Always getting sick

February 21, 2006 10:02 AM

What is up with my immune system? I'm always getting sick!

I only have a cold right now, it's true, but this is the third time I've had a cold so far in 2006. I've also had tonsillitis (which is recurring - I've had it 9 times in the last two years and am scheduled to have my tonsils out sometime this summer) and some mysterious bug that kept me up being sick 3 nights in a row for no apparent reason (I hadn't eaten anything strange). I also had 4 colds between September and December last year. Basically I catch whatever's going round.

I eat healthily - I eat at least 4 portions of fruit or vegetables a day but often it's more, I take vitamin supplements and go to the gym 3 or 4 times every week. I get fresh air and am moderately hygenic with regard to cooking and stuff (I'm a student, haha)... I'm starting to question my immune system, surely someone with a healthy lifestyle shouldn't get ill so easily? One thing that has occured to me is that it seems to be when I'm living the student life rather than at home with my parents... but who knows if that is relevant.

Oh p.s. I do drink alcohol, no more than twice a week (usually once) and don't smoke. If that sheds any light on anything.

posted by angryjellybean to health & fitness (22 comments total)

Its possible that this is a manifestation of stress. Is it near exams? Are you in your final year? In my fourth year of undergrad I was sick at least once a month and had a bout of mono right after my final exams. If you don't think it could be from stress then I would advise talking to your doctor or somebody at your Student Health facility. Hope you feel better!
posted by LunaticFringe at 10:12 AM on February 21, 2006

How often do you sleep? Lack of sleep won't help your immune system. You say you are hygenic when it comes to food, what about the people you live with?
posted by Orange Goblin at 10:20 AM on February 21, 2006

This used to happen to me a lot when I used to use public computers at the university library (cleared up when i got a laptop with wifi)
do you use public terminals at the college/university? people sneezing in their hands and then imediatelly touching the keyboard is the easiest way for germs to spread. Then when you come along, you sit down, use the keyboard then wipe your nose - you're infected.
Also applies to railings, desks etc.
If this is the case, I guess i'd suggest you wash your hands a lot or get a new laptop.
posted by tnai at 10:30 AM on February 21, 2006

If you take anti-biotics for viral infections, that may be playing a part in supressing your immune system.
posted by rudyfink at 10:38 AM on February 21, 2006

I know someone who was getting one cold after another, and it turned out that she had a chronic sinus infection--you might want to get that possibility checked out.
posted by Jeanne at 10:42 AM on February 21, 2006

There are so many variables at play, from where you work/congregate (open floorplan classrooms/lecture halls/cubicles to individual offices), shared utilities (water bubblers/coolers), how much sleep you get/need, etc.

Speak to your physician, and see what he/she says. They have a broader knowledge base for this sort of thing. They may even draw blood just to check stuff out.
posted by jerseygirl at 10:44 AM on February 21, 2006

Re: washing your hands. Is there any other EFFECTIVE option for killing germs on skin? Some sort of lotion or wipe? With possible bird-flu mutation, I'm getting more and more concerned about this. I absentmindedly touch my face a lot (can't seem to stop), I live in NYC, and there's not always time to get to a bathroom immediately after holding onto a subway pole. I'd like to carry around some sort of germicide in wipe/lotion form.
posted by grumblebee at 10:49 AM on February 21, 2006

I was living in cheap housing and the same thing happened to me all the time. Come to find out the landlords had never CLEANED THE DUCTS in the house.

Upon inspection, duct work in the house was about three inches thick on all sides with filth, ugh.

I moved and the random colds and sore throats got better instantly. I haven't been sick for a whole year (knock on wood)...
posted by omidius at 10:51 AM on February 21, 2006

That remark about anti-biotics from rudyfink was a very good point.. I was taking them for about a month up until 2 weeks ago and didn't think of that.

Also no, I don't get heaps of sleep. I'm the type of person who gets woken by noise quite early (7/8am) and can't get back to sleep, despite not necessarily having had the required amount.

I do agree there are lots of factors here! Thank you for all your suggestions
posted by angryjellybean at 10:52 AM on February 21, 2006

grumblebee: you can get no-water-needed "hand sanitizer", that works like soap but without the water. Probably available from chemists.
posted by Lotto at 10:52 AM on February 21, 2006

Do you have any allergies that may keep you sick? A lot of young adults develop allergies that were not present in childhood.

Allergies do not always=sneezing, hay fever, pollen.
Just have your doc do a quick and easy skin test to see if that is an area of concern.

I also did know of someone who had a chronic sinus infection and had to undergo several rounds of antibiotics before it finally went away.

Just keep up on the hand washing (It sounds like you do) especially if you are going to touch your face (nose or mouth in particular).

Are you going to student health or another doctor? Just make sure you are clear with the doctor about your problems, even if you have to take notes in to go over all your points. If they don't seem helpful, try and go somewhere else.

Hope you feel better soon!
posted by TheLibrarian at 10:58 AM on February 21, 2006

The top two things I attribute to being sick all the time in college:
1. Lack of sleep.
2. Living in the dorms, with tons of other people (who had poor hygiene and didn't sleep enough) and their germs. (Same goes for living with lots of roommates, even off-campus.)

Moving into my own apartment senior year cut down on a lot; graduating and starting a work schedule that meant I had to be careful about sleep pretty much sealed the deal. I had to just suck it up while I was in school, though. Feel better!
posted by CiaoMela at 10:59 AM on February 21, 2006

I used to be sick all the time and I chalked it up to all the various things above. I was never devastaingly sick,just enought to be irritating. However, I went to the doctor and discovered that I had a didn't make enough gamma gobulin. I started taking shots of it (twice a year) and have been much better.
posted by stormygrey at 11:02 AM on February 21, 2006

Frequent handwashing is extremely helpful. Don't touch your face, mouth, eyes without washing first. When you wash your hands in a public place, turn the faucet off with a paper towel and open the door out of the bathroom with a paper towel.
posted by 6:1 at 11:31 AM on February 21, 2006

Everyone is on to good points, I'll summarize and add one or two of my own:

- Wash your hands a few times a day
- Get enough sleep (SO important)
- Eat well (sounds like you are)
- If your job (or school) is very stressful - this can affect you. Since leaving my old job and starting my new one - I've been sick a total of maybe 4 days in the past 2 years. I used to be sick every couple months!
- Exercise, which hasn't been mentioned, actually helps your immune system too.
- Not that you're about to run out and buy a cat now, but studies have shown that people with pets tend to be healthier over the long term.

Basically, the bit I want to add is that if you are stressed and/or unhappy, it can drastically affect your immune system. If you are overstretched at work, or just hate your job, or you are feeling depressed, you should look at addressing these things. I'm not implying that you have any of these problems -- but if you do, they're a huge contributing factor to the frequency with which you get sick.

You could also try taking zinc supplements, echinacea, and other immune system boosters.
posted by twiggy at 11:45 AM on February 21, 2006 [1 favorite]

Part of it is really probably just "living the student life." You're stuffed into classrooms with lots of people, most of whom don't have the same healthy lifestyle you do. Most of those people probably travel quite a bit over breaks, picking up diseases from elsewhere against which you haven't built up immunity. And colleges tend to have lots of communal spaces and items -- dining halls with common plates, silverware & glasses, computer labs, etc. -- where you're likely to be using germy things.

As for suggestions -- I actually just read that meditation is supposed to boost the immune system more than exercise.
posted by occhiblu at 12:12 PM on February 21, 2006

As a student, how much cola do you drink? (I know I drank it instead of water in school.)

From an anti-cola, biased site:
"Cola owes its characteristic color to an additive called e-150, which has been associated with a deficiency in vitamin B6, which is important for the metabolization of proteins and the health of the blood. Its (B6) deficiency can cause anemia, depression, and confusion amongst other symptoms, as well as causing hyperactivity and low levels of glucose in the blood."

Link to a less biased table.

At the very least, it's a sulphite (SO3) compound, so if you have trouble with (allergies, asthma-related issues) red wines, cola probably isn't doing you any good either.

Since I eliminated cola, I have not caught colds. I have been sick (food poisoning, flu) but the inconvenience-level illnesses that sweep through my office rarely strike me.
posted by Crosius at 12:13 PM on February 21, 2006

If not lifestyle, i'm pretty sure it's a proximity to people thing. I live healthily but spot i'll folk a mile away and really avoid being within breathing distance of them. I've not had a proper cold in years.
posted by brautigan at 12:46 PM on February 21, 2006

angryjellybean & grumblebee & Lotto: It's called Purell gel. You can get it in a little pump version like liquid soap or in a tube like hand lotion.

I'll second the allergies--you can now get tested via serology (a blood test). Used to be skin reaction testing. I'll also second the lack of sleep angle. You need to sleep at least 8 hours a day, maybe more, in order to be in top shape.
posted by gilgul at 2:27 PM on February 21, 2006

If you bite your nails, stop.
posted by Scram at 4:05 PM on February 21, 2006

Do you work around childre. When I did, I was sick nonstop. I swear, they are virus factories.
posted by Astro Zombie at 4:27 PM on February 21, 2006

I'm 28, I'm averaging about one minor cold a year. I haven't had a serious illness (flu) in over 10 years. I have never taken a sick day.

This might sound strange, but I am healthy all the time because I think healthy thoughts. It's literally in the thought pattern. If you believe you will be sick 2-3 times a year, then you will be. If you believe that working around kids will make you sick, it will. In my mind, it is completely impossible and unacceptable to ever be sick.

My wife and co-workers catch illnesses and I'm around them, whatever, I don't care. In my mind and in my belief-system I visualize viruses exploding the second they touch my skin, and I believe that so strongly that it comes true. Positive thoughts create a powerful immune system! It's not hocus-pocus, it's fact. Read up on kinesiology. Watch your thoughts carefully - watch out for thoughts like, "gah, I'm so stressed out! I'll probably get sick." Or, "oh man, so-n-so is sick.. I wonder if he'll give it to me?"

Read "Think and Grow Rich" (Napolean Hill), "Manifest Your Destiny" (Wayne Dyer), "Power vs. Force" (David Hawkins), and "Authentic Happiness" (Seligman?). I'm sure there are others. The thoughts you think are incredibly powerful, and are the key to manifesting everything in your life, including perfect health. :)
posted by blahtsk at 6:01 PM on February 21, 2006