Hi all,

Well I'm heading off on my travels in 38 days (oh jesus oh jesus oh jesus) and at the moment I'm home sick from work. Again. This is the 5th pretty bad cold I've gotten in 7 months, 2 of which developed into chest infections. I think I caught this one before the wheezing started, but you never know. Basically I'm wondering if any of you have any tips on how I could improve my immune system and general health? The last thing I want is to be caught spluttering and sneezing and wheezing in an airport in Asia and told I can't board the plane cos I have "bird flu" (it happened to my friend who had the sniffles!). And I'm just bloody tired of getting sick all the time.

I mean, I eat right; plenty fruit or veg, plenty carbs, maybe not a lot of protein as I'm not mad about meat, but I eat cheese and lots of dairy. I don't do excessive junk food. I get my vitamins and minerals and all major food groups. What am I doing wrong??! I tried Echinacea (sp?) when this cold started to kick in and it only delayed it a day or two.

Any tips on boosting my immune system would be appreciated!

This may not be helpful to you AT ALL but for what its worth this has been my medical odyssey:

I kept getting sick, little colds, the flu, I came down with mono after a big relay race, etc. The doctors kept telling me it was just the bug going around, blah, blah, blah until I said, um, I'm an otherwise very healthy 20 something who eats well and is fairly physically active, isn't a little strange that I get sick once a month? I can't keep missing work, I'm using my sick leave as I earn it and I get pretty generous sick leave. They did some blood tests and found nothing wrong. I let it go for a little while longer.

Eventually my employer politely forced me to get an allergy test, thinking I'd developed an allergy to stuff I work around (very common) and that it was weakening my immune system. I got tested for the full battery of common allergens plus those I encounter at work and came back clear. This is when the allergist said he thought I had a chronic sinus infection. After further investigation it turns out that basically I'd had a chronic sinus infection for well over 2 yrs. Laying low when I was healthy but never going completely away, it would flare up any time my immune system was breached. I eventually had to get surgery to open up my sinus passages (which was really not as horrifying as it sounds) and while I still have some issues with my sinuses, they are minor and I know how to manage them. I got one cold this past winter. One. It lasted for maybe two days and was measly enough that I didn't miss a day of work for it.

My point is, sometimes you have underlying problems that are causing these minor, recurrent issues. To me it sounds like your body is trying to tell you that something isn't right. Although, my odyssey as outlined above was all done through traditional western medicine I encourage consulting with a well regarded holistic doctor, preferably one who isn't totally anti western medicine. They often look at the whole picture a bit better than Western docs (I say this with all respect to Western medicine).

As for a quick, one off, totally sketchy internet diagnosis it sounds like you might have a chronic lung infection. Often infections like this, similar to my sinus infection, don't completely get cleared out and then sneak back up on you, repeatedly.

If you're on Prednisone it can knock your immune system for a loop. I know, it did it to me.

Other drugs can do the same thing, check the schedule of side effects.

Aside from that, take plenty of vitamin c, take multivitamins, and see what happens.

Theres a product call Fresh Air available in drugstores over the counter that knocked out my cold 1-2-3. You take it at the first onset, and it speeds up recovery.

It's not cheap, but it works.

If its allergies that may cause it, try taking Zyrtec. Its now available over the counter at Walgreens. It knocks out allergies cold over the long term.

For phlegm problems, theres an OTC that dissolves lung phlem. It also works well, though I only take it when needed.

A hint... If you have a congested chest, cut out your dairy completely. Dairy products produce lung congestion. This isn't new. Asthmatics and people with bronchitis have known this for years. Cheese is the worst offender for asthmatics, by the way.

Otherwise, exercise, eat right, and see a doctor for underlying causes!!!

[/QUOTE[ My point is, sometimes you have underlying problems that are causing these minor, recurrent issues. To me it sounds like your body is trying to tell you that something isn't right. Although, my odyssey as outlined above was all done through traditional western medicine I encourage consulting with a well regarded holistic doctor, preferably one who isn't totally anti western medicine. They often look at the whole picture a bit better than Western docs (I say this with all respect to Western medicine).

As for a quick, one off, totally sketchy internet diagnosis it sounds like you might have a chronic lung infection. Often infections like this, similar to my sinus infection, don't completely get cleared out and then sneak back up on you, repeatedly.[/QUOTE]


Whoa, I've just read this, and a little light bulb lit up above my head!

I have mild to moderate asthma, and usually have it well under control with inhalers and the like. I have had TWO chest infections in the last 3 months.....wheeeze. And am getting totally sick of it now (pardon the pun) Anyway the reason I mention this is because I've been knocking myself out recently trying to prepare for the next part of my RTW. The last section of your comment just made me think. So I say thank you....I think I'm going to stop stressing, chill out a bit and whatever happens, happens. You are so right, if these 'infections' keep coming back, then your body is trying to tell you something.

I had chronic bronchitis of the viral variety, and no medicine would knock it out.

Do you know what cured it?

I spent a month in Creel mexico breathing the vibrant clear clean air, and the infection vanished. In other words, if you put loads on damaged lungs, infections will erupt.

Well I know it, being a lifetime asthmatic.

hello all,
I would say your liver may be over worked due to taking meds for the colds/flues you get. Go to the health food store and get some good "Milk Thistle" or a liver herbal blend.

Also take a lot of acidophilus to boost the intestinal flora, this helps the immunity too! But now you may need to get some golden seal to kick this infection, stronger than echinacea.


personalized..... luggage tags

This is gonna soud kinda dumb...but please excuse the obviousness.

I'm someone who touches my face fairly often. I rub my temples when I'm stressed, I rub my eyes when I'm sleepy, I have a terrible habit of picking at my teeth when I'm alone (usually).

I also got sick a lot. A lot. And it was always these dumb minor colds and flus. They'd go away in a few days and I'd be fine and then a month or so later i'd be run down again.

Last year I get laid off and find temporary work in a fairly busy hotel. I was esentially a spa bitch. Picking up towels, cleaning the bathrooms and so forth. I wore gloves but was getting sick like CRAZY as were all my coworkers. One of our regular clients is a doctor and we were having a conversation about the perils of the job and he looked at me and very nicely explained that #1 rule of not getting sick is DONT TOUCH YOUR FACE, STUPID. I hadn't even considered it but all he had to do was watch my body language and he figured it out. Key word: Mucus membrains. Eyes, nose and mouth should be a no-go for your hands unless they are clean.

So I became more concious of how long I washed my hands (singing happy birthday to me twice in my head to kill all the germs). Using hot water, and I quit touching my face so much.

Waddya know. It's like magic. I hardly get sick anymore. Just saying, sometimes personal habits that you've done your whole live can wreak havoc on your body. It's not that I'm exceptionally stupid (I think) I had just never put two and two together.

So maybe looking closely at your daily actions will give you some insight into your immunity problem.