Question for everyone out there. I am sick... AGAIN! Starting about a year before my surgery I would catch every cold that went around. kids would get the sniffles for a day and I would end up miserable for two weeks and lose my voice. I have been sick more in the past two years then in the rest of my life combined. I had initially thought when I found out I had been in CHF that was the culprit and things would improve. I was wrong. I am sick again and of course lost my voice again. Any one else have this? Any suggestions aside from locking myself in a clean room? I know being intubated can increase the chances of catching nasties but my surgery was over a year ago so doubt that is an excuse. Maybe I should just buy stock in Puffs plus?
Catch every cold?
- Thread starter mntbiker
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Karlynn
Have you tried Zicam at the first signs of the sniffles? Or, I know a few people (teachers) that swear by Airborn.
Can't help ya with this one. I have not been "sick"
with a cold etc. since OHS. I am sure it is the luck of the draw. I almost kept my mouth shut(LOL) for fear of jinxing myself. Hope you feel beter soon.
with a cold etc. since OHS. I am sure it is the luck of the draw. I almost kept my mouth shut(LOL) for fear of jinxing myself. Hope you feel beter soon.
It appears that your kids are quite young, school age.
That is the time when they are little germ factories and carriers; even with fastidious hand washing.
All you can do is eat well, take Vitamin C, and get enough rest.
That is the time when they are little germ factories and carriers; even with fastidious hand washing.
All you can do is eat well, take Vitamin C, and get enough rest.
Marguerite53
Premium Level User
Okay David. Try this. It really helped in our household. Our 3 are all now in college (dorms being a whole other breed of germ factories!).
Wherever the main bathroom is that everyone uses, put in a roll of paper towels beside the towel. Guests can use towels, you guys use the paper towels....germs go in the trash.
Each kid gets his own tube of toothpaste....as do you and your wife.
Replace toothbrushes more regularly (maybe buy a large pack at a costco type place.
Teach kids not to share drinks or snacks at school.
Teach them to wash their hands as soon as they get home from school.
Teach them not to rub their eyes, or noses or mouths at all during the day.
Wipe off the doorknobs in the house every few days or weeks (of if a whole slew of kids have been through) with those cloth wipes (lysol, clorox) that you can get in the plastic cannister.
Keep a little jar of gel sanitizer in the car. When you come out of the grocery store (have you SEEN sick babies chew on the handlebars ) glop a little sanitizer in your hands and then drive away.
When you are out and about, don't use handrails, don't use door openers, lean into the door, use your knuckles to press elevator buttons.
In other words.....don't invite all the germs into your body.
Also, we're firm believers in vitamins. I take a B-complex C every day and a multi-vitamin. I used to drink large glasses of orange juice, but my triglicerides are now too high, so I'm down to 4 oz a day. Still, I'm a believer in good orange juice.
Pick up some Zicam gel in the dispenser bottle. READ the label very carefully and decide if you want to "risk" trying it. Instead of using the dispenser, I dispense a tiny glop out onto a kleenex, then use a q-tip to very carefully ONLY spread the gel inside the very outer edge of each nostril. Then press for 10 seconds. This stuff works for me. I love it.
Okay!! That's all from MamaHen Marguerite!
Good luck!
Marguerite.
And hey....what happened with the kids's echoes??? Did I miss your report?
Wherever the main bathroom is that everyone uses, put in a roll of paper towels beside the towel. Guests can use towels, you guys use the paper towels....germs go in the trash.
Each kid gets his own tube of toothpaste....as do you and your wife.
Replace toothbrushes more regularly (maybe buy a large pack at a costco type place.
Teach kids not to share drinks or snacks at school.
Teach them to wash their hands as soon as they get home from school.
Teach them not to rub their eyes, or noses or mouths at all during the day.
Wipe off the doorknobs in the house every few days or weeks (of if a whole slew of kids have been through) with those cloth wipes (lysol, clorox) that you can get in the plastic cannister.
Keep a little jar of gel sanitizer in the car. When you come out of the grocery store (have you SEEN sick babies chew on the handlebars
) glop a little sanitizer in your hands and then drive away.When you are out and about, don't use handrails, don't use door openers, lean into the door, use your knuckles to press elevator buttons.
In other words.....don't invite all the germs into your body.
Also, we're firm believers in vitamins. I take a B-complex C every day and a multi-vitamin. I used to drink large glasses of orange juice, but my triglicerides are now too high, so I'm down to 4 oz a day. Still, I'm a believer in good orange juice.
Pick up some Zicam gel in the dispenser bottle. READ the label very carefully and decide if you want to "risk" trying it. Instead of using the dispenser, I dispense a tiny glop out onto a kleenex, then use a q-tip to very carefully ONLY spread the gel inside the very outer edge of each nostril. Then press for 10 seconds. This stuff works for me. I love it.
Okay!! That's all from MamaHen Marguerite!
Good luck!
Marguerite.
And hey....what happened with the kids's echoes??? Did I miss your report?
brd
Well-known member
Hi David, We do everything that Marguerite suggested except the OJ and Zicam. I'm not against either but seem to do well without them. One thing I would add is that we have dispensers of hand sanitizer in EVERY room in the house and in our cars and I have one in my handbag and on my desk at work.
NO colds for me all of last winter, hubby had one.
Don't forget to get a flu shot!
Good luck! Barbara
NO colds for me all of last winter, hubby had one.
Don't forget to get a flu shot!
Good luck! Barbara
S
Susan BAV
Excellent recommendations, Marguerite!
David - I have read that parents with young school children catch more germs/bugs, etc. than anyone else. For about the first 6 weeks or so every school year, my boys would cough and hack horrendously from whatever icky bug they picked up from all the [other] germy kids at school.
A couple of other thoughts: wash comforters at least twice a year. Get rid of all of the down-filled pillows and comforters and stuff and see if you see any improvement. Get rid of any old pillows, whether they're down-stuffed or otherwise, and buy fresh new hypoallergenic ones. Wash pillows at least a couple of times a year and thoroughly dry them.
One more thing I personally have a problem with is facial tissues that biodegrade too quickly, namely Puffs, and especially tissues that have added stuff to them, like Puffs Plus; they really mess me up. Store brand tissues bother me too. It's like you have tiny wood chips flying up your nose, irritating your entire sinus system . The best tissues for me really are the regular Kleenex brand. And before anyone asks...no, I am not on the Kleenex payroll !!!
More recently, my husband and I have kept unusually healthy; and I wondered if it has been in part because we have been eating a small bowl of berries nearly every day, either blackberries or strawberries or raspberries or blueberries.
Hope you feel better soon. Take care.
And a P.S. Some are evidently allergic to echinacea and can't take Airborne.
David - I have read that parents with young school children catch more germs/bugs, etc. than anyone else. For about the first 6 weeks or so every school year, my boys would cough and hack horrendously from whatever icky bug they picked up from all the [other] germy kids at school.
A couple of other thoughts: wash comforters at least twice a year. Get rid of all of the down-filled pillows and comforters and stuff and see if you see any improvement. Get rid of any old pillows, whether they're down-stuffed or otherwise, and buy fresh new hypoallergenic ones. Wash pillows at least a couple of times a year and thoroughly dry them.
One more thing I personally have a problem with is facial tissues that biodegrade too quickly, namely Puffs, and especially tissues that have added stuff to them, like Puffs Plus; they really mess me up. Store brand tissues bother me too. It's like you have tiny wood chips flying up your nose, irritating your entire sinus system
. The best tissues for me really are the regular Kleenex brand. And before anyone asks...no, I am not on the Kleenex payroll !!!More recently, my husband and I have kept unusually healthy; and I wondered if it has been in part because we have been eating a small bowl of berries nearly every day, either blackberries or strawberries or raspberries or blueberries.
Hope you feel better soon. Take care.
And a P.S. Some are evidently allergic to echinacea and can't take Airborne.
R
ruth
I agree with the others, the colds are likely less about your OHS than your young school-age kids. Get stock in Puffs-plus and a membership to Costco for the discounts on paper towels & kleenex.
Seriously, I did the same thing as Marguerite years ago and installed paper towel holders in the bathrooms. Teach them to wash with WARM water, SOAP, and to rinse to the count of 10. Same goes for you.
Your immune system hasn't seen germs like these in 30 years, IMHO that's your problem. They'll grow up...... someday!
Ruth
Seriously, I did the same thing as Marguerite years ago and installed paper towel holders in the bathrooms. Teach them to wash with WARM water, SOAP, and to rinse to the count of 10. Same goes for you.
Your immune system hasn't seen germs like these in 30 years, IMHO that's your problem. They'll grow up...... someday!
Ruth
hensylee
Well-known member
they keep telling us that zinc lozenges help. i have found they do. might give them a try when you feel that itchiness in your nose - or when the children get one.
Thanks for the replies everyone. I will have to try the zicam and see of that helps.
Marguerite I think we could pass as long lost siblings.
My wife and I are both germaphobes. She is an obsessive cleaner and also a stress cleaner. Everytime she gets stressed she cleans, you should see the house when my parents come visit.
We have the kids well trained, the first thing they do when they come in the house after taking off their shoes is wash their hands. Shoes are the number one cause of indoor air pollution so we stopped wearing shoes in the house about eight years ago.
Of course as some of you pointed out kids are little germ factories.
Thanks again for all the suggestions.
Marguerite I think we could pass as long lost siblings.
My wife and I are both germaphobes. She is an obsessive cleaner and also a stress cleaner. Everytime she gets stressed she cleans, you should see the house when my parents come visit.
We have the kids well trained, the first thing they do when they come in the house after taking off their shoes is wash their hands. Shoes are the number one cause of indoor air pollution so we stopped wearing shoes in the house about eight years ago.
Of course as some of you pointed out kids are little germ factories.
Thanks again for all the suggestions.
