I Catch Colds at the Drop of a Hat Ever Since ...

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My bad accident in 2017. I used to catch about one cold a year, now I get three or four a year. It's like my immune system is weakened. My general health is good, I eat healthy food, take a daily vitamin supplement (Alive brand men's gummie's) plus one 250mg vitamin C (as sodium ascorbate) chewable per day. Every morning before leaving for work I eat a robust breakfast, protein content at least 25 - 30g, and adequate calories. I exercise at a gym three times a week on my lunch break, consisting of a 20 minute 2 mile run on tread mill as warm-up, then about 40 minutes with free weights and a few machines in strength training. Long story short I feel like I'm doing everything right, and although I'm 56 I'm in good physical condition, fit, I'm getting sick too often.

So I'm trying to put my finger on why I'm catching colds so easily. I wash my hands often and I'm not one to go hand to mouth/eye/nose, i.e. entry points for cold viruses.

I have had sleep disturbances ever since the accident, related most likely to the broken neck and brain bleed, but I made a full recovery, exceptional recovery according to the MD's.

I guess it could be due to the sleep problems, I wake probably at least four times per night, twice to whiz and at least twice for no apparent reason other than to shift my head around to a better position on pillow(s) because of a stiff neck in the area of the C6 and C7 which were the fractured ones. That would be the trauma related osteo arthritis the neurological MD said commonly develops in cases like mine.

I don't feel tired through the day, so I don't think the wake-ups at night are that big of an issue. I do have a titanium rod in the marrow of my right humeris bone (elbow to shoulder bone) from the accident that I wonder if my body is somehow reacting to, by the bone marrow system scaling back on immune response or something. We do know bone marrow is key to immune response, and sometimes the body can have unusual reactions to various types of implants. The surgeon played it down and said they rarely remove those rods "unless there's a problem."
 
The moment I start feeling sick, I take one gram of vitamin C per hour, with a 3 or 4 gram dose before going to bed. Have not been sick longer than a day in probably 20 years. The late Linus Pauling recommended this for colds. Pauling was a two time Nobel prize winner and seriously smart.
 
The loss of white blood cell production from the titanium rod might be part of the problem. IIRC, there are about 200 cold virus in existence, once you have had them all...no more colds for you!

My grandmother said she stopped getting colds once she reached 80, prior to that she routinely got 2- 4 per year. Her doctor explained the reason for the new resistance.

In the big picture, that you had such a big trauma, you are still doing much better than some people who suffered similar events.
 
Probably a topic better discussed with your primary care physician or medical speciai rather than members of a motor oil bulletin board....
 
Originally Posted by Imp4
Probably a topic better discussed with your primary care physician or medical speciai rather than members of a motor oil bulletin board....

He probably has already and just wants to hear more ideas...
 
Originally Posted by LoneRanger
I have had sleep disturbances ever since the accident, related most likely to the broken neck and brain bleed, but I made a full recovery, exceptional recovery according to the MD's.

Jesus! a few colds a year are the least of your troubles!
Should be just glad you can walk, talk and post on Bitog!
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I'd bet it's immune related, although you'd need an expert to explain exactly how. The year after I had radiation for cancer was my worst by far for colds, even though as a retiree I was able to greatly limit my exposure to other people.
 
Originally Posted by skyactiv
I'd be concerned about waking up twice a night to whiz rather than getting a cold 3-4 times a year.



It really depends on your prostate and bladder size.
2x per night for an old guy is pretty normal.
 
Our immune systems weaken as we age. It takes work to keep them as strong as it was in our teens to forties. Your "colds" could also be allergies if you notice your nose running a lot. Asthma has some of the symptoms of colds. I learned the hard way.

Antioxidant foods to boost your immune system further. Try to swap these into your daily regimen while removing less worthy or processed foods. But there are many others. These are the ones I have tended to focus on.

garlic and onions (1-2 cloves per day), blueberries and berries in general, green teas, melons, tomato sauce, walnuts, broccoli, red cabbage, kale and other leafy greens, seeds, quinoa. Less red/white meats....more fish with omega 3/9's. More beans/brown rice/quinoa/whole grains...and less of the foods that are oxidants (meats, excess sugars, trans fats, fried foods, white flour and most all processed pasta-crackers-chips, etc.). Processed grains are of little value other than caloric energy.

colorful fruits and veggies are good: especially the red, orange, purple, green varieties.

I made a major diet and lifestyle changes at age 55 as I was carrying too much weight and getting sick too often. And in that process I "studied" nutrition. And in the 10 yrs since really haven't been sick once. No more flu or bronchitis. Not a single cold that lasted more than a day or so. I recommend a visit to "nutritionfacts.org" for the scoop.
 
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Going to the gym 3 times a week is great, but if your hand hygiene is not good, a major exposure risk. Make sure you don't touch your face or ears without washing your hands first. Wash your hands before leaving the gym.
 
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Did anything happen to your face? Lots of sinus canals in the face, you could have disturbed their ability to drain, leading to colds/sinus infections.

I would also without question see an allergist...your body changes every seven years, allergies can quietly be the cause of a lot of colds. You'd be surprised what allergy shots can do for you.
 
Some of the vision formula vitamins have the right stuff - I take one plus a multi vitamin when I fly

Germ-X ? Just said farewell to a co worker and got a squirt - always in the pocket, I don't touch my eyes or lips
 
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I had to have my spleen removed back in 1988 (Hogkins). I "should" be more prone to infections and colds, but I don't get infections and I may get a cold once every few years. Why?
I eat a common sense diet that includes lots of fresh fruits, vegetables and fish. I don't take any of the dietary supplements that seem to be a regular fad, instead I make sure I get what I need from real food. I also use hand sanitizer whenever I go out. If I go to the store I put on a squirt of hand sanitizer. If we go to friends homes (or they come by for a visit) I put on hand sanitizer.

Despite the "compromised" immune system I'm (as my wife puts it) annoyingly healthy.
 
first off i am just a 71 YO guy that learned a LOT from reading about health + nutrition as i want a quality of life as i age. you sound motivated + everyone is an individual with different health needs. as far as the wizz a good over counter prostate formula-mail order may be the answer. zinc is good for many things male as well as warding of colds + to get the needed vitamin intake as we age you need a REAL multi that has a lot of everything in it plus some xtras. i like Dr Whitakers forward plus daily regimen + buy my xtras from Swanson mostly as i take a lot + want to control costs, still prolly $50 monthly. all vitamins are water soluble going thru in hrs except A,D,E,+K which need fat to be absorbed + can accumulate in the system but prolly not. unless you live + spend a lot of time in the sun 5000 IU of D-3 daily is likely needed + that helps immunity. vitamin C can be taken anytime I i use about 5000 mg daily in divided doses + Quercetin is great for allergies among other things. you sound very active so you vitamin T-est is prolly decent + of course low esterdiol is also critical. i could go on but there are many good sources to learn, i like DR Ken D Berrys you tubes as he is honest + not selling anything, you gotta look out for yourself by reading + learning as todays SICKCARE is in it for the $$$$ healthy people only use relatively cheap nutritionals NOT expensive drugs with many bad side effects!!
 
How many hrs of sleep you think you are getting at night. Honestly I'd back off on the running if weight training on same days. That sleep recovery is very important and yes I know you say you feel rested but how many hrs sleep you getting..
I am NO doctor and you should be getting a appointment ASAP but I believe you are running yourself into the ground and body is not resting enough.
Now this comes from someone who works out six days a week and have been in same boat.
 
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