People who don't get sick all the time... what's your secret?

[blackcoffeenosleep]

Long story short since the end of September me and my family (DH and 3 kids) have had the following between us: Novovirus, normal cold, ear infection, bronchiolitis and now 3 of us have hand foot and mouth.

Once we are past this how can I build up our immune systems? We already practice handwashing before /after the loo, beforw eating, after changing nappies/blowing noses and when we come home and just generally throughout the day. Hand sanitiser used reguarly by the kids at school and in shops etc. We're in scotland so still wearing masks in most places. We all take vitamin supplements and eat a healthy varied diet.

Are we just unlucky? Today is halloween and my middle child has woke up covered in HFM spots after being up all night with a cough and temp. Im just getting over it and his baby sister had it last week. My oldest son has had a cough too so think its going his way now too... DH seems to be immune to these things (except Novovirus.. that one got him bad 😩) no trick or treating for us tonight. Luckily we have pumpkins to carve and halloween crafts to do to keep us entertained.

Really this is just a moan but any other advice is welcomed! (I will add we all tested for covid at first sign of cough/temp and all neg) we all do regular lft as well.

I think you probably are just unlucky. Immunity is a combination of so many things, and hopefully you now have some new extra immunity for the next round of colds, tummy bugs etc. I've 4 small kids and we are rarely sick and it doesn't seem to pass to each other much either. If I'm honest, we don't do much hand washing and I don't use any anti bacterial cleaning products😳 Not sure if that has had any ironically positive impact.

My DH is literally never ill. Never. I have no idea what his secret is!! He eats stuff that's gone off date, thinks nothing of cutting mould off bread or cheese, he will eat chicken that's been accidentally left out overnight.

In the 14 years we have been together he has visited the doctor once and that was to ask for a vasectomy. (Obviously apart from 2 covid jabs).

I am rarely ill
I don’t go overboard on using hand sanitiser or cleaning everything
I work in a nursery with very small children so I guess I just have natural immunity
I do make sure the windows are open all day in the nursery and we do spend a lot of time outside
I read that the children with the best resistance to germs are children that live on farms
My tips would be ventilation, spend time outside and don’t go overboard on hand gel and antibacterial sprays
A bit of muck is good for us

Perhaps it could be that once you are run down after having one bug, it is easier to then catch something else that your immune system might otherwise fight off? So it kind of snowballs and you get one thing after another after another.

Doesn't help when the insufferably smug (who never catch anything) enjoy telling you that they look after themselves properly so it must be your own fault.

We're rarely ill. It's not hygiene related I don't think. We wash hands etc and the house is fairly clean but not overboard. We exercise a fair bit and and spend a lot of time outdoors and have OK diets. I think some of it is genetic maybe, as in you can't control it it's just luck?

A strong constitution, I suspect.

I can't remember when I was last ill. I eat healthily and take extra vitamins.. but I also have a dog who gets into all kinds of gross stuff, so I do think the house is probably covered in germs that I've built good immunity too.

I think it’s probably luck. I can’t remember the last time I had a cold, but it was at least 5 years ago, probably longer. I don’t think I’ve ever had flu. I had a stomach bug perhaps twice in childhood and not since then. I had Covid at the beginning of this year but just felt tired for a week with a bit of a headache.

My diet isn’t amazingly healthy, nor do I fastidiously clean my house or myself. My dad had a similar constitution and never needed a day off work for illness in his whole 40+ year career.

I’m sorry your luck hasn’t been as good and I wish healthier times for you and yours.

We're never ill. I'm the sort of parent that lets kids eat sweets they've dropped on the floor of the bus and they don't wash their hands before meals. That plus they have my genes, it's incredibly rare for me to catch anything.

Also vegetarian plus we eat a ton of garlic.

We wash our bedding monthly too...

I agree with not cleaning too much and not using anti bacterial products. I also think genes play a part. I rarely catch bugs. I have had one cold, 3 years ago, in at least 7 years (lost count tbh). I do try to eat healthily, but not obsessively, but my basic hygiene is, well, basic! My dh catches more colds, but I can't remember the last time he was off work. My adult children, equally, are rarely/never ill.

I would say though that to some extent you are at the worst stage in life. You have young children and when I look back I do recall times when my children seemed to have constant colds, interspersed with the odd sickness bug or other virus. Even then though, they weren't as often ill as other children. They frequently were given those awards at school for full attendance. I think the constant round of mins or illnesses probably stopped when they were about 7. Maybe something for you to hang on to?

Don't be too clean is the answer I think. We wash before preparing food, after toilet etc but we don't use sanitisers. The house is clean enough but I don't go round wiping surfaces with anti-bac. We have dogs so I think we end up sharing germs with them too. The family get the odd cold but maybe one or two each per year and usually fairly mild.
If you must still wear masks then make sure you are changing them very regularly as they will be harbouring all sorts of bacteria.

Eldest is never ever ill. Ever. She gets a slight reaction to vaccines but that’s it. She had the Covid and flu vaccine on the same day earlier in the week and had two days of being easy and watching Netflix and I dosed her up on calpol. No issues really she’s fit - walks two hours a day to school and then back eg an hour each way.

Youngest is always ill. Was ill x3 needing antibiotics during the 14 weeks we spent indoor and shielding last year during lockdown. He constantly has ear and chest infections.

My own theory is two fold - both of which would start a bun fight on here. Both are vaccinated to the hilt.

Both have suffered less infections during lockdown. Both have a multivitamin and iron and orange juice with liquid high dose vitamin d daily. I should make both drink milk daily but they don’t like it.

minor illness that should say at the end of my post.

It’s the kids! I never got ill until I had kids! They bring in all the germs.

I take probiotics nightly which has made an enormous difference. No anti bacterial products used. The house is clean, but not immaculate, I adopt the 5 second rule. As a kid I apparently enjoyed getting dirty and we didnt bath every night and we had pets.

I haven't had as much as a cold since before 2020 and still haven't caught covid despite working in a school! I take multivitamins as well as having a varied diet. I don't use hand sanitizer all that often and don't wear a mask anymore. House is reasonably clean but not sterile clean. Or I might just have a naturally good immune system! Also, don't have kids myself yet and I think kids bring it home a lot of the time.

We too are rarely ill.

I know it’s probably not the done thing to admit, but we don’t wash our hands all that frequently (yes after the loo but not before meals etc).

We shower every day, but very rarely use any sort of anti bac things in the home.

We eat well enough, don’t regularly take vitamins, we do exercise and I like spending time outside.

So all in all, I’d say being not overly fastidious about constantly cleaning with products and getting out and about.

I’d like to know this as well. I seem to pick up every germ going whereas DP never ever gets ill. He eats absolute crap as well whereas I’m a pretty healthy eater so it feels very unfair!

The only thing I can think of is that he works outside doing sport all day whereas I’m often in the office or meeting clients so I guess more chance of being in close proximity to people with germs.

Family of 3 here, 3 year old ds. We are almost never ill. I believe the key is exposure. Our son has always socialised with lots of other children and we never stopped him from seeing other children. We never bother with hand gel and because dh is on the frontline he is always bringing home bugs and viruses including Covid so our bodies have had the chance to build up immunity to everything rather than everything being sanitised all the time. Our house is clean and tidy but we don't go overboard.

That’s interesting about not being too clean actually. DP grew up with MIL who is a hoarder and lives in an absolutely filthy house so perhaps he developed a strong immune system as a child.

Genetics - it has to be! DH rarely gets ill but my mum would get sick at a lord of wind (And I mean proper sick). Dad rarely got ill either. Maybe women catch things more?

You need to use less hand sanitizer etc, you will not build up any resistance if you are never exposed to any germs!

It’s partly luck but there’s also an ‘season’ when you just get everything going.
We had a winter with multiple colds, mumps, chickenpox random nails falling out 🥺, conjunctivitis and global cellulitis. I think we were just all run down and prey to everything going, kids at 2 schools and nursery and DH travelling a lot. Particularly me and the then toddler, although none of us five were unscathed. Since then pretty healthy. Generally lots of fresh air and not stuffy house, but sometimes you just get unlucky. And lots of things, cp, mumps and colds are once only so you won’t suffer that particular affliction again.

Luck.

My DH and I don't tend to catch things, now does DS or Dil.

What we do do is eat a lot of fresh veg, salad and fruit and all of us have a fondness for fresh air and exercise. We are all either veggie or vegan. Again, don't know if that makes a difference.