Korean Job Discussion Forums

Chopstix · Joined: 22 Feb 2004 Location: Nowon Seoul

I have been here for three month or so and have been sick on and off the whole time. At home in Canada I rarely get sick other than a common cold once a year. Does anyone have any tips on how to avoid the Seoul sickness? I do the multivitamin and Vitamin C thing daily but this apparently isn't enough. Confused

Saxiif · Joined: 15 May 2003 Location: Seongnam

I got sick an insane amount the first couple months I was in Korea, it has to do with dealing with disease-ridden kids and encountering new germs it should get better after a while.

phaedrus · Joined: 13 Nov 2003 Location: I'm comin' to get ya.

You might want to try Sang Hwa Tang. It's a liquid medicine that comes in a bottle. If you go to a pharmacy and ask for it it's 500 won. I use it when I first feel a little sickness coming on. The very first tiredness. I drink it before bed, and get a good nights sleep.

Eat lots of leafy greens, garlic, onions and other vegetables.

Do you know about Echinacea? You can't get it here but it helped me. I heard it lowers your sperm count though. I don't use it now. The alcohol based tincture not the pills.

Also shower twice a day, or at least in the evening. I find that after a day of touching stuff and running your hands through your hair, rubbing your nose, scratching your ear etc. when you go to bed all this is rubbed aroung on your pillow and into your face. It sounds a bit clean freaky, but kids and subways are dirty.

Another thing is that you might have to deal with it for a year. You have to do a full illness cycle that your body isn't used to. I got sick a lot my first year and now almost never.

marcy · Joined: 18 Mar 2003 Location: Seoul

If you feel sickness coming on swallow a half a clove or a clove of garlic with water before bed. Has really worked well for me.

good luck

VanIslander · Posted: Sun Apr 11, 2004 4:47 am Post subject:

How to avoid getting sick all the time in Seoul?

Get out of town. Surprised

The sea air will do you good.

At least that's why I think I'm pretty healthy here.

schwa · Joined: 18 Jan 2003 Location: Yap

Find a nice public bath & visit regularly -- hot soak, sauna, sweat room, deep cleansing -- can do a lot to help keep a body well.

shawner88 · Joined: 01 Feb 2003

I had some sickness or other for the first 6 months I was here (3 years ago)...always got a cold. Teaching kids doesn't help. This year I got sick once, mildly.

I think like the other guy pointed out, just takes your body awhile to build up imunnities. Wash your hands often. Also, quit smoking if you do.

Homer · Guest

The schwa speaks the truth... Laughing

Go to the public bath and sweat it off.
Get out of town on the week end (go hiking and such).
Keep taking that vitamin C.

These are all good.

However, try and identify what type of sickness you have.
Is it the sniffles or a cough (could be you getting used to the pollution)
Is it the runs (could be you getting used to the food or reacting to certain foods)

bibimbap · Joined: 14 Dec 2003

VanIslander · Posted: Sun Apr 11, 2004 5:48 am Post subject:

Seniors in Canada often o.d. on garlic for its obvious benefits, they say. Whether it's best to chew it or not, I've never heard an opinion before.

There are people back home who swear by the medicinal benefits of eating spicy foods when sick, with sweating as one of the healing properties.

So, bibimbap, I thought you were posting to suggest we eat your avatar's namesake. Smile

(After fifty posts, no watch. We tell you the time: It's 11:15 p.m.)

Harpeau · Joined: 01 Feb 2003 Location: Coquitlam, BC

For soar throats, try Yong gak san (Dragon Powder)

Sauna is very good. Get the ex-foliated (scrape). Awesome!
Drink lots of water mixed with real lemon or real lime. Try to get out of Seoul and get some fresh air as often as possible.

Use a humidifyer overnight.
If you feel a sickness coming on~ sleep on the yoe on the floor and turn the ondol up a bit.

Be careful what drugs you take from a pharmacy.
Rather, take lots of vitamines & minerals.
Quit smoking. Breathing the Seoul city air is the equivalent of a 2 pack a day habit.

articulate_ink · Posted: Sun Apr 11, 2004 9:56 am Post subject:

JennyJJ · Joined: 01 Mar 2003

Two things contribute to health problems here. One, is that not many people wash their hands after using the toilet - at least it is a RARE occurance at my university, and two, they cough and sneeze in your face and on your food and everything else when they are sick.

So, what has worked for me - is to wash my hands much more frequently than I used to - and I also buy/carry those little wet paper towel things and wipe my hands off frequently.

Keep your hands away from your mouth and food.

Something else that made a BIG difference for me - just my opinion, was the move from 2 to 3 grams of vitamin C everyday.

I agree with the hot bath thing - especially in the winter - but I just do it at home with a nice super hot hot bubble bath. Relaxing!

Skarp · Joined: 22 Aug 2003

Crunch up the garlic - or crush it and mix with live yoghurt then swallow.

Your bidy will digest the garlic - but it might take a while to do it...

Crunching it is better but can be smelly.

Works for stomach and sniffles.

Skarp - the friendless raw garlic eater

peppergirl · Joined: 07 Dec 2003