Why do I keep getting sick?

by Laina
(Chicago, Illinois)

I am 13 and I get sick once or twice every 1-2 months. I play on a travel soccer team four days a week, I do Tae Kwon Do twice a week, and I play tennis almost everyday of the spring/summer.


I also eat a very healthy low-carb diet, which I have been doing for about 2 years. I am currently in 8th grade and lost 20 pounds since 6th grade. I'm 5'3” or 5'4” and 118 lbs.

My point is that I live a very healthy lifestyle and I get sick a lot. When I was a little kid, I got sick once or twice a month, but when I started middle school I haven't been getting as sick as much, but I still get sick a lot. I get 7-8 hours of sleep on school days and 12-14 hours of sleep on the weekend.

I'm usually up late doing homework and that's why I don't get a lot of sleep. There are people in my grade who go to sleep at 3 a.m. on a school night, and never get sick.

I'm desperate for ways to improve my immune system. I don't smoke, do drugs, or drink and I never have. Nobody in my family smokes, so I don't inhale a lot of second-hand smoke.

I always wash my hands after I go to the bathroom, before my meals, and I shower everyday. If for some reason I can't wash my hands, then I hand sanitize. If I don't have time to take a shower one day, then I take a shower the next morning, so I have good hygiene.

I am diagnosed with Orthostatic Hypotension, fibromyalgia, and asthma. I got diagnosed with asthma when I was 5 or 6, but my asthma is mild when I'm not sick. However, when I am sick my asthma gets really bad and I use a nebulizer and an inhaler.

I have had pain throughout my body since 5th grade and got diagnosed 3 weeks ago. I actually got diagnosed with Orthostatic Hypotension yesterday. When I stand up, I see colors, I'm dizzy and lightheaded, and I lose my balance (this has been happening to me for about 2 years).

Could any of my diseases be related with my weak immune system? Also, is there anything I can do to help boost my immune system? Thank you SO MUCH!!! I appreciate your website. :)


RESPONSE


Hi Laina,

It's great to see someone your age taking responsibility and trying to find ways to feel better.

Considering everything you told me, you should focus on my pages on vitamin D and vitamin C.

You can have a very healthy diet but still be deficient in these two critical vitamins.

It is very easy to get a vitamin D test. Having pain all throughout your body can be linked to low vitamin D levels (low magnesium too, but if you eat lots of whole foods and leafy greens you might be getting enough magnesium).

Larger vitamin C dosages will help your asthma.

As for your new diagnosis of Orthostatic Hypotension - it seems there is quite a bit of evidence that that is a symptom of vitamin B12 deficiency.

These vitamins in high enough doses will protect you from getting sick too.

Wishing you the best of health,

Melissa
Approach Wellness

Comments for Why do I keep getting sick?

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Vitamin deficiency
by: Sanal

I think the problem with you is the issues in immune system. It may be caused because proper vaccination is not done at the early stages of life. The deficiency of Vitamin D can also cause these problems.
Same issue
by: Rebecca London

I have exactly the same issue - I'm asthmatic with quite a few allergies, but I live a very healthy lifestyle. Plenty of exercise, veg, fruit never smoke and get plenty of sleep, yet I get sick all the time! The thing I've noticed is the way my body reacts to sickness - my boyfriend will get the same virus and be very mildly ill whereas I come down with a full blown fever and chest infection which takes a while to go away. I'm wondering if there's some link between auto-immune diseases (i.e. asthma) and an overreaction to virus when you're unwell. I think it's less about having a bad immune system to a total overreaction of the immune system to everything. Trying to find out more because I'm fed up of feeling sick all the time. I'm 26 and work from home. Less contact with other people helps - but every time I travel for work or vacation I catch a virus which as you can imagine is very annoying!
helll
by: jaiden

You do realise being clean and washing ur hands can actually detrimental to you in the long run, your actually exposing ur body to less pathogens viruses etc, which intern will make lazy "so to speak" white blood cells qnd immune system, also,whos more healthy, an ocd person or an Indian residing by the dumpster? I think the latter.

P.s. ur 13 stop taking supplements, stop worryin about ur body image, u can do all that shiz when ur an adult, for now just enjoy being a kid. Its undue stress.
I have another comment
by: Laina

I also take vitamin C supplements everyday, but I will get a vitamin b test and will update you on what my results are. I am sick with the flu right now so I will get tested in a week or 2.
Comment
by: Laina

Thank you so much!!! And I had a vitamin D test about a year and a half ago and they said I had a vitamin D deficiency. However, I have been taking vitamin D supplements and I got tested again, and I'm not vitamin d deficient anymore. Thank you for all of the tips! :)

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