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Frequent Illness
Has anyone else experienced this?
I'm an otherwise healthy, 23 year old female. My BMI is 22, I sleep 8 hours per night, I exercise 3 days per week, I eat a healthy and balanced diet and I take vitamin supplements on the advice of my GP.
For around the last 12 years, I have suffered from daily bouts of headaches and dizziness. In this time I have been constantly tired, and my shoulders get knotted very easily. I'm not suffering from stress. During this time I have also experienced frequent bouts of illness (mainly sinus infections, chest infections, tonsilitis and labyrinthitis), approximately 3-4 times per year.
In the past 6 months this frequency has increased dramatically and I have had several bouts of tonsilitis in 2012 alone, as well as a sinus infection and a chest infection (all on different occasions and all diagnosed by my GP).
I was wondering if anyone else had experienced this and what they found helpful. I have seen my GP many many times over the past 12 years and have frequently been tested for white blood cell count, iron levels, thyroid problems, diabetes and glandular fever (all negative).
I'm an otherwise healthy, 23 year old female. My BMI is 22, I sleep 8 hours per night, I exercise 3 days per week, I eat a healthy and balanced diet and I take vitamin supplements on the advice of my GP.
For around the last 12 years, I have suffered from daily bouts of headaches and dizziness. In this time I have been constantly tired, and my shoulders get knotted very easily. I'm not suffering from stress. During this time I have also experienced frequent bouts of illness (mainly sinus infections, chest infections, tonsilitis and labyrinthitis), approximately 3-4 times per year.
In the past 6 months this frequency has increased dramatically and I have had several bouts of tonsilitis in 2012 alone, as well as a sinus infection and a chest infection (all on different occasions and all diagnosed by my GP).
I was wondering if anyone else had experienced this and what they found helpful. I have seen my GP many many times over the past 12 years and have frequently been tested for white blood cell count, iron levels, thyroid problems, diabetes and glandular fever (all negative).
A very common, and commonly undiagnosed ailment is candidiasis. It is underdiagnosed because Candida albicans is thought to be a natural part of the body's flora. We are mostly familiar with it as a vaginal yeast infection. However, when candida surges in production it converts to fungus and can be a very nasty pathogen. It undermines your immune system and can cause great fatigue. It feeds on sugars, prednisone, inhaled steroids and antibiotics. It can invade any part of the body. In my case it lodged in the respiratory system.
I got it under control by using Lugol's solution (potassium iodide) and oil of oregano. (By the way, even after four days of testing at a famous hospital, the diagnosis was missed.)
I got it under control by using Lugol's solution (potassium iodide) and oil of oregano. (By the way, even after four days of testing at a famous hospital, the diagnosis was missed.)
It sounds like your immune system is not up to par for some reason. Vitamin D and C supplements should help. (A basic multi is not sufficient for some people.) You might take a closer look at your diet and reduce processed food and added sugar, and increase fresh and whole foods.
Do you have allergies? I had chronic respiratory issues when I developed a bad allergy to the grass in the hills around my home. The headaches, dizzyness, and fatigue could be symptoms of allergies, but it is hard to imagine that you could get them every single day. They could signal an autoimmune disorder. Do you have any other symptoms, such as light sensitivity, rashes, joint or muscle pain? Have you been evaluated for ME/Chronic Fatigue?
Do you have allergies? I had chronic respiratory issues when I developed a bad allergy to the grass in the hills around my home. The headaches, dizzyness, and fatigue could be symptoms of allergies, but it is hard to imagine that you could get them every single day. They could signal an autoimmune disorder. Do you have any other symptoms, such as light sensitivity, rashes, joint or muscle pain? Have you been evaluated for ME/Chronic Fatigue?
It sounds like your immune system is not up to par for some reason. Vitamin D and C supplements should help. (A basic multi is not sufficient for some people.) You might take a closer look at your diet and reduce processed food and added sugar, and increase fresh and whole foods.
Do you have allergies? I had chronic respiratory issues when I developed a bad allergy to the grass in the hills around my home. The headaches, dizzyness, and fatigue could be symptoms of allergies, but it is hard to imagine that you could get them every single day. They could signal an autoimmune disorder. Do you have any other symptoms, such as light sensitivity, rashes, joint or muscle pain? Have you been evaluated for ME/Chronic Fatigue?
Do you have allergies? I had chronic respiratory issues when I developed a bad allergy to the grass in the hills around my home. The headaches, dizzyness, and fatigue could be symptoms of allergies, but it is hard to imagine that you could get them every single day. They could signal an autoimmune disorder. Do you have any other symptoms, such as light sensitivity, rashes, joint or muscle pain? Have you been evaluated for ME/Chronic Fatigue?
Check your vitamin D levels. This is one hormone that is crucial for immune function. Vitamin D actives the T cells to kill off bacteria and viruses. Vitamin D council recommend vitamin D serum to be between 50 - 80ng/mL (125 - 200nmol/L) year round. At my lowest vitamin D level (12ng/mL or 30nmol/L) i had bronchitis (3 weeks), severe strep throat twice (1 month and anthor bout over 2 weeks) and a cold (1 week). All in less than 6 months.
From Pubmed [PMID: 21131064] "Vitamin D and tonsil disease--preliminary observations"...
"CONCLUSIONS:
Seventy-eight percent of Auckland children undergoing (adeno) tonsillectomy had a 25(OH) vitamin D level<75nmol/L, a level which is associated with an increased incidence of upper respiratory tract infection. Low 25(OH) vitamin D levels were related to a darker skin, increased BMI and larger assessed tonsil size.
The association of larger tonsil size with lower 25(OH) vitamin D status needs further evaluation but offers a potential explanation why black and Hispanic children are more likely than white children to have (adeno) tonsillectomy for snoring or obstructive sleep apnoea."
From Pubmed [PMID: 21131064] "Vitamin D and tonsil disease--preliminary observations"...
"CONCLUSIONS:
Seventy-eight percent of Auckland children undergoing (adeno) tonsillectomy had a 25(OH) vitamin D level<75nmol/L, a level which is associated with an increased incidence of upper respiratory tract infection. Low 25(OH) vitamin D levels were related to a darker skin, increased BMI and larger assessed tonsil size.
The association of larger tonsil size with lower 25(OH) vitamin D status needs further evaluation but offers a potential explanation why black and Hispanic children are more likely than white children to have (adeno) tonsillectomy for snoring or obstructive sleep apnoea."
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