Zombies aren't the only things you need to worry about when playing DayZ. In addition to the undead being bred, there are broken bones to consider as well as general illnesses. There are different types of illnesses your player can succumb to, so we'll show you how to deal with each one.
Are there different types?
Yes, there isn't a single clear cold you get in the game. There are actually multiple ways to get sick, so it's important to take the right medicine for the right ailment.
Every pill in the game is meant for a very specific use, and any medicine you find on your travels will be useful for something, so don't throw anything away just because your character is on two legs at the time!
Image via Bohemia Interactive
brain disease
This one is a bit disappointing to start the list because coping with this disease is not easy!
You'll be able to tell if your character has this through him exhibiting symptoms such as uncontrollable laughter or random shaking.
This will happen if you've decided to exercise your more cannibalistic side, by eating raw human meat or human steak you got from another player who got slaughtered. Uh!
If you've done exactly that and end up with these symptoms, unfortunately the only way to fix them is to kill your survivor and try again. Sorry!
Chemical poisoning
If your survivor is showing symptoms such as loss of blood and dehydration, you have successfully caught chemical poisoning.
This is caused by the absorption of gasoline, disinfectant sprays or alcoholic tinctures.
The remedy for this one is to take charcoal tablets, so although this should be a little less common, be sure to carry some on you!
Image via le wiki autonomous DayZ
Cholera
There are two ways to catch cholera. If you're drinking or eating with bloody hands or consuming contaminated water, you're probably going to put yourself in a nasty situation with this one.
If your character is dehydrated, has blurry vision, or is vomiting, then you've caught some nasty bacteria!
The longer you wait to process this, the more difficult your missions will be as you will become considerably slower; leaving you more vulnerable to attack and blurry vision can prevent you from performing particular tasks.
To avoid catching cholera, you will want to purify your water with chlorine tablets; so collect and store everything you come across to protect yourself from this disease.
To treat this you will need to take tetracycline pills.
Image via le Wiki DayZ
Cold
The common cold, simply put, is the most common disease in the game. So you'll definitely want to know how to counter this one.
This will only become a threat during the game's winter season due to cold weather and rainy conditions, so as always a fire and a dry location will help prevent this.
When you have a cold, there are two ways to get rid of it, namely:
- Tetracycline Pills
- Fight the cold naturally
Tetracycline pills are much more effective and are a faster way to get rid of the common cold, however, if you don't have any on you, you can fight it off naturally. It does this by helping to keep your character warm and dry – so try to stay out of the rain and excessive access in cold weather.
If you take a tetracycline pill with a multivitamin pill, the multivitamin will increase the effects and get rid of the cold faster.
Related: How to make a fire in DayZ
Heart attack
Just like in real life, it can be serious.
If your character suffers too rapid blood loss or too much shock, it can lead to a heart attack which will damage your health. It also has the ability to knock your survivor unconscious, which makes you an easy target and can also be fatal; either by a stroke or by the general effects of cardiac arrest.
To try and counteract these effects before they happen, you will need to have and take an epinephrine auto-injector.
Image via le Wiki DayZ
Hemolytic reaction
This reaction is fortunately not fatal, but it can be very annoying!
If you notice symptoms such as health and blood loss, your character is likely suffering from a Hemolytic Reaction - this occurs when you are infected by the incompatible blood of another Survivor.
There's no cure for this one, but it won't kill you outright. The only method to deal with this one is to wait, which may take a bit of time, but if you manage to sustain yourself through the symptoms, it will eventually go away!
Flu
The flu is something most of us are familiar with, and if your survivor starts coughing regularly, chances are you have that classic, awful flu.
The most common causes are being too exposed to rain or staying too long in an area with low temperatures. This can be avoided by building a fire to keep you warm. Other survivors are also able to pass it on to you if you have been around them while they were coughing as well.
Just like cholera, the cure is to take tetracycline pills. These will also prevent you from giving other players the flu, there is no research on zombies though…
Related: Best zombie games on PC
Salmonella
We know times can be tough when playing DayZ, but when you can, try to avoid consuming raw, uncooked meat as this will lead to you catching salmonella.
If your character started throwing up and you remember eating something that wasn't cooked, then you've gone and contracted this nasty disease.
Charcoal tablets are the method to cure this, so always keep some on you!
Now that you know them, you should be able to last a little longer in the unforgiving land of the Soviet Republic of Chernarus! We can't explain the zombies though...
Looking for more advice? Find out how to make a splint in DayZ.
