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Constantly getting colds/flu…
Hi all,
Not strictly pole related but I wondered if anyone could offer advice, I literally get a cold every couple of weeks! I read somewhere that this could be related to allergies (lots of mucous means great damp environment for bugs!) but I was wondering if anyone had successfully delt with this problem?
Any remedies?
Love Polecat x
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9 Replies
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Oh that stinks! I don't have that problem but I do try and avoid getting sick by washing my hands the second I walk in the door from being out in public. Also, try avoiding touching your eyes with your hands — my human biology teacher told us most cold viruses are actually caught through your eyes and drain into your nose. And lastly, have you thought of doing neti pot treatments to keep your sinuses clear of mucous? I have an inexpensive one I got from Walgreens (drug store) I use when I'm sick.
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hi polecat, sorry to hear about your colds! i always recommend taking a high dose of vitamin C, up to 10,000 mg or even more. (i buy the powder and add it to a smoothie). if it's allergy-related, though, that won't help much. if you are congested, try just inhaling some steam (or using the neti polt like utpoler mentioned). also, fresh ginger root and lemons are great for preventing mucous, and helping with colds. you can make hot ginger tea (just cut up the ginger root and simmer in a pot of water for up to an hour), or you can put the fresh ginger root (chopped) in a blender with some water, blend, and then strain out the pulp. then squeeze or juice some fresh lemons and add it to the ginger juice. then add some agave or honey so it's not so sour. if it's too strong, add more water. it tastes kind of like grapefruit juice. also, raw garlic – if you can handle it – is great for colds. for more serious flus i also use oil of oregano (the pure essential oil) diluted with olive oil. it is very strong and will burn your lips, etc. if you don't dilute it. once you have it diluted with the olive oil, you can add a dropperful to a glass of juice, stir quickly and drink fast. it's a powerful anti-fungal and anti-viral. hope some of this helps – i recently had a bad cold/flu that i caught from my husband, and it was awful. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_sad.gif
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That really sucks that you get sick all the time. I have a friend that similarily also gets sick constantly! I mean full on strep every month and colds in between. In her case, she's getting her tonsils removed this winter because they're massively swollen and the Dr's think it's what's causing the infections.
If you're getting sick that often (once a month for a year or more) my first reaction is to see a Dr. Maybe it's your body's way of saying something's wrong. If it's seasonal, then it's a better chance it's just a stubborn flu. I've never heard or allergies triggering colds but I suppose it's possible.
I know VitC is recommended a lot but it's just not true. Your body can only hold so much VitC and the rest is filtered out of the body making for some very expensive pee but that's about it. Most of the time your body knows what to do and we have a tendancy to say whatever we were doing at the time is why we aren't sick anymore. The best idea is get a good night's sleep and stay hydrated. Your body wil do the rest!
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I get chronic sinus infections. I battle them by snorting flonase, and taking claritin D. Right now I don't have claritin D, so I am just using plain old pseudoephedrin and zyrtec instead of claritin. The flonase helps heal your sinuses, and the sudafed helps dry out your sinuses. You end up blowing out the infection (it's pretty gross, but effective.) I also take a multi-vitamin, and when I start coming down with cold symptoms, I take emergen-C. My colds have been more severe now that I have moved to the grass pollen capital of the world. This last cold that I had started out as a normal head cold for a week, but then it moved down into my chest for 3 weeks after that. Ever since then, I have had to use a steroidal inhaler because my lungs have never felt the same. I have had mild asthma, but it hadn't acted up when I moved here until after I got that cold, and I had been living here for about 9 months.
Now, if you are getting sick all of the time, it might be worth while for you to get you vitamin levels checked. You might be dificient in some vitamin that affects your immune systems efficacy, and if it is as simple as taking a multi vitamin, then that would be great. I say this cuz I got really depressed last year for NO REAON. My doc checked my vitamn D levels and they were low. Once I started on a D supplement, I perked right back up. It's amazing what a vitamin deficiency can do to you!
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When I seemed to be getting chronic "colds" in winter, my MD said that frequency is more indicative of allergies. Allergies don't cause colds (that requires virus) but secondary infections can arise from congestion.
I use Flonase, an anti-inflammatory, during high allergy season (also Zyrtec), occasionally during winter bouts. The most effective therapy my MD prescribed was saline spray (or Neti pots). Saline works WITH your body's natural defenses; Sudafed provides temporary relief, but is counter-productive, and can cause rebound congestion.
Also found great relief from ginger! started drinking ginger tea for arthritis, or grate it directly into my morning smoothies. Discovered that spring allergies (and accompanying asthma) were much less severe this year, even though it was considered *bad* allergy season.
I suffered 3-4 bad sinus infections per year until I started with the saline spray! if you have an infection, discard spray bottle after 3 days. Scimitar, you might be reinfecting yourself with the flonase!
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When I say "chronic" I mean that whenever I get I cold I end up with a sinus infection in my left sinus cavity. For some reason it is a cooking pot for bacteria. Once I kick it, it's gone until the next cold.
Deacalzada – so are you just using that ocean breeze stuff? I am suffering from super bad allergies! Right now I cannot not stop producing phlegm. My fiancee is getting mad cuz I keep hacking up/ snorting goobers (I can't help it! It's all running down the back of my throat!) It's all super thick too! I know TMI…
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I'm just using other-the-counter "saline spray" — salt water in a spray bottle. If you use it regularly to flush sinuses of allergens and germs, you might not get the infections. Keep in mind, this was something my MD prescribed, not an "old wives tale".
You're probably having rebound reactions to the pseudophedrine! it supresses your bodies natural defense mechanisms. Your nose gets dry, and the body goes full-tilt to moisten it again, and then there's too much mucous. Withdrawal won't be pretty for a a couple of days, but the saline should help your sinuses get back on track. Gargle with warm salt water too to get stuff out of your throat.
The Flonase doesn't heal your sinuses, but prevents the inflammation from allergens. You might want to discard your current bottle, because youre probably reinfecting yoruself with it. Maybe go without for a few days until infection clears? so you don't contaminate a new bottle. Zyrtec (or Claritin, but not Claritin-D) for the allergens until infection clears.
You may need to see a doc for antibiotic to clear this infection, but try to stay away from the decongestants, because they're counter-productive. Use the saline spray (or Neti pot) 4x day, and then continue 2x daily to help keep those sinuses clean!
All this reminds me — I need to get my flu shot!
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For me, if I don't have enough rest/sleep, I often catch flu.
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In my case, if I drink too much milk (I'm lactose sensitive, but I LOVE milk!) I get symptoms of a cold, but…I don't technically have one.
Also, I highly recommend having vitamin C, and knowing that with moisture comes rain, and with rain comes clouds…Vitamin D! It's quite important to one's health 😉
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