What is the worst ‘common’ illness?

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This. Can't function, sat in an adult incontinence thing. Peeing blood. And it still takes like a week to get the culture back (if they'll do one) and half the time the antibiotics don't work because of resistance. Every time I get a UTI, that's at least a week down the drain. I missed so much school as a teen because of them and ending up in hospital.

I'd take literally anything over a UTI. I wish we had some sort of vaccine or something 😭 I've been plagued by them since I was a child

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Bxsnia@reddit

Have you tried cranberry pills? I heard several people have had success with them! You can get them on amazon. Look into ureaplasma too, it's a bacteria that's linked to recurring cases of UTIs.

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B0-Katan@reddit

I have and no luck sadly (though I always chug cranberry and hope for the best) it isn't UP either as I paid for a test a little while ago after hearing someone say that was their issue.

I do all the things you're supposed to do/not do, and sadly it's just one of those things I seem to get

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majaohalo@reddit

Hiprex!!! Urinary antiseptic (not antibiotic) - you can order it OTC from some online pharmacies (think the one I used is called ‘my private pharmacy’ or something similar. I had chronic recurrent UTIs for years and years and a few months of hiprex legit saved my life.

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C0nnectionTerminat3d@reddit

There actually is a vaccine! you have to pay for it though and it’s quite hefty. I have had a uti coming on for 3 months straight now so i’ve done a ton of research on treatments 🥲

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B0-Katan@reddit

I did a quick Google and it doesn't look like it's licensed or available in the UK yet (outside of trials) I have Bupa, so as soon as it is I'll jump on it!

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C0nnectionTerminat3d@reddit

good luck with it!! i’m currently using hiprex to keep my utis at bay and it’s not quite getting them, just minimising symptoms. I’ve heard the vaccine is great and i’d love to get it one day

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LoyalFridge@reddit

100%. I’ve had a chronic UTI for eight years and attempted suicide over it. (Things are doing better now).

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GoldBear79@reddit

I’ve got three kidneys (known as a ‘duplex system’) and I nearly died when I was 19 as a UTI crept up into my renal system. Following that, I was put on a prophylactic antibiotic for years, which was great, but when I had another UTI, the same antibiotic albeit at a higher dose, did nothing. Which was scary. Eventually they found one which did. But the pain and discomfort can make you almost mad.

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poppysaurus@reddit

second this, pissing razor blades for 5 days

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North_Still_2234@reddit

Tooth decay

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bethelns@reddit

Never had them but I've seen my dad absolutely crippled with kidney stones.

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UltraZulwarn@reddit

a "real" flu, as in influenza infection can be the worst illness one may have. A "common cold" can make anyone miserable, flu can be many many times worse.

on that note, asthma is definitely not pleasant and potentially lethal. Most asthma attacks can be alleviated with something like Salbutamol inhaler, but sometimes it is a legitimate medical emergency.

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HarlequinKing1406@reddit

How common do you count norovirus? Because the one time I got it was genuinely a 0/5 experience, way worse than when I had Covid.

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kronikler@reddit

Norovirus for me too! Horrendous

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kronikler@reddit

Norovirus.

I had it once, nearly 10 years ago, and I'm still mentally scarred!

The sick, the 'other', the smell, the aching, the not being able to even drink water. On top of that, it's beyond being low energy and full on cannot function. I live in fear of getting that again!

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Accomplished-Art7737@reddit

I got tonsillitis in January at age 44 for the first time since I was a kid. It absolutely floored me. Neve felt so ill and there was not one part of my body felt good. Fortunately antibiotics cleared it up fairly quickly but stupid me left it for a few more than I probably should have before seeing a dr as I thought it was just flu that would clear up.

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SomethingPeach@reddit

Oh my gosh, same. I had to drag myself to a pharmacy and could hardly open my mouth when they asked to see my throat. The antibiotics they gave me also led to the worst nausea and took almost 3 weeks to fully go away. Genuinely one of the worst things I've experienced.

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mrhippoj@reddit

Food poisoning/stomach bug/diarrhea is easily the worst. Only happens to me like once a decade if not less but I remember every time because of how awful it is. Last time I genuinely worried I'd get blood clots because of how long I was sitting on the toilet for.

Second place would probably be tooth infection. Easily the worst pain I've ever experienced. The anaesthetic didn't work when they extracted it but even that wasn't as bad as the constant throbbing pain of the infection itself.

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PaulSpangle@reddit

I've had proper diarrhoea maybe once a decade as well, but provided I've got ready access to a toilet it's not really a problem.

Proper toothache though is horrendous.

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bacon_cake@reddit

Only happens to me like once a decade if not less

Unless you live in the USA. Weren't there some stats not long ago that pointed out Americans get food poisoning about ten times more than the UK?

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Diligent-Way8231@reddit

The food safety laws are different. That is why they can use artificial colours like red 40 and we can’t

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_feedmeseymour@reddit

I went to the states for the first time 2 years ago with my masters class, and the whole of the girls dorm (there were 4 of us to one bathroom), and half the boys dorm got food poisoning, constipation or IBS flares after 2 days. So I believe it 😅

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mrhippoj@reddit

Wouldn't surprise me, I think they generally take a lot less care than we do. My Canadian friend was so surprised at the idea that we can just eat eggs without worrying about them making us really sick

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nocnox87@reddit

Eugh, I was in France and a friend made 'home smoked salmon', I remember thinking this tastes funny. 4 days of pure hell - all I could taste was this salmon. I have never touched it again since, that was 14 years ago...

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McCretin@reddit

Yeah. I got it after a festival a couple of years ago and it absolutely wrecked me for a few days.

It wasn’t just the discomfort of the gastrointestinal symptoms but I was also running a fever of 39.5°, which was horrible.

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Bulbasaurus__Rex@reddit

When I was on holiday age 7, I caught an ear infection. I think I screamed the whole plane journey home, the pain of that was about the worst thing I can remember. Ear infections are shit anyway, but something about being in the air made it that much worse.

Similar to you, I once caught food poisoning but it was a bacteria called campylobacter which is sort of similar to salmonella. I had D&V for weeks, it took me months to fully recover and I lost a drastic amount of weight. It was an awful time.

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Lilydolls@reddit

I had ear infections quite a lot when I was a kid and they're just the worst, I can't imagine how painful it must've been on a plane.

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pajamakitten@reddit

Similar to you, I once caught food poisoning but it was a bacteria called campylobacter which is sort of similar to salmonella. I had D&V for weeks, it took me months to fully recover and I lost a drastic amount of weight. It was an awful time.

Had that a few years back. I could not keep food down for two weeks. It did mean I could eat whatever I wanted though, which was nice.

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Bulbasaurus__Rex@reddit

I could barely eat or drink anything, everything upset my stomach even water

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DryJackfruit6610@reddit

was a bacteria called campylobacter

I had this before and I lost a stone and a half in 2 weeks. And like you, it took ages to recover!

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Bulbasaurus__Rex@reddit

Awful isn't it. I was a healthy weight at the start, skeletal by the end

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DryJackfruit6610@reddit

Haha same, it took so long to be able to eat enough to gain it back 😅

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Aware-Gap7418@reddit

Ear infection is one of the worst. I thought toothache was bad but ear infection is just as bad! I cried throughout the day until finally prescribed antibiotics and the usual dose of painkillers wasn't enough.

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Spare_Ad_8880@reddit

Lol, not laughing at your predicament but D & V sounds so classy! And Campylobactor is a child's toy in some other universe.

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Daisies_forever@reddit

Had a horrific ear infection as an adult a few years ago. Left it a few too many days to see a Dr and my whole ear and face started swelling up, couldn't even brush my hand past it!. Never been is so much pain! Dr didn't even bother looking inside, which is good because I would have screamed the house down

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Hasan_Rachid@reddit

Lower pressure in the plane may have caused some issues, possible it had abcessed and was expanding as the atmospheric pressure dropped?

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Bulbasaurus__Rex@reddit

Not sure, I remember a nice girl on the plane lending me her headphones though and that seemed to help

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Try_at-your-own_Risk@reddit

A tooth infection it genuinely makes me wish for death

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Dramatic-Doctor-7386@reddit

Earache!

Or for some of us, period pain - the kind that makes you faint, puke and comes with full body agony.

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Helicreature@reddit

Shingles. I paced the floor for hours with the pain.

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Adept-Butterfly642@reddit

I had shingles last year, still can’t get over how painful it is. Probably the most painful thing I’ve ever had.

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EdmundTheInsulter@reddit

Heart disease? Alzheimer's?

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coachhunter2@reddit

Migraines

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therealonnyuk@reddit

Manflu of course

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HugsandHate@reddit

Proven to be a real thing. There's a (or multiple, can't remember.) strain of flu that's more severe than regular flu that only affects people with XY chromosomes. (Dudes.)

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JennyW93@reddit

It’s not the flu strain or the person’s chromosomes as such - it’s a lot of testosterone and lack of oestrogen. Oestrogen seems to have some kind of immune response benefit. Men also respond less well than women to flu vaccines, likely due to the increased testosterone provoking a lesser antibody response.

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HugsandHate@reddit

Oh. I've totally misremembered that then?

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JennyW93@reddit

Eh, not totally - right ballpark, wrong ball?

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HugsandHate@reddit

Hm. I think you've gotta get the facts right, otherwise.. You're just wrong.

Thanks for your correction and info!

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CarolDanversFangurl@reddit

I still remember the great Chicken Skewer Poisoning of December 2005 as if it happened yesterday. I was so, so ill.

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NewBarofSoap@reddit

I feel so lucky to never have experienced food poisoning. I don’t think I’d cope!

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AntiDynamo@reddit

Migraine is up there. Disease affecting about a third of women and a bit less for men, but it’s often completely debilitating and the medications, and especially the number you need to try and their side-effects, are not great.

And on top of all that, most people think migraine is just a very very bad headache (it’s actually closer to epilepsy, and doesn’t need to involve head pain at all), and if you call out sick with an episode your boss will think you’re a little faking wimp who just needs to drink more water and stop being a liar baby.

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NewBarofSoap@reddit

This is my life. You’re right it’s not taken seriously enough by most people. I’m lucky I’m self-employed so I can do what I need to do when it strikes, but I’ve known friends almost lose their jobs over it because “it’s just a headache.”

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JennyW93@reddit

I’ve had chronic migraine - about twice a week - since I was 8. I’m in my 30s now.

This past year I’ve only had 4 or 5 migraines total (thanks to an inadvertent benefit from starting on a GLP-1), and - because I lived with it for long enough that it was all I knew - I had genuinely no idea how much I was actually literally disabled from it until now.

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TeLoBecchi@reddit

I second this. I feel your pain just reading this comment. Hope you’re doing ok ⭐

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Pink-socks@reddit

Ear infections are ridiculously painful. How can it hurt so much?

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CosyColouringBooks@reddit

I had Cryptosporidium last year and can honestly say I've never felt anything like it, it was horrific.

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scottgal2@reddit

Well personaly Covid is up there; mainly as it claimed the lives of both my mother and grandmother.

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Mobile_Turnover6773@reddit

Gastro when you and your partner have it and you are both parenting a baby with nobody to help.

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hamstertoybox@reddit

I am SO careful with food hygiene since having kids. We’ve managed to avoid this scenario so far, but have had staggered gastro.

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Mobile_Turnover6773@reddit

My wife has emetophobia so is also SUPER careful, still got us!

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hamstertoybox@reddit

There’s only so much you can do, as children are germ factories!

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Cherrycola250ml@reddit

Tonsillitis/strep throat- I’d rather go through child birth

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THEpossumlord@reddit

Not sure if they all count as common but these are ones I deal with that make life hell: PCOS - I have missed so many days of work and school because of uncontrollable, unexpected pain or bleeding through my clothing, even when I’ve done all I can to prevent leaking. Migraines - makes you completely unable to function, sometimes for days. IBS - painful and embarrassing, at times, Arthiritis - makes so many simple tasks agonising. Sciatica - same problem as arthiritis. I’m sick of having pain in my back, legs, stomach and groin from something as simple as sitting at my desk during a shift. Mental illness - makes life hard in every way, especially when it begins to affect your physical health. It’s hard to explain your symptoms and really convey how bad it is or how it’s affecting you. Plus there’s a lot of stigma, still and medical professionals are often ignorant towards it (at least, in my experience).

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sockeyejo@reddit

I have IBS, which is bad enough on its own but right now I have a cold. My body is stressed from my immune system doing its thing and a lack of sleep from near constant coughing and needing to blow my nose, and what exacerbates IBS? Stress! Simultaneously coughing, trying to blow my nose and passing food I've only just eaten is deeply unfun. I'm just dreading the prospect of a sinus infection afterwards, which sometimes happens because I'm just that lucky.

Also, headaches are deeply misunderstood. I have to tell people they my chronic headaches are migraines otherwise I get told to take paracetamol and get on with it 🤦

Finally, depression.

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No_Detail9259@reddit

Covid.

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HugsandHate@reddit

Tricky that one, considering some people don't experience any symptoms.

I've had it twice, didn't even know..

Accidentally gave it to my friend. He was totally fine.

So, I guess you'd have to say Covid. But only for the people who suffer from it. Sounds nightmarish for some, the respitory problems, completely losing your sense of taste and smell. Crazy virus.

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BristolShambler@reddit

Is a kidney stone “common”?

If so, that.

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N7twitch@reddit

Not sure it counts as common but it’s definitely the worst 😩 I’ve had it twice and they know I have another in there… lurking… am not going to be a happy camper when the little fucker makes its move.

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terahurts@reddit

Infected tooth? I had one a couple of years ago that was fucking awful. Didn't/couldn't eat or sleep for about 5 days and was crying down the phone every morning begging to get an emergency dentist's appointment. Not a priority apparently! None of the over-the-counter painkillers touched it, heat packs made it worse and the only thing that numbed it for a few minutes was ice-cold water, but when the pain came back it was like having a blunt nail hammered into my jaw. I finally got to see a dentist who prescribed me what I assume were the sort of antibiotic they give to horses. They made me feel sick as a dog, and gave me the shits something fierce, but stopped the agony after another 48 hours. I've never felt so miserable in my life.

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sparklybeast@reddit

Yes, this is it for me. I've been lucky enough to have tooth infections multiple times and it's always absolute agony that you cannot ignore. Normal life is impossible until it's sorted.

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running_on_fumes25@reddit

For me its sinus infection after having a bad cold.

There's absolutely no relief for the pain, it feels like youre being stabbed on the inside of your face/bones.

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Fungus_Mungus46@reddit

I was looking for this. I had a sinus infection for the first time this year and had to fly home with it - the pain in my face was excruciating and I could not breathe at all. To make it worse I jhad some woman freaking out on the plane about my 'dangerous chemicals'... IT WAS PURE EUCALYPTUS OIL in a wee roller ball thing. Was going on 5 days with no sleep at this point and was close to punching her.

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kotare78@reddit

Does depression count?

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gravejrI@reddit

Not sure many people understand mental pain.

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onegirlandhergoat@reddit

Given that 15% of adults in England are on antidepressants (not even including Sco/Ni/Wales), I think a fair few million actually do understand.

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MagentaPyskie@reddit

Absolutely

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Few-Ad4485@reddit

I'd say salmonella / legionella is the acutely worst - flu is pretty high up there. Honorable mentions to giardiasis: do not drink the tap water if you ever visit Bali, just don't do it.

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Thisoneissfwihope@reddit

Diabetes is really common and if you don’t manage it, you go blind, have to have your feet and/or legs amputated and eventually your kidneys fail.

Renal failure is #5 (IIRC)on the list of conditions for worst quality of life.

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scorpiomover@reddit

Depression and anxiety.

Food poisoning lasts for a few days. Same with UTIs.

But depression feels like you have no energy to get anything done, and it stays for decades.

Anxiety is like, something scares you, and you’re so terrified you bang your head till the pain is worse than the anxiety.

Remember being on my friend’s floor, curled in a ball, hoping to die to end the pain.

After that, food poisoning is just a bit of pain that will go away in a few days.

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Opposite_Orange_7856@reddit

Mouth Ulcers

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SubstantialFly3316@reddit

Food poisoning is definitely up there. I've had two proper bouts of it in my life. It's just miserable. We're not talking just a case of the squits after a curry, proper food poisoning is curled up in the foetal position on the bathroom floor with your pants around your ankles sweating, cramping and delirious.

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roxieh@reddit

I mean, you are basically at risk of death and the only reason you don't is your immune systems ability to deal with whatever the fuck is going on in your digestive tract. But if you have consumed a lot or have a compromised immune system, it can kill you.

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CasualGlam87@reddit

I have a compromised immune system and ended up in the ICU for a week with severe food poisoning. It was awful.

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FluffyBunnyFlipFlops@reddit

I don't recommend campylobacter food poisoning, which I got from handling raw chicken (incorrectly, it would seem). You will shit brown, sweet smelling water every hour or so for the indefinite future, until you get some antibiotics. The doctor won't want to just dish out the antibiotics so you're going to have to provide a sample and wait a couple of days, all while shitting brown, sweet smelling water.

Don't fart. It is a lie.

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No_Salamander4095@reddit

Vertigo is awful. If you know, you know.

The last time I had it, I was an invalid in bed for 5 days, virtually blind, couldn't walk, the room spinning at 100 mph. I had to be taken care of 24/7.

I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.

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ch536@reddit

I had labyrinthitis as a child and experienced this for weeks. I'm still scared that it might come back even though this happened 25 years ago!

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joh153@reddit

It is the worst. I'm petrified of sick/being sick but would take that any day over vertigo.

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pencilrain99@reddit

Neuralgia pain is supposed to be horrific to the point where it is known as the suicide disease

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mhoulden@reddit

Flu. Not man flu, the real thing. There's not much you can do about it apart from getting plenty of rest and staying hydrated. Norovirus wasn't much fun either. Most of the symptoms of flu plus the world falling out of your bottom at regular intervals.

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Far_wide@reddit

I had heard stories about wrecking bathrooms with food poisoning that I never really understood until I ate at a very cheap chinese restaurant in Chile.

It was short, I'll give it that, but boy was it something. Nothing coming out could wait its turn resulting in some difficult choices in bathroom redecoration.

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Enough-Ad3818@reddit

Sit on toilet, bucket on lap. If it's coming out of both ends at the same time, then let it happen and minimise cleanup.

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Far_wide@reddit

I hadn't really expected this eventuality at the time unfortunately, so a bucket wasn't forthcoming in my airbnb in the 5 seconds notice I had when I woke up in the middle of the night. In fact in my panic I didn't even manage to open the bathroom door first (I was pulling rather than pushing), so the first tranche didn't even get that far.

Good advice though about just letting it happen. It was attempting to gracefully spin around on the toilet to accommodate both sides that really compounded the issue.

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Enough-Ad3818@reddit

It's an experience you only really do once, and learn some harsh lessons.

I keep a bucket in the airing cupboard so if I ever find myself in that situation again, I'm able to just sit and shit, whilst I stick my head in the bucket.

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Gadgie2023@reddit

Gout.

Gallstones.

Both unbelievably painful.

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stecirfemoh@reddit

I never used to get motion sick at all, could go on roller coasters and all that fine, until one day I just started to get motion sick all the time.

The first time I ever got it was on a ferry and by half way through the however many hours trip... just jumping into the Ocean was starting to seem like a viable option.

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faerycvnt@reddit

Tinnitus

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Kind-Enthusiasm-7799@reddit

I was horrifically sick this weekend. All night long on Saturday I couldn’t go 10 minutes without being sick, and even after praying at the porcelain chapel for mercy the nausea was relentless so I had no respite.

Thank the gods it lasted 24 hours, the last time I was that sick was from food poisoning from a dodgy kebab was well over a decade ago but I still remember how truly ill I was.

So yeah, I’d put food poisoning at the top, also the only time in my adult life that I shat my own pants next to my girlfriend at the time.

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