“Oh, another bout of cold or flu! Why do I have such a low immune system” you think. “What can I do to stop being sick? I am really fed up of this.”
Don’t look for hi-tech tests to confirm your low immunity. There are none, but know that body abounds with early warning signs of immune weakness. 7 overlooked low immune symptoms
Victim of cold
In the early years of my clinical practice I had a lot of patients with low immune system. I probably kept attracting them, because I myself was one of the victims of low immunity getting sick every time my system encountered a draft or cold. I was experiencing recurrent colds and sore throats.
I knew very well what it meant not to be well. During that time I became an expert on overflowing the garbage basket with wet tissue, and stuffing my night table with variety of cold and flu medicines. I knew that sweating all night helps, so does Vicks, aspirin, lemon, honey, cloves, and wine. I knew how to take care of myself WHILE sick, but what I did not know is how NOT to get sick. This did not really sit well with me later as a doctor, so I went searching for answers.
Shopping therapy for low immune system
Foods that boost immune system
One thing I learned very well is how to manipulate my internal temperature by using foods. This way I could reduce fever with one food and stay away from chill with another. Using foods that alter body temperature was a neat trick I started to use daily. Below is a chart with these foods. Print it and stick in on your fridge. The guide can help you overcome cold hands and feet and even prevent frequent colds.
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What causes low immune system
I always thought that getting frequent infections is a sign of low immune system. It puzzled me for a while to find that people with “low immune system” syndrome, at least according to their blood tests, actually don’t have low immunity. It turns out that there are other reasons why people experience frequent colds.
Can low immune system be tested?
The immune system is guarded by white blood cells which are widely spread throughout the body. They are our very own army, which is activated when a bacteria or a virus enters the body. I know from medical studies that in cases of low immune system white blood cells are low. So I kept testing my “low immune system” patients to find a pattern.
To my surprise people with frequent colds and flus did not have low white blood cells. Contrary to what I expected their levels were never low, but always normal. That puzzled me a while because it meant that these people with frequent flus and colds did not actually have low immunity as per the medical definition. So why they did get frequent infections?
Is Fever a sign of low immune system?
I took few years before I fully understood immunity and the immune system. I realized that getting symptoms such as fever, pain, and runny nose is actually a desirable immune reaction. These are the signs that the immune system has mounted a fight against an invader. These are the ways the body destroys and removes viruses and bacteria.
Fever improves circulation of lymph and blood and therefore increases the likelihood of a virus or bacteria encountering white blood cells. Pain is the end effect of inflammation or in other words, immune system activation. The increased mucus production helps in removing both the living and already destroyed germs. The stronger the reaction, the stronger the fight, the stronger the immune system.
Do you have strong or weak immune system?
We can frequently observe a strong immune reaction in kids, as they mount a very high fever. Their illness is intense, but short-lived, because their bodies are very efficient in destroying microbes.
Low-grade fever and lingering post-infection symptoms, on the other hand, are frequently seen in adults. Low and insufficient fever is a typical reaction of a still working, but much weaker immune system. Watch what symptoms you get when sick. These symptoms can tell you if your immune system is strong or not.
How to make immune system stronger?
Now you know that fever, runny nose or malaise is just a way the immune system works and you should encourage a strong immune reaction. Although it will make you feel better, lowering fever, taking anti-inflammatories or stopping mucus production, is counterproductive.
So, if fever, mucus, cough, and malaise indicate a good immune reaction then what’s not right about getting frequent colds and flus? Symptoms of flu or cold can come only AFTER you get infected with a virus or bacteria, never before. Getting symptoms means that the microbe, or rather a large number of microbes, have found a way how to enter into your body.
The body will not activate the immune system without a reason, so if you get frequent colds and flus somewhere in your system there is a big open door through which the can parade in. How to close the door? That is a topic for a different post. In the meantime you can learn how to boost immune system with foods. If you want to know inside-out of building a strong immune system, grab a great read “Ousting Sniffles”
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I’ve been sick for the last month and a half. First the stomach flu, then the respiatory flu ( that’s what I call it) ,it then turned into a severe sinus infection. The doctor put me on ten days of antibiotics, before I was done taking them my lungs got tight again with mucus. I am at my end of the rope and tired of being sick. What can be causing me to keep staying sick?
Terry, for sure your immune system does not keep up with the demands, but the bigger question is why doesn’t it? There may be many causes: stress, nutritional deficiencies, or improper lifestyle, which is a huge topic by itself. Lack of exercise, shift work, immunosuppressive chemical compounds present in your environment, carrying extra weight, smoking, avoiding vegetables, carrying diet low in antioxidants, poor digestive health all can play a part in lowering immune system. If you have access to a qualified naturopathic doctor or at least a nutritionist in your area I would suggest a long talk with that person. This should be your first step in figuring out what stops your immune system from performing properly.
Wishing you a quicker recovery. DrD
I have had chronic colds flus virus ear infectios sinus problems asthma allergies. i eat chia seeds, take plant based vitamins, i eat organic fruits and vegys, i avoid gmo foods,pre packaged food are not part of my diet, meat is usually from a local racher or amish family. i quit dairy and gluten, i excersize one hour four days a weeks at the gym. get pleny of sleep, read for fun, read lots of healty water, no pop, no juice, coffee yes! organic white and green tea yes. my dr says im peri menapausal, pre diabetic with a bs of 104 after 8hr fast, she says im healty except a low immune system. no treatment suggested. i have a better immune system than last year she says. i have been sick 7months out of the year for four years now. please suggest something as i have goals and want to complete college. i cannot even get out of bed so often. HELP ME PLEASE
Hi Laura, ask for a copy of your blood work and analyze it yourself. Your doctor is looking for numbers outside the range, which indicate pathology. Numbers that are not outside the range do NOT in any way indicate OPTIMAL health. Your doctor mixes up lack of pathology with optimal health. Pre-diabetes, allergies, chronic sinusitis, and asthma do not belong to “HEALTH” category.
If you are from a country/place that has qualified Naturopathic Physicians, please make an appointment. You will not be able to help yourself the way a board-certified ND can help you. This is your plan:
1. Analyze blood work: what was tested, what was not tested and how it was interpreted. You need a good naturopathic dr for that. If you don’t at least get a copy of your recent blood work, so I can go over some major categories. You want to see at least the following: inflammatory markers (especially hsCRP, thyroid and lipid profile, B12, iron, complete blood count, liver and kidney check, HbA1C,
2. Have somebody analyze your diet: timing, quantity, macronutrient proportion and micronutrient saturation. A good non-vegetarian nutritionist can do that. ND would be even better. If you have none keep a very detailed diet diary for 3-4 days and maybe something will be very obvious.
3. Do IgG food allergy test. One of the biggest “suckers” of immune system are incompatible foods. You need a naturopathic doctor to do it. It is a blood work. It is very helpful. I suspect you can find some culprits there.
4. Stop exercising. I am not joking. Give yourself a break for two weeks and then exercise only 2x week. Your system is too weak to deal with another stress.
5. Make sure you are not lacking any of the immune-supporting nutrients: zinc, vit D, vit C, vit A.
I guess, you have things to do. I know I was very general, but remember unless I examine you thoroughly in person and know what`s going on I would be doing you a disservice. DrD
Hello, my daughter has been sick continuously since she was born on jan. 2, 2013. She’s now 11months old n still sick.(congested lungs,congested sinuses, ears, cough, runny nose, ) dr. Said she had croop once and sinus infection once gave me antibiotic.( That didn’t work by the way) They tell me there’s nothing I can do but humidifer, steam, use lil noses, vicks. I bought a purifer also. She dnt sleep whitch means no sleep for me n she crys all the time,cause she miserable n dnt feel good. What do I need to do or ask to make her get well. Please help!( I’m tired of getting sick too)
Are you breastfeeding her? Kids build immune system through nutrients and bacteria present in breast milk. If you are not breastfeeding, please do if it is possible. Formulas can be immune draining for many kids. If you are breastfeeding ensure that your milk is top notch quality. Eat real, organic food and absolutely do not avoid animal fats. It is vitamin D and A that builds immunity. These vitamins are fat-soluble and they should come from egg yolks, meat, and unaltered dairy products (not the ones from the grocery shelf, but the ones from the farmer). Inquire about procedures done in the hospital. It is not uncommon that non-vaginal births or early vaccination cause immune system problems. I made many mothers happy by using homeopathic remedies. DrD
Hello drD. I just came across your website and find it very interesting and informative.
I have a low immune system since my teenage years, my tonsils although very small, would give me fever very often. Took a tons of different antibiotics but finally I had to take them out at age of 16. The doctor back then told me hat taking them out would have caused me to have a lower resistance to upper respiratory infections and I would have been prone to get colds… now im in 40s and I can say that his words were so true.
I get sick all the time. I developed so many allergies. Im allergic to cats, dust, pollens, etc. I even became allergic to aspirin overnight (I used to take it no problem). The prick test said Im also mildly allergic to latex and mold.. anyway my biggest problems are colds. I moved from Rome, Italy, to sunny Florida almost 10 years ago and although I dont get allergies from pollens anymore everyday when I get up at least one of my nostrils is closed up(and I used hypoallergenic pillows and mattresses).
Last month I got bronchitis (I also had it 11 years ago when I was in Rome).. and since then its even worse, I already catch a cold twice since.. if there is a fan in the room and I feel it over my head, (even if I was not cold)within an hour I get a runny nose witch will turn into a cold. Now is to the point that if I feel cold in my ankles or feet I get a runny nose in minutes!
Im so so so tired of being constantly sick. I live in Florida, here summer is almost year around and still I get sick. So discouraged. I have a cold right now.
Im not sure if I have a mild gluten intolerance…if I would eat lots of pasta and bread I would bloated but now I cut down on that so it doesnt happen anymore.
Im skinny and till 2 months ago I used to do zumba but now Im too scared to go back because of the ac and then sweating while dancing I’m afraid since the bronchitis my immune system is even weaker and I can get sick- er.
My body temperature is on the low side, always between 96, 96 and a half.
For over a month I’ve been taking xclear sprays (which tons of people says it changed their life) but it doesnt seems is really working that much after all. Im also taking vit C. powder from dr Schulze (which is supposed to do miracles) but is definitely not working.
Next week Im going for my annual physical…is there anything specific I should ask the dr to do on my blood work?
Im so tired to be sick all my life and so tired of it. I want to be finally be able to enjoy life but it seems no matter what (including moving to a warm area) I still get worse.
I used to take echinacea as prevention or when Im sick. It doesnt help.
What shoudl I do?
Thanks a million for your response!!
Hello Bellaroma,
Oh, my! It seems multiple systems are involved: immune, digestive, lymphatic, and endocrine (thyroid + adrenals). Blood work may not be helpful at all, especially that physicians are trained to recognize patterns of disease, not patterns of ill-health. You should ask for a copy of it, though. Just make sure you have standard CBC, hsCRP, immunoglobulin count, and maybe add on vitamin D.
From what you are describing your best bet will be to find a qualified homeopathic doctor in the area. The symptoms you have are most suitable to be treated by homeopathy. Homeopathic remedy can act fast and can remove your draft and cold sensitivity.
Also remember that there is a hierarchy of treatment. Your immune system will not get better unless your digestive system, and lymphatic system are performing flawlessly.
So your course of action should be: homeopathic doctor first, if not possible a licensed/board-certified naturopathic doctor in your area. If that fails send me an email in a few weeks.
DrD
PS. Echinacea may aggravate allergies, so go easy on it.
I was wondering why you mention drafts and cold weather. You didn’t tell the previous lady that that had nothing to do with viruses. In fact, the colder the weather (if you are outside in it) the less viruses there are. Drafts and cold weather do not cause illness or aggravate them. The only thing you can get from the cold is hypothermia.
Hi Lisa,
Cold and drafts are strong contributors to infections. Our bodies are not sterile. Our bodies harbor more microbes than they have cells. Environment decides which microbes will flourish. That’s why some people “catch” infections from apparently nowhere. “Sterile infections” are well-documented phenomena. Your statement “the only thing you can get from the cold is hypothermia” would be true under one condition: our bodies are devoid of opportunistic microbes.
I moved to the United States from the U.K. about 3 years ago and have suffered recurring cold symptoms ever since. Sometimes I can go 2-3 weeks with just the occasional sneezing and runny nose, at other times it’s day and night, 7 days a week. I have never experienced this before and it’s beginning to put a strain on the family. I have never had allergies. I walk whenever I can, and up until my nose problems started I was a very active/avid recreational scuba diver. Any help and/or advice please.
Excess histamine is a common cause for non-infectious runny nose and sneezing. Do some research on histamine and see if you have other symptoms that match it. Excessive histamine is called “histadelia”.
Excessive histamine can come from the gut. Candida or other microbes can initiate its production. Emotional stress is another factor, so is the weather or the work environment. To eliminate the histadelic “colds” permanently you need to discover the recurring stressor that cause it (eg. gut bacteria, air born toxins, etc) otherwise you want to invest in a few nutrients that allow the body for faster histamine removal. The very last solution that you may look into is histamine suppression, which does not eliminate the stressor, but prevents the body reaction.
DrD
Im in desperate need of help. Thank God I came across your article.
For the past 6 months I have been sick with colds and flues that attack me monthly. The glands in my neck always seem tender and swollen.
Ive had my bloods taken during a virus and my white cell count was high and so was my CRP. With one virus my CRP went up to 123 and came back down the next day to 50.
Im sick now with the flu and once again swollen glands in my neck that become painful. Im not sure what to do anymore as drs do not seem to be very helpful.
On a side note – I have been under a tremendous amount of stress and hating where I live very very much. I have mauld in my room and my house is small and very dusty and I have a dust allergy.
I am worried that I have cancer and they have not detected it yet. I am always getting sick with fever, aches and pains, chills, coughs, runny nose. PLEASE HELP!
That is really an unfortunate situation. First and foremost improve your living environment. Dust and mold have to go. If you are not up for cleaning, hire someone who can do that. Try to be outside the house as much as possible with your feet on the ground without shoes. That substantially reduces inflammatory damage to the body. Then get yourself two things: an air purifier that produces negative ions LINK: http://amzn.to/2iu8OwL and a grounding mat LINK: http://amzn.to/2iIsg8c
I have discovered this trick years ago when I was extremely flu sick and nothing was helping. I got so weak that that I considered hospitalization, but then I realized that I have a small ionizer that I forgot about. I put it in the room, which I locked to keep the ions in. I turned it on, and within 24 hours I was back on my feet from what I called “underground”. This trick is worth trying before you start restoring your immune system to good or beyond.
Stay strong.DrD
Thank you for the article. I am in my fifties, and for all of my adult life I had had 3-6 bouts per year with cold/flu viruses. They usually were severe enough to cause me to miss work, lie in bed, etc. Even after the primary symptoms subsided, I was left with a wet cough for weeks afterward as my body slowly ridded itself of the infection.
About a year ago I started taking a mixture of turmeric, ground black pepper and oregano. I take half a teaspoon of this in the morning. Taking it with a fatty meal increases turmeric’s bioavailability; I eat a walnut and drink a bit of olive oil with it.
This habit has reduced the frequency and severity of my viral infection episodes.
After I started this regimen, a friend gave me a very popular book, written by an M.D., which describes which nutritional supplements to take to delay mortality. That doctor also recommends turmeric. It is worth a try if you have frequent colds.
hi;
so it means that if my immune system is strong, then wont i have runny nose problem?
No. But these would be few and far between.
I have had 5 bad colds since last October , antibiotics don’t work , had the flu jab , now I am trying to build my immune system with a tonic, honey and green tea with ginger
Hi Dr. I recently had the cold over1 month ago then the flu 2 weeks ago and now I’m showing symptoms of another cold. I’m around a dog in a large room and I’m. Beginning to wonder if he’s the problem or could I be allergic .sometimes my nose tingle / burn when I’m around him..HELP
Iva, one way to know whether the animal is an issue: have an allergy test done. An allergy to something that is constantly in your environment can look like a common cold that never ends or one that perpetually recurs. Allergies make the immune system more reactive, so the likelihood of an infection may be higher. Regardless whether an allergy or recurrent infection, the problem lies in the malfunctioning immune system. You will be happy to know that I am about to finish my 4th book. This one will be dedicated entirely to boosting the immune system and preventing recurrent infections. It may be very helpful in your case.
I’ve been near enough constantly ill for as long as I can remember, I’ve also got a really bad eczema/dermatitis rash on my neck/around mouth which cropped up about 6 years ago and has just got worse and worse, getting bigger and redder. Could these be linked and if so what can I do about it? It’s ruining my life!
They are absolutely connected and the link is called leaky gut. Funny name, but very descriptive. Look into the digestive system health before doing anything else. Restoring the gut will give you the highest probability of success. Antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, pesticide/herbicide sprayed foods all perpetuate the gut destruction – immune system irritation cycle and need to be eliminated. Non-organic grain products and chlorinated water can act as antibiotics and they can keep damaging your gut flora on a daily basis without you suspecting anything. Dietary reorganization is a must if you want to get out of this difficult situation.
Good luck. DrD
Hey doc as you told that getting flu constantly is a sign of strong immune system ,but the thing is I have been working out keeping my diet really healthy and clean and I haven’t junk since 7 months and the thing that keeps on irritating me is that that I keep on getting flu ,body weakness and yes severe cough in which case I cannot hit the gym and I get flu every 2 months or sometimes every month I really don’t know what to do I am really confused please help with these questions I’d be really glad doc if you reply
You will be glad to know that I am in the process of writing a book on this subject. It will be published in a few weeks. The book will give you a few solid ideas on what to do to eliminate the cause of frequent infections.
I have a virus that comes on and off for the past 8 mounths should I be concerned? As I’m not normally this ill.
Of course, you should be concerned. Recurrent viral illness only means that your immune system cannot deal with it. Did you know that sunlight is an excellent immuno-booster and at the same time has direct antimicrobial action? Lack of regular sunlight exposure contributes to immune system weakness, so does lack of regular physical exertion. These two are basis for maintaining strong immune system and overall good health. Start with those and get a good doctor that can help you speed up your health efforts in other areas.
I’m on my 5th cold in 8 months and am soooo tired of it. I would love to read more and your comment at the end of the post caught my eye: “somewhere in your system there is a big open door through which the can parade in. How to close the door? That is a topic for a different post.” Where can I find this post on your site?
Many thanks