Getting sick is typically an immune issue, if you are truly sick and not just run down. The immune system is largely comprised of the thymus, spleen and lymph tissue and half comprised of the “friendly” bacterial that line the digestive tract. An increase in stress hormones, primarily cortisol from the adrenal glands causes the immune system to function sub-optimally. Sugar is also a big detriment in immune system health. This is why drinking ginger ale or some other sugar-laden soda when you are sick is not a good idea. You’ll only further suppress your immune system.
The health of the gut is also very important since it is major part of your immune system. A poor diet, especially one containing allergenic foods in conjunction with a digestive tract containing unhealthy bacteria and fungus from past antibiotic therapies, or a simply unhealthy diet/lifestyle will significantly decrease the healthy bacteria.
However, whether you get sick a lot or only once or twice a year, how do you truly know you are sick with a viral or bacterial infection? Most people will never know. We base how we feel and on what our symptoms reveal to indicate that we may have a viral infection. And if it does not go away as quickly as it should, then we take antibiotics because the thought is that it must be a bacterial infection. Well, I’ll tell you that many times you may not truly have a “bug”, but your symptoms are due to a food allergy, some free radical pathology, some toxicity that maybe from a medication you’re taking or from poor liver detoxification. Studies show that when a person presents with signs and symptoms of strep throat that after the culture is taken, they are more likely not to have an infection than have one! Food allergies, like any allergic reaction, cause histamine to be released. That’s the same stuff you get when you’re sick (or feel sick) and take an anti-histamine drug for. Especially with constant ear infections, think about a food allergy. Free radical damage (over-oxidizing of your tissues), can easily cause the red, inflamed sore throat as well as other symptoms. Lack of antioxidants and essential fats in the diet will cause your tissues to make you feel as though you’ve caught something, when you’ve actually caught yourself, so to speak. Taking the right antioxidants and correcting the things in your life that are causing over-oxidation will stop your tissues from destroying themselves.
My daughter has low BP and her blood sugar was very low causing her to have violent vomiting and confusion. She is schedule to see an IM physician and possibly to get scoped to see what is going’s on in her gut. One suggestion by the ER physician is to have an adrenal function test done, this is not her first episode, the second one ,landed her in ICU where she had to be managed for her BP which was constantly dropping. She has been well in between bouts. Also complains of swelling in her legs, in the morning upon waking she is fine, but as the day progresses they get terribly swollen, she is a nurse in the Orthopedic unit, so she is up and down. Very active 28 year old with a 3yr old. She is taking b6,b12, a probiotic, multivitamin , vitamin c and maybe one other supplement. No oral birth control which was contributing to her legs swelling. We need some help for natural remedies.
This would require a one-on-one consult/office visit.