Why do we get so many sickness bugs?

[MrsNouveauRichards]

Last winter our family had 6 bouts of vomiting in 5 months.

We are generally a fit, healthy family. My husband works outside, I am outside for at least half of the day with the animals. DS is at a fab preschool where they are outside in all weathers, and DD is at primary school, where I do think they are kept inside too much to be honest.

I know that fresh air isn't the cure all for everything, but I know it is supposed to help.

Anyway, we probably get one or two proper colds a year if we are unlucky. DD had AB's for the first time this year aged 5.7yrs.

So why the vomiting! I expected it when she first started preschool/school, but not quite to the same extent.

She is currently on her first bout of this season.

Is there anything I can do? (wits end!)

Bump?

how is the hygiene?
washing hands (esp when coming in from the animals), toilet cleaning?
do you wash bedding and towels at 60?
do you have food intolerances?

Bio yoghurt & sleep. Colonise the gut with "good bacteria" - I've seen this in New Scientist, along with the sleep aspect. I can't remember the details though.

Although a lot of it is bad luck & genetics.

Try a probiotic ( a decent one not a yoghurt full of sugar thingy). You can get them at health food shops or look on-line for info. There's different types and for children there are chewy tablets or powder than can go in drinks.

We wash our hands every time we come in from the supermarket, school, library etc. It's the first thing we all do and I think it has reduced the number of infections we get.

First thing to do when coming in the house from anywhere is a good soapy wash of the hands. No exceptions. You get into the habit of it quite quick.

Contain sick person to one room as much as possible and wash hands often when dealing with sick person. Spray bottle of one part bleach and the rest water spray bathroom/toilet area after every use and wipe with kitchen roll which is discarded.

Hand washing is the thing though.. especially when coming in from outside.

My children are in their 20s.

I can count the number of sickness bugs my family have had on one hand.

I am a nurse, and hand hygiene is fundamental to preventing this sort of thing.

We wash our hands as soon as we come in the door, as soon as we finish using a keyboard of any sort, before and after eating, before touching food, before opening the fridge, emptying the dishwasher, after clearing up anything.

Clean towels, teatowels, dishcloths are also important.

I am very relaxed about out door play, eating leftovers, not obsessive about house cleaning, so I honestly think it is hand washing that makes the difference.

Im a bit of a sob with hand washing and general cleanliness and am rarely ill, none of us are.

Dsil and her family on the other hand are always ill with something or other ans she is fastidious about germs and sterilised the kids everything untill they were over a year old. I don't think anyone of them have any immunity at all.

Maybe you're too clean?

Wrt to how to stop a vomiting bug in its path, I'm afraid bleach and hot water are the only ways. Bleach literally every hard surface, incl stair rails, door handles and light switches,.wash bedding and towels and cushions on a hot wash and wipe over sofas

Hope dd improves soon :)

We had a lot last year -ore than the last 3 years. I was run down, had gone back to work etc.

I def advocate hand washing - when swine flu was rife, I was pregnant. I became obsessed about hand washing and not touching my eyes/mouth unless clean and I didn't catch it despite close colleagues and my DH getting it.

Got to break the cycle and rebuild gut flora, otherwise its an ongoing process. From experience I recommend Acidophilus for both kids and adults. H&B do a good daily tablet, tastes fine, half for kids. This week my husband and I have had humdinger of colds, started my DD on acidophilus the second we started, she has been with us all week and not even a sniffle from her.

As your gut controls all immunity, its massively important to get the balance right to avoid bugs, colds etc.

hope you all feel better soon,
TA

Sorry, meant to say, I got this advice from a lovely MNer when DD was only a year and had 4 sick bugs on the bounce, then became lactose intolerant as a result. Within a week of taking the acidophilus she was well and I have never looked back. Essential after antibiotics too.

Thanks all!

We are not too clean (hahahahaha) but nor is our house a health hazard.

I remember having 2 sick bugs when I was a child and I had a lot less healthy lifestyle than my kids do!

My husband and I fell I'll about twice last year, I still suck my thumb and I'm actually sick less than the others.

I take acidophilus (when I remember) because I tend to get IBS type symptoms and think it helps.

I give the children multivitamins, but couldn't find any pro-biotics for them.

I suppose I am a bit slack at getting them to wash their hands, will start a new routine!

Many thanks again for all the tips!

We all wash our hands when coming back to the house too. I am convinced it helps as we hardly ever get ill despite living on the Equator where bugs breed fast.

I don't know if it makes any difference, but all the bugs are very short lived. Child comes home from school a bit peaky, not keen on dinner, goes to bed early, sick around 10 ish, maybe a second time, but then back to sleep and pretty perky the next day. I think only once we have had one lasting more than 48hrs.

Stop socialising. All my family's sick bugs can be traced to the actions of others. One party where all the children became ill (obviously an infected child present), one child who was still contagious at a playdate (despite the mother insisting he was better) and one baby with an upset stomach who had an allergy according to the mother (funny how my son went down with norovirus two days later)

I think you may have a point!

I was sick last night. A very small amount, and fine today. Starving in fact! Why does this happen!

Wash everything with a mild bleach solution, especially doorhandles!

We've managed to reduce the amount of bugs we get by doing the above.

Also vitamins, so lots of fruit and veg and juice. Help your natural defences.