

:eek: *runs away at a very fast pace*

John30_30

appadv wrote: »

That's just like what I get at the beginning of every semester when I go back to my dorm room. When I first moved in, I noticed that the carpet wasn't too clean, and the HVAC tends to have a musty smell to it.

You know, it's the damn school's responsibility to offer sanitary living conditions. The dorms aren't free, are they? Get a friggin lawyah! Get a licensed mold inspectah!


p.s.
Oh, and a cheap home remedy that's very helpful is to mix a little salt and baking soda in warm water and gently snort some of that up your nose. Then, of course, let it drain out. Listerine is good too.

Airplay355

Aren't those ICU wipes only supposed to be used while gloved and only on things like tables and such? The docs in the ERs here told me not to touch them without gloves on as the chemicals in them are nasty.

Move off campus man, dorms are disgusting and a complete waste of money. It's cheaper/around the same for me to live 20 min from campus in a beach front condo (and i mean beach front, my bedroom faces the beach, i see the sand and hear the ocean) then it is to live in the disgusting dorms. Find yourself a couple clean room mates who are just as fed up with campus as you are and get yourself a place to live. This year has been the best by far. I go to class, do my work while listening to the waves and then I can boogie board my **** off.

My dorm room last year wasn't horrible but still it wasn't paradise. I was paying $5650 for room and board each semester and it was definitely not worth it. Now I only pay $2000 a semester in rent (including utils) the other $3650 I suppose I may end up paying on gas and food but I doubt it. I don't eat THAT much.

What school do you go to BTW?

Serendipity

I can't sleep right now because of the cold but I HAVE to get up at 6am tomorrow.

Oh well...

Serendipity

Getting worse...

Looks like I have a fever as I'm extremely uncomfortable and feel hot on the forehead. No doctors open at this hour, argh!

george daniel

Airplay355 wrote: »

Aren't those ICU wipes only supposed to be used while gloved and only on things like tables and such? The docs in the ERs here told me not to touch them without gloves on as the chemicals in them are nasty.

Move off campus man, dorms are disgusting and a complete waste of money. It's cheaper/around the same for me to live 20 min from campus in a beach front condo (and i mean beach front, my bedroom faces the beach, i see the sand and hear the ocean) then it is to live in the disgusting dorms. Find yourself a couple clean room mates who are just as fed up with campus as you are and get yourself a place to live. This year has been the best by far. I go to class, do my work while listening to the waves and then I can boogie board my **** off.

My dorm room last year wasn't horrible but still it wasn't paradise. I was paying $5650 for room and board each semester and it was definitely not worth it. Now I only pay $2000 a semester in rent (including utils) the other $3650 I suppose I may end up paying on gas and food but I doubt it. I don't eat THAT much.

What school do you go to BTW?

Yep,, supposed to be used with gloves,, honestly,,I haver never used gloves,(but you should), just pop em' open and hit what I'm aiming for:)Looking back on this thread, if it were me,,and I lived in a dorm/motel room,,I think I'd hit the major items,(kitchen,bathroom,bedroom) areas with something,good luck and I hope that you get to feeling better

Serendipity

Forehead is still friggin' hot and not getting any better.

Serendipity

george daniel wrote: »

Looking back on this thread, if it were me,,and I lived in a dorm/motel room,,I think I'd hit the major items,(kitchen,bathroom,bedroom) areas with something,good luck and I hope that you get to feeling better

Well, now that I am already sick, there's got to be some remedy. Right now I'm coughing up lots of green stuff and feel very hot, I wonder if a cold shower will help?

george daniel

go see a doc,, fever, green sputum,,, you might need some help in fighting this off,,, plenty of fluids ie,, OJ,,Gatoraide,,, tylenol,,vita C,,, and last but not least,, the # 1 thing that we can do to stop the spread,,,,,wash you hands---good luck,,I hope you get to feeling better soon,,,see a doc.:)

Serendipity

george daniel wrote: »

go see a doc,, fever, green sputum,,, you might need some help in fighting this off,,, plenty of fluids ie,, OJ,,Gatoraide,,, tylenol,,vita C,,, and last but not least,, the # 1 thing that we can do to stop the spread,,,,,wash you hands---good luck,,I hope you get to feeling better soon,,,see a doc.:)

Right now I feel so sick that I don't even feel like getting out of bed to see a doctor.