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Why do I keep getting sick?


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Well, lately I seem to be getting sick about once every two months. It's usually just a little cold that last maybe a week (one of them lasted nearly two), but it's very annoying to keep getting sick.

 

I just moved to a new city about six months ago, whereupon this new trend started (and, it is my first time living in a city, although I used to commute into one), but the same applies to my roommates, and they aren't having this problem. I also eat substantially healthier than either of my roommates, and still I'm the one who gets sick.

 

I ballroom dance frequently, and I'm generally associating with more people than my roommates, so I guess that might be the cause. But I wash my hands frequently--so frequently that my hands are always dried out and cracking (even with lotion). I also have the busiest schedule by far--can being too busy make you sick?

 

So, what's going on? I remember a couple of years ago, I actually went two full years without ever getting sick. Am I just playing catch-up now? Still, is there anything I can do?

 

I take a multivitamin daily, and often Vitamin C and Echinacea. And at the first sign I start taking Airborne twice daily. Is there anything else I can or should be doing?

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Well, I get nine hours of sleep per night (on average--sometimes less), but during the week when I'm not sleeping I'm constantly on the go. I'm also riding my bike to school at 7:30 in the morning, when it's still really, really cold.

 

And I typically snack on carrots, apples or apricots, and I try to include either spinach or frozen vegetables with most of my meals, although I certainly could improve this aspect.

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you know what. ive caught colds whenever ive moved to different places. perhaps you're being exposed to things you never were before. also have you considered allergies? are you being exposed to molds or anything?

 

what you have to remember is that colds not only travel through touch but through the air. if someone in your dance class is sick and sneezes and it hits your mucus membranes, you're typically done for, unless of course your immune system is tip top shape, which it isnt, apparently. also..bike riding is good, but remember if its freezing out your body has to work that much harder to keep warm, perhaps stealing the attention away from fighting germs!

 

what i suggest is GARLIC. eat raw garlic every day of your life. include it in everything. think 2-3 cloves a day. also drink as much green tea as you can handle..everyday. also, if you really care, you can flush out your sinuses everyday.. (i.e. netipot)... also.. if you happen upon a healthfood store.. stock up on OLIVE LEAF. take it everyday.

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I have always had a week immune system, which was made evenn worse by having my tonsils out when i was little. So for me its not unusual to feel run down and little bit poorly every two months or so. Doctor doesnt do anything: colds and things like that are virus's and nothing can be done about them. But it mite be worth going once to get yourself checked out and make sure everythings ok.

 

Also stop taking the eccinacia all the time (if thats what ur doing with ur multivitamins every morning) because your only supposed to take eccinacia when you feel like a colds coming on...taking it for too long reduces its effectivenes.

 

Also sounds like ur eating very healthy, are u sure u need the extra vitamin supplement? Getting too much of a vitamin or iron etc can be bad for you also.

 

Try going without taking any supplements for a month completely, and keeping with a heathly diet and see where that gets you x

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Thanks for all the replies!

 

I've been to the doctor, and as far as I know there's nothing wrong with me. I should also add that my colds don't typically last very long at all.

 

I might sometimes interpret allergies as a cold, admittedly. Although that's not always the case. I live in one of the worst areas in California for allergies, however the place I just moved from was supposedly even worse, but I got sick less.

 

Anyways, I usually only take echinacea when I feel like I'm getting sick (which has been somewhat frequently, lately). But I will continue to rest up, eat healthy, and we'll see what happens.

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I just have to point out the irony that your name is "getting better" but you are always sick! lol

 

I always get sick with frequent weather changes. In Atlanta where I live, the weather goes from freezing to hot within a day lately, and it's driving my sinuses crazy. I don't have allergies, but my nose always messes up once the weather changes a lot, and sometimes I'll catch a full cold if it does it too much. That's somethign to think of too.

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I've had the same problem. Despite my germophobic nature and adherence to the common preventative measures, I used to get sick for lengthy periods and frequently. I've always felt that I had a weak immune system. I also had allergies to many things, and experienced a stuffy/runny nose every day. I stopped getting sick and allergic when I began taking moderately high doses of Vitamin C. I haven't been sick in months, and I use the subway a lot. I still take 3000 mg of Vitamin C daily.

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  • 1 year later...

My thoughts are this:

Because you're only experiencing this since you moved to a new town, this could be a lot of things. After moving, did your lifestyle change? This could include everything from stress levels, to eating habits, to amount of sleep you're getting. Too much stress, from being overworked (or over-played)... a crappy diet, and not enough sleep will cause your immune system to weaken. Also, this could very easily be allergies. Some areas of the country, because of it's local plant life, will cause reactions that you may have never experienced before living somewhere else. These things being considered, I would also like to bring up something you mentioned in your post. You said you wash your hands so much that your hands are always dry and cracked even with lotion. I think you should be aware that if your hands are cracking, especially around nails, or if it's causing bleeding, you're literally opening your body up to infections. You're an opportunistic pathogen's dream host! You're wearing your body down by "being too busy" so that your immune system is compromised, and then you're rolling out the red carpet with the cracked skin, saying "come one, come all!" My suggestion would be to actually cut back on the hand washing, wear some moisturizer with gloves at bed time, make sure you're getting enough rest and eating well, and maybe take some airborne before going out in public.

 

Hope this helps some.. good luck to ya!

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"Also stop taking the eccinacia all the time (if thats what ur doing with ur multivitamins every morning) because your only supposed to take eccinacia when you feel like a colds coming on...taking it for too long reduces its effectivenes"

 

that's true. check on the internet a relaibale website that will tell you how to takke it on and off.

 

I had the same problem when I moved to my new city about 10 years ago. also, when I started being a full time substitute in a elementary school last yea, I got a cold every month or so, and then I got a flu (I was bedridden), and it developped into brionchitis for which I had to take anibiotics, and I coughed so much that I got an iguinal hernia and had to go into surgery. It was an aweful year.

 

also some people have post nasl drip and allergic rhinitis I think, which they mistake for a cold... it all depends on your symptoms, if you get the sore throat, the chills, sneezing ands watery eyes, etc and it's clear it's a cold, then it it... me too I went 2 years without anything, and then I had all the above. It will get better... it's probably the stress.

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