Need immune system tips that actually work!

[user23234]

I desperately need to boost my immune system, I work in a school and this year for some reason I just keep catching everything going! I’ve basically been ill every week since the start of September. This last week has been awful, I’ve been off work with a high temp, cold symptoms, sickness and a really painful neck (all at once not separately). I can’t seem to shift this one and keep feeling worse everyday rather than better.
About 6 months ago I really turned my life around, lost a lot of weight (am now a healthy bmi instead of obese), I’ve been eating really healthily, cut out all alcohol and have been exercising. I also started taking vitamin d, b12, vitamin c and omega 3. So realistically I should be at my healthiest, but I just can’t seem to kick any bug!
Has anyone got any tips of things that actually work?

The thing is once you get one bug your immune system seems to take a bashing and you get others more easily

the only thing that works for me is extra rest - so exercise but lightly , have an hour extra in bed ( cut the TV time) , cancel lots of weekend and evening plans and chill out

DH had a sickness/fever bug that lasted a good couple of weeks , some nasty things out there

congratulations on turning life around and doesn’t it suck when you get this in return - the long term benefits will be immense - hang on in there

Get a HEPA filter for your room at work!

I was feeling like you from end of August onwards, seemed to be ill constantly. I've been taking high dose vitamin c, zinc and b vitamins on a daily basis and I seem to have turned a corner in the last 2-3 weeks.

OP I have suppressed immunity because of the medication I am on. There is a great deal of rubbish talked about “boosting“ an immune system. Including by people who ought to know better because of their training.

Your immune system is just your immune system and can’t be turbo charged or somehow ramped up to give Protection ++. Those of us with autoimmune diseases are only too well aware of how an overactive immune system is damaging and causes health problems. You would not want that, believe me.

What you can do is protect against infection. I use a face mask and I use a nasal spray to protect against viruses. I also use a saline nasal flush. This has to be done daily. I wear the face mask on trains and buses. I use the nasal spray several times a day when I’m amongst crowds and I use the saline spray every evening. It is tedious and expensive.

It works but it is rather more basic, less exciting and definitely more effort than swallowing pills to, somehow and indefinably improve what an immune system does. It does work.

I suspect that this is not what you want to hear.

Prioritise sleep as research does show poor sleep impacts immune function.

I really feel for you. I've had those periods where it feels like you're constantly ill and it's so frustrating.

You're doing a lot of great stuff already so keep going. I honestly don't think there's a magic pill or supplement that boosts your immune system, you need a multi pronged approach like you're doing. There's no substitute for sleep though - as much as you can possibly manage, on a regular basis

Eat good, clean (whole) foods for at least 80% of your diet.
Sleep well (6 hours minimum per night)
Stay hydrated.
If you are overweight, try to cut back on your calories or move more. Excess weight has been shown to put strain on the immune system.

I used to be constantly ill most winters, but since loosing weight I hardly ever get colds or flu, and when I do they are much milder.

All you can do it diet, rest, and hygiene - everything else is conjecture

The difference for me is taking vitamin C and zinc. I was ill constantly when I started working with young children. Also always wash your hands before eating, don’t touch your face or mouth unless you’ve washed your hands.

I am a teacher and about 2 years ago got covid and once I 'recovered' I went straight into a very intense period of acute stress. I was constantly sick for the entire year which culminated in a mega virus exactly a year later. My health was so bad that I underwent testing for autoimmune issues and everything came back clear.

Strangely, after the final virus a year ago, I haven't really been sick since. The emotional stressor is not an issue anymore and that was the key thing in my recovery. I am immensely productive of how I budget my emotional energy and I priotise sleep and rest. I don't find that any kind of diet or supplement does much to help but I do what I can to remove unnecessary stress and I sleep as much as I can. If you're sick all the time, ask yourself if you're really just burnt out? In my case, I was dealing with a situation where I was having to bury a huge amount of anger and frustration every day for a year and it honestly made me sick.

Prevention: Avoid ill people. Don't walk through where someone has just openly coughed or sneezed. Easier said than done in a school, I imagine. Ensure there is an outside airflow in enclosed areas to avoid virus particles building up from people breathing, talking, coughing etc. Wash your hands a lot, and avoid touching your face, especially your eyes and nose. Use saline nasal rinses and gargle with salt water. Wear masks if possible. Don't rub your eyes! You don't need to breathe in virus particles, they just need an opportunity to settle on any of your mucous membranes. You can catch a cold through your eyes.

Reduction of symptoms (for colds, covid etc. Sickness bugs need a different approach, of course): keep hydrated. Hot drinks. Keep warm. Eat healthily, especially vegetables. Rest and don't overexert yourself physically or mentally. Nasal sprays can reduce congestion. Gargling with salt water or mouthwash can help reduce sore throats. Zinc can reduce the duration of cold symptoms by a couple of days. Take it as a supplement but not on an empty stomach as it will make you queasy. If you can find zinc and vitamin C lozenges, they are great for reducing symptoms in the throat.

THIS in spades! A lot of nonsense is called about the immune system and there is often the assumption that autoimmune diseases are due to a weak immune system when it is the opposite. Vitamin C and vitamin D are also a good idea

My youngest DD works in a hospital. She's usually had flu/viruses by now. She got her flu vaccination early. Rinses her sinuses, as suggested and started drinking ginger and other teas at the end of summer. She takes manuka honey and ginger as well.

My ex has a weakened/ non existent immune system due to a Primary Immune Disorder. While I agree with many points above, it may be worth asking doctor to check bloods for immune disorders - very rare, but they are a thing.
https://www.immunodeficiencyuk.org/

Actually allow yourself to rest and recover when you are ill.

Wash or if washing not possible sanitise your hands regularly.

Stop biting your nails and touching your face/rubbing eyes.

Wash your hands before you eat.

Get your students to wash their hands regularly.

Provide tissues for noses/sneezes and allow free access to them in your classroom.

Keep a window open/buy and use a hepa filter in your classroom.

Clean down touch points and desks a few times a day with detol wipes.

Pay for your flu jab each year.

It's all about hygiene unfortunately. You cannot "improve" or "boost" your immune system. You just have to reduce the likely hood of catching anything.

Zinc!!

I find going for a good long walk in the open air at least every other day helps.

Also, fruit and veges, rather than pills, so for breakfast I have three pieces of fruit - like kiwifruit, bananas, plums, apples, pears and satsumas. And lots of veges with at least several main meals a week - so I might have chard, broccoli, cauli, beans, asparagus, pumpkin and carrots with a meal.

Also opening up the house for a bloody good airing every day.

I agree on the hygiene.

But I also find that regular walks in the great outdoors even on an overcast day gives your body & mood a lift.

I’m immunocompromised and have started using this
https://amzn.eu/d/9vSOrNb

Handwashing very regularly, using sanitizer and showering when you get back from work are some of the best preventative measures you can take if you aren't already.

There is some evidence for vitamin D and zinc reducing the length of upper respiratory viruses (e.g. flu). Also ensuring that you're not anaemic or deficient in vitamin D can help your system to cope better with some of these viruses.

This. The thing that really works is consistently wearing an FFP2 or FFP3 mask consistently. A nasal spray with iotacarrageenan is a good extra layer that may well reduce the number of infections. A HEPA air filter also reduces the spread of infection. You can buy portable ones and put one in your classroom if you are allowed.

Eat a raw food diet. It has worked wonders for me. The immune system is tied up with inflammation and gut health. Sugar and junk food wrecks all that. Live on nuts, raw carrots, raw cauliflower, raw mushrooms etc. I haven’t had a cold in years (god I’m tempting fate…I’ll probably end up with bloody pneumonia now).

Thanks for all the advice! I do make sure I have good hygiene throughout the day as I work with very young ones so it’s essential! I haven’t rested much since being poorly though, either still going in to work or trying to get stuff done around the house/with the kids so I think that might have played a part. I will definitely look in to the HEPA air filter. Although I eat healthily now I think I still have a lot of processed foods in my diet so I will look at changing that also.

Speaking as a fellow teacher, I feel your pain!

But you know what has had the biggest impact on my health? Moving house.

For 14 years I lived in a flat, where my living room window was perhaps 10 metres from a very busy dual carriageway. I'd have a moderate cold perhaps every 6-8 weeks, and a really heavy one at least 3 times a year.
13 months ago I moved to a new house in an estate, where the nearest significant road (but certainly not a dual carriageway!) is probably at least half a mile away. Since then I've had maybe 3 very minor sniffles. That's a very, very low number for me.
I only recently noticed the difference, but I suspect the better air quality has done great things for me.

I'm on a low dose immune suppressant and rarely get ill. I don't work in a school though! My things I do are:

Natural (no sugar) probiotic yoghurt every day - yeo Valley is best but you can make this a lot cheaper with a yoghurt maker

Vitamin D all year round

Neilmed nasal rinse every night. There's also a nasal spray that's meant to be a cold preventative think it's called first defence.

In times of stress taking B vitamin and a zinc tablet. On my period I quite like sambucol which has zinc and elderberry.

Another one I used to take a lot was echnichea drops by Vogel - I don't take them now as couldn't get an answer on whether they interfered with the immune suppressant. There's also echinichea tea etc.

Sleep - not getting enough sleep drastically impacts the immune system.

Sept/Oct - these are prime months for colds as all the kids go back. I was in same job for 6 years and when I looked back at my sick record it was like clockwork early September 2 days off for a cold. So I guess you could try and pre-empt that by making sure you're taking vitamins from start of August- I know it still is summer but daylight is already dropping from July 21st.