HELP! We're Always Sick!

also I agree you should test for mold, this was the case with my sister they had to tear down the wall between the bathroom and ac

Hi J.,

What you didn't say was how long this has been going on, so all we can do is guess. It's very normal when children start school or pre school for one illness after another. After a year or so the children's immune system becomes stronger and the illnesses less frequent. Did all of this begin after a move into a new home? Sometimes houses make people sick, no matter how much you clean. If there is mold in the walls or air ducts you will never see it, but it can cause non stop illnesses, some very serious. Carpet can also be a culprit, if there is mold or an allergen you are unaware of.

Hi, throw away toothbrushes and get all new ones. I have heard that they can harbor bacteria and cause peple to be reinfected. Have a great day!! S.

Have you ever looked into seeing a Chiropractor? My husband is one and our family gets adjusted regularly and we are rarely sick. Chiropractic is not just for sore backs and necks. Regular adjustments and help strengthen the immune system. I don't know where you live but if you are interested in finding a good chiropractor you can e-mail me at ____@____.com.

I'm right with you J.. Its crazy and can wear you down. I have a 6 mth old in the mix and between the two of them being sick and then me, I never sleep. So, I hear you about being sick of being sick and the words are appropriate. You arent causing any illness by saying it either. I dont know that there is much you can do either. Its all about the daycare. From what my friends say, they all go through it. You can try ecinacea. It works well when taken properly. Also, don't go on antibiotics right away. Try to fight off all the colds yourself. It will help build your immune system. The old remedies, lots of rest and OJ. These things do make a difference. But, either way, your kids are exposed the germs every day at daycare and stand next to other kids who sneeze and dont cover their mouths. Or boys who think spit is funny, etc. Just hold on, it will get better soon. Dont forget to take care of you, I know I always have to remind myself. Good luck.

Also, seeing a chripractor would help. especially when you are sick. Its amazing what the can do.

I know when I start to feel any kind of cold symptums I take Cold Ease or Zycam. It prevents your colds or flu's from getting started or getting worse. There is a web sight I use for natural cures called EarthClinic.com. They have alot of natural prevenatives to take for you and your kids. They also have feed back from people who have used these products. Apple Cider Vinager is a very popular cure.

Good Luck

J., you've gotten a lot of good responses. My brother's family was going through the same thing and found out that there was a leaky pipe in the master bath, which had been leaking behind the wall and under and through all the subfloor. They have a split plan home and it had gotten under the tile all the way to the kids rooms on the other side of the house. The kids were constantly sick, headaches, sniffles, etc., and they are very particular about cleaning with bleach, lysol, pinesol, etc.

They had an environmental inspector come in and test for the mold. Once they had the mold removed (total rennovation), they had minor incidences of cold or flu. I also recommended they switch out their cleaners because my nephew has asthma. Bleach, Lysol, Tilex, they all have toxic chemicals in them and just breathing them in is dangerous.

I told them about Shaklee's Get Clean green cleaners. You may have seen them on Opra and Rachel Ray, or in many household magazines.

I'm not sure if you're familiar with Shaklee, but they are the #1 natural nutrition company in the U.S., with a 52 year history of never having any of their products recalled. You can see our history, integrity, and the athletes and environmental organizations we have partnered with at http://www.shaklee.com/causes_partners.shtml. If you would like to try any of the products (100% money back guarantee) from nutrition to cleaners, air & water purification, you can learn more at http://www.NaturalSolutionsLLC.net.

My first step would be to have your house checked for black mold just to rule that out. Be careful to choose a reputable company to perform the tests.

If I can be of any help, please let me know. Take care.

My family has been through years of the same thing - and Juice Plus and several other supplement programs. My children have allergies and asthma and my husband and I both have chronic health issues.

I found that nutrition is the key and highly recommend Dr. Rosedale's nutrition/diet plan along with eating as much locally grown and fresh picked vegetables as possible. In his book he explains how the foods common to our diet make us sick.

I also found a supplement program that is working amazingly well for us and our friends. The company is backed by a team of highly respected MDs, provides abundant resources from these doctors.

I don't want to sound like an advertisement for their products, but whatever you do, it sounds like you have to find a way to build your immune system to defend against these constant viruses. And finding the right supplement may be the answer. If you want my recommendation, I'd be happy to give you my "pitch" in a private email.

____@____.com

And you can laugh at this suggestion - but I'm known as the tea lady in many circles. And adding a good quality green tea to your diet to replace some of the less healthy sugared beverages is a great way to begin. There are lots of herbal teas which are also very medicinal. You can have fun brewing up fun concoctions like lemon and rosemary with local honey.

Best wishes for health in the new year.

you may need to try a different preschool. That's what we did and it made all the difference! The problem is, alot of parents use preschool as a day care and drop their kids off whether they are sick or not, because they have to go to work. It is good that they are in a part-time situation, because that is ideal....sometimes it's just what they call a "sick school".

Hope you all stay healthy over the holidays!!

K. G.

Choose your words...they do make a difference. ("Sick of being sick"...)
I always have Source Natural brand "Wellness Formula" to detox and clear any "illness" It's our immune systems that are compromised and must be boosted. Could also be an issue with your a/c, carpet, cleaning products, yard pesticides, pets...many things we live with that irritate our bodies. If you would like to meet with a shaman/medical intuitive, please contact me via email and I will give you his contact info. He'll get to the root cause and suggest an herbal/energy remedy to relieve this issue with your family.

And chiropractic? YESS!!!!

We used to be you, a family of four, me a school teacher, between my daughters and I we brought EVERYTHING home. It just rotated through the house. We ate clean, we were neat freaks, we did everything, except what we didn't know.

What we didn't know was how important it was to "oil change" our bodies. Once we did that, no more sickness. My oldest was sick for a few days this past September but really since we have been on a regular cleansing program (one protein shake for breakfast and one oz or more of a cleansing drink for each of us) I can count our sick days on one hand...all four of us!

J., not all nutritional products are created equal. I have spent the last 3 years learning this and I have found some very amazing info for how moms can take better care of their kids. If you would like to chat, I LOVE to share with other parents who are where I used to be.

B.

have you tried Culturelle or any other probiotic. We have been giving our 4 yo son one cap every morning in milk and he is doing much better

I was going to suggest juice plus, but there are other ways. I would deep clean the house, get a steamer or borrow on from a friend to do the floors and carpet. Get a big bottle of Lysol and zap out every single place people touch, toilets, cabinets handles, phones, keyboards, etc. Then start the family on Airborne ( or a walgreens version, it's MUCH cheaper) add it to sprite if you need to. Use it three times a day for three days. Also, make some homemade yogurt ( email me for directions) and give the kids yogurt twice a day for a week. The digestive tract is the most in charge of our immune system, the healthy bacteria will help. There is no lactose in yogurt incase someone is lactose intolerant. If someone can't have dairy at all, there are great live liquid probiotics at whole foods. Make sure the kids have a breakfast rich in whole grains ( flaxseed pancakes, Kashi cereals, Cream of Wheat, etc.) and protien. An egg and cheese sandwhich on whole grain bread with a little garlic olive oil works wonders for your day. Fresh raw friut, grapes and oranges are good. Give the kids green tea to boost their metabolism and provide antioxidants. Make sure it doesn't have any additives. Over Christmas break, you should all start to feel better. When we ride in "car carts" at the store, I hand the girls a disinfectant wipe and tell them to "wash their cars" This gets their hands clean and all the surfaces they touch clean. We wash with regular soap often when we are out and as soon as we get home before we unload out dishes. Limit sugar as much as possible and white foods, white rice, white cereal, etc. The simple sugars feed viruses. Learn to recognize that all of the sudden tiredness as posible fighting a virus, take a Walborne right away, give one to everyone in the house, since colds are most contagious before you have any symptons and rest. If its not a cold, you rested when you were just plain tired, but often I have found myself so tired on afternoon and went and slept for three or four hours so deeply, only to find out that the kids all got sick the next day and I didn't. Once a week, put the kids to sleep a little early to let them get caught up on some sleep to help fight off anything battling you. If you are able, keep your kids home an extra day from school after they have been sick, even though they seem better, their immune system has been weakened and they will be at greatest risk to catch the next bug floating around the school or daycare. We used to be sick about once a month for a week or two. My son was in the ER with cold induced asthma at least 5-6 times a year and since we changed our habits to these, we have only had a cold that lasted 2 days in the past 2 years.
I myself let myself get run down last year and had pnuemonia and bronchitis for weeks, but noone else got it because they were still eating better and taking walborne.

J.- I've wondered the same thing myself! Since the beginning of October, one of us has been sick the entire time! We pass something around, and then one of the kids (usually) brings home something new. My mom says that's just life with little kids, and it was that way for her, too. I'm interested to hear the responses...

Wash hands! Everyones. Thats the number one germ protection the hospitals use to help prevent the spread of infections. Plus keep hand sanitizer by all your sinks. And I would sanitize them before leaving the school to come home. I know this sounds a little OCD, but it will help. You can also teach the kids to use it. I have a kid with skin allergies and she's always itching. I have to remind her to wash her hands and underneath her finger nails. Otherwise she introduces bacteria into open sores causing a not to pretty skin infection.

HI J.
I am a family of 7 and we are NEVER sick and I know it to be because of the types of vitamins we take. They are all organic; the kids vitamins taste great (like sweet tarts) and it stregthens our immunity to the MAX. I messed up for 3 days and didnt give everyone their vitmins and we started to get sick....but I quickly doubled them (since they are food supplements) and we kicked the YUCKS in the butt! If you are interested, let me know and I can give you more information on how to order them. You MUST strengthen your immunity system....which can take some time...be consistent and then you should start to see your entire family getting better..and if something presents...I take more of the multi vitamin, vit c and fruits and veggies...and its gone in a day! I have four sons...and you can imagine what they get in to.....we are always healthy....hope that helps!

J.,
1) HANDWASHING! I know that you probably already do it. but when it comes to little ones, it needs to be done, AND TAUGHT, to excess! It should become routine for the kids that as SOON as they come in the door from school, from the grocery store, from playing, from ANYWHERE, the VERY first thing they do is go potty (if they have to) and then wash their hands. I saw a commercial on TV selling some kind of soap or antibacterial stuff, and they showed germs under a microscope, so I used it as a teaching opportunity with my daughter and explained that there are germs everywhere, but there are LOTS of germs outside of the house and we don't want them in the house because they can make us sick so we wash them away and down the sink with the bubbles. She was young at the time and got a kick out of watching the germs, and bubbles, go away. Of course, you can gear it to be age appropriate so they will still "get the message". It CANNOT be stressed too much or too often with kids.

The other suggestion that I have found to be helpful and is sometimes forgotten is to periodically air out the house. I live in South Florida, so the windows are usually closed and the a/c is on ALOT! When it cools down, or even in the summer, if I am giving the house a really good cleaning, I will turn the a/c off and open up ALL of the windows. I'd say once a month or so.

Also, a minumum of 10 minutes of sunshine everyday.
This is a natural way to get the Vitamin D we all need!

Other than that, you may want to have one of those diagnostic tests done to see what things your bodies may be deficient in and then eat or supplement more of the things that it takes to balance things out.

Sending healthy thoughts your way!

S. B.

Sweetie open up your windows more....even the cold days....let the house get some fresh air from the out side. You are keeping the germs in and the a/c and heat is recycling them around your home. Try to air everything out for 30 mins every week when it is cold tell the little ones your gonna play camping out....put a sheet up over some chairs and put their coats on..... they can play in the tent....

The only other thing I can think of is wash your hands, and the kids' often. Before they eat, if they use the same toys, when they come from school. Hope you get a lot of good advise. Good luck.

Hi J.,
We had the same issues and I turned to homeopathic treatments/remedies and the kids and I get better so much quicker without all the horrible chemicals/antibiotics in western medicine.
To your health,
S.

Hi J..

I'm no doc or nurse but one thing that came to my mind is mold. I have an elderly neighbor who had that in her apartment and she was constantly sick. Have you checked your home for that? It could be that the AC filters need to be replaced also. It's not a bad idea to clean the carpet to remove dust mites, too.

Hope this helps!

C.

Hi J.,

The first thing is the food allergy. My son's friend has a milk/protein allergy and there are a lot of supplements he cannot take. With that in mind, I would suggest finding one that is right for your family. My entire family has been taking supplements from Melaleuca: The Wellness Company and we have hardly been sick at all - me, not at all, my husband (school teacher) and son pick up things at school. However, the time they are sick has been shortened considerably and it's never enough to keep them home. Melaleuca supplements have Oligosfructose Complex, which allows absorbtion from the body (even the colon) 99.9% better than any other supplement on the market. Therefore, the free radicals that damage the body/immune system are killed off and you are healthier.

My son suffered from asthma in his earlier years. We've totally switched our home to non-toxic chemicals for cleaning and air fresheners. It has made a world of difference and my son no longer has to use his nebulizer (used to be 3 times a day) or any of the allergy medication (singulair, flonaise, etc.).

Check out this website to find more info about the harmful toxins in your home - www.LiveTotalWellnessToday.com.

All of the other advice you've been given about hand washing and teaching the kids to keep their hands away from nose, eyes and mouth is great, as is sneezing/coughing into arm. However, please, oh please, don't use Lysol. The same chemical as used in Agent Orange is in Lysol and it is extremely dangerous to your health, as well as your loved ones. I don't have the website handy to look up that info but I'll certainly get it for you if you're interested.

I'll be happy to share more of our routine if you want to give me a call or email me privately with your info and I'll call you.

K. Woodlief
###-###-####

Handwashing is the key. Not to suggest, of course that your family doesn't wash their hands, it's just a matter of being overly conscientious of it since you all are getting sick so frequently. While a hand sanitizer is not necessary, it is convenient and can help save your hands from over-drying. The standard at hospitals is if your hands are visibly soiled, use soap and water, otherwise an alcohol-based sanitizer is sufficient.

Also, think of things, such as faucets as dirty: try not to touch them when you turn them off. Instead use a paper towel, etc. Otherwise you are picking up the germs that you just washed off and putting them right back on your hands. Think Lysol! :)

Best of luck!
T.

Have you tried changing your a/c filter? try checking to see if there is any water laying ing the area, we had a rental house and they tentant were always sick, come to find out there was water in the area of the a/c. On top of that the drip pan in the fridge was covered in mold! They were VERY clean people, just never checked these things. hope you feel better soon

I hear you--when my daughter was in daycare she was sick for the ENTIRE school year! The best thing you can do is wash your hands all the time. You don't have much control over what your kids do when they are in school, but if you teach them to wash their hands before eating, after using the restroom, and BEFORE TOUCHING THEIR EYES, NOSE, OR MOUTH, that will help a lot! And they need to wash for a good 20-30 seconds, making lots of suds. Or you can try a hand sanitizer but I don't really like that for my 3 year old. Make sure everyone washes hands when you get home and hopefully you'll prevent the spread of germs! Good luck!

Hi J..
#1 Part of this is that your kids are at preschool and bringing stuff home. After they have been there awhile (a year or so?) it will slow down. Their exposure is up and so their immune systems are getting revved up and will get stronger and fight the little bugs off better.

#2 Wash hands. Sanitizers are not necessary. Good old soap and running warm water for 30 seconds is really all you need. Teach your kids to sing a song while washing so that they wash long enough to get the germs washed away.

#3 Lysol the door knobs, refrigerator handles, and drawer pulls. These are some of the germiest places and we don't always think to clean them. Also the TV remote! But they are handled daily many many many times by everyone in the house. The toilet flush knob probably is cleaned regularly anyway, but it can't hurt to zap it with Lysol too.

#4 Get plenty of rest/sleep. Better sleep = stronger immune system

Even though my girls are not in daycare, the oldest just started Pre-K this year, we had this problem for awhile. Her are the things i do to try and minimize us getting sick.
-My husband and I always wash our hands when we get home from work. Even if i have been out running errands or what ever, we all wash our hand when we get in.
-My daughter washes her hands when she gets in from school. Straight to the bathroom when she walks in the door.
-I carry hand sanitizer or sanitizing wipes with me in my purse. I use them in the van once we have been somewhere, anywhere. The grocery,park, anywhere.
-I started using non-commercial household cleaners. I make most of my cleaners using baking soda,vinegar,borax,bleach. Not in that order but I have several cleaning "recipes".
-With my oldest in Pre-k this year I can just hope and pray she is getting her hands washed. I know they use sanitizer before lunch and snack. And they have a bathroom with a low sink in the room.
My oldest is a great eater, she gets a good variety. But my 2 1/2 yr. old is so pickey and her health shows it. I have to out veggies in her food, purreed of course. But she does seem to get colds a little easier.

I guess I can not stress that hand washing it the best defense against viruses. Also with your son having astma I would check into non-commercial cleaners. I have found that our allergys and sinus problems are not as bad and I try to keep the dust to a minimal in the bedrooms because ny daughter has sinus issues.

Dear J.,
You are not doing anything wrong. Your kids are just at the age when they pick up everything. Our house was like that too for a long time. It will get better. Until then, just keep the antibacterial hand cleaner nearby.
Good Luck,
L.

There are a lot of herbal supplements that people swear by. One of them that we have had success with is called "Barley Greens" and you could probably get it at any health food store. My husband has trouble with getting sick a lot and he swears by it. A quick squirt of hand sanitizer after being in a public place is always a good idea. And of course, if your kids put their fingers in their nose or mouth, that could be a germ-delivery-system. Unfortunately, since the kiddos are little and just now being regularly exposed to the wider world, this will likely be a phase in your lives of a lot of sickness as their immune systems get strong. It's unfortunate, but the only way to get a stronger immune system is by being exposed to new and different bugs. I guess that means that (*hopefully*) they won't get sick as much in years to come. Don't be afraid to call on a friend for help when you are feeling sick so you can take a day to rest up. Us moms have to stick together!!

Hello J.,

I feel for you! could it be that people keep sending their kids sick to the pre-school? one thing a friend of mine did one year was to go and clean the kids' desks in her son's classroom every week. his health improved like by 50%. she also figured out that the drain from the airco was growing mold. one thing I do is with 1/2 & 1/2 water & alcohol mixture: clean door knobs, light switches and it's really handy for a quick clean in the bathroom. I also clean(I mean desinfect) their car seats and car handles ... I have wipes in the car and the minute you get them in the car from school, have them wipe their hands and put a small dab of germwash on their hands and have them rub it all over their hands.
look into herbal supplements like elderberry --get it in liquid form and add a few drops to their juice.

if you're using candles, air fresheners, lysol spray, etc...
minimize the use of those. it could be that some of those are irritating your airways and makes it easier to get sick. I'm not saying not to use the sprays but use them when the kids are not at home. also try to use bleach when they're not at home. then air out the house for a few minutes. if you have plants in the house, take them all out for a while and then bring them in one at the time and see if it affects you guys. I'm allergic to ragweeds (daisies, echinacea, chamomile) and just about all grasses... however the minute we bring any live flowers in the house (not in the ragweed family) I get a stuffy nose...keep them in the house long enough, and I can end up with a sinus infection. that's why we had to switch to a fake xmas tree instead of a live one too.

Also if any of you have any food sensitivities, read all the food labels carefuly.
also, take pro-biotics. and the minute some one is coming down with something, increase vitamin C and vitamin D intake.
make sure you're all getting enough vitamin D and magnesium.
Good luck!
~C.~

Hi J.,

Have you looked into safer, non toxin, natural products for your home? Products like, cleaning products, health snacks, natural vitamins, etc. Two of my children had/have asthma, when I took the toxins out of my home, the children attacks are little to none. I developed high blood pressure during my pregnancy with my baby. I did not want to be on prescription drugs all my life, so I looked for an alternative. My alternative was natural products. We now shop with an International Wellness company called Melaleuca. This company sells over 400 products that you are already using in your home. The difference is these products are safer.

According to the EPA, most homes have airborne concentrations of hazardous chemicals that are two or five times higher indoors than outdoors.
Also, the consumer product safety commission connects 150 chemicals commonly found in our homes to allergies, birth defects, cancer and psychological disorders.

Switch stores and you will see a difference. Visit their website at www.melaleuca.com and Take a Tour. Please let them know I referred you. My name is G. S. Williams.

We have the same problem. My 4 year old is in pre-school and brings the stuff home to us. I've found out if you us those hand sanitize things as soon as you pick the kids up from pre-school it helps. Also spray down their backpacks with Lysol as soon as you get inside helped tons. Basically try to stop the germs from coming inside and with the kids as much as possible. You can have the cleanest house but it doesn't stop the germs coming in. Make sure the kids wash their hands often. One of my friends even has her kids take baths as soon as they get home and throws their cloths in the washer. My daughter started back in Aug and this month was the first month none of us were sick. We've also upped keeping our hands cleaned because of our new baby. The hand sanitizer stuff works wonders and they now make them with aloe so your hands don't dry out. Make sure the kids cough and sneeze in their inner arm if possible and not their hands. This helps from spreading to others. I hope some of this helps because I know how it is. I was sick for 3 mths straight while being 7 mths pregnant and that's no fun at all!!! After a while you just want to hide under the covers and never come out LOL. Good luck and hope your family feels better soon.