Do you become nervous whenever the winter months come along because you know this is the beginning of cold season? Are you phobic whenever someone coughs or sneezes in front of you because you know that it may mean you'll catch another germ and come down with a cold? Do you ask yourself “Why do I keep getting colds?” Cold season is tough on everyone but it is worse in some people when compared to others. Why does it seem as though you catch colds more often than others and why is winter a season of constant colds for some people? Let's take a look.
Why Do I Keep Getting Colds?
Many people believe that the answer to this question is that there must be something wrong with the immune system that prevents properly fighting off certain bacteria and viruses. This is partly true. Those who have a lower body temperature than others also have higher risk of getting colds frequently because the rhinovirus, the cold virus that causes the common cold, likes a cold environment and grows faster in temperatures around 91 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit.
The following list may help provide you with reasons as to “why I keep getting colds” and may help you overcome this annoying problem so you don't get as many colds.
1. Immune Cell Imbalance
Some people don't have enough of the immune cell types called Th1 and Th2. These are types of T helper cells that aid in defense against bacteria and viruses. People who get colds have too many Th2 cells and not enough Th1 cells.The lattercells are the ones primarily responsible for fighting of viruses and bacteria, so these people have a greater susceptibility to getting colds.
The best way to have a better T cell balance is to have good bacteria in the gut, which can be achieved by eating foods high in probiotics or taking probiotic supplements.
2. Nutritional Deficiencies
Some people are lacking in immune-fighting nutrients that aid in the body's defense against the cold virus. The answer to "why do I keep getting colds" may lie in the foods you eat or in the types of nutritional supplements you take. Nutrients you may wish to keep in mind when trying to stay away from colds include zinc, which strengthens the immune system; vitamin C, a good infection-fighting nutrient; enough protein to build cold-fighting immune cells; and iron to fight off colds.
So, eat foods high in protein that also contain plenty of zinc, vitamin C, and iron. A high protein diet with a good multivitamin that includes minerals will also give you what you need to fight off unhealthy viruses.
3. Stress in Your Life
Emotional and physical stress can also be an answer to "Why do I keep getting colds" by affecting the way your immune system works. When you are under stress, the sympathetic nervous system takes hold, blocking the parasympathetic nervous system which is responsible for controlling immunity and cellular repair. As mentioned, the stressors can be emotional or physical. Emotional stressors include things like relationship stress and work stress. Physical stressors can be things like chemical exposure, dietary stresses, or exposure to cigarette smoke.
The best thing you can do in order to de-stress your life is to practice meditation in order to calm yourself from emotional stressors, live a chemical-free life without alcohol, cigarettes or even harsh soaps you might be intolerant to,get enough sleep and do exercise regularly.
4. Poor Hygiene
It is common knowledge and a fact that when you wash your hands frequently, especially after you have been touching things that may be contaminated or after using the bathroom, you reduce your risk of getting the cold virus. If you can't wash your hands right away, try not to touch your eyes, nose, face, or mouth until your hands have been washed. Use hand sanitizer if it is available. Don't suck on the ends of pens or chew your unclean fingernails because you expose yourself to whatever is harbored on these items. Cover any breaks in your skin after cleaning them out meticulously. Keep good oral hygiene so that viruses and bacteria in your mouth can be brushed away.
5. Decreased Stomach Acid
You need your stomach acid to kill off bacteria and viruses that enter your system through foods and beverages. If you have low stomach acid, you can't fight off bacteria and viruses as well and you set yourself up for getting colds and other bugs.
You can increase your stomach acid by taking a zinc supplement. Avoid antacids during flu and cold season unless you really need them. The low pH environment of the stomach will improve your chances of fighting off the cold virus.
6. Dehydration
If your cells are dehydrated, they can't function properly. This is true even for your immune cells that need enough intracellular fluid to do their job of fighting infection.
In order to keep yourself hydrated, you need to drink at least eight full glasses of water every day and stay away from caffeinated beverages, which only dehydrate you in the end.
7. Lack of Sleep
You need at least 7-9 hours of sleep each night for the proper functioning of your immune system. People who regularly get less than that are more prone to illnesses, such as colds and flus.
Do what you can to get to sleep at an early hour each night, especially if you have no choice about when you get up in the morning. Practice good sleep hygiene, sleeping in a dark and quiet room or use a white noise machine to lull yourself to sleep. Avoid big meals, alcohol, and heavy exercise before you go to sleep, so you can have the best chance of getting a good night's sleep.
8. Environment
Living in a cold environment without bundling up against the cold can put you at risk for getting the cold virus. You should especially stay away from moist cold, such as the kind you find in a damp basement. Viruses live off of cold, moist environments, so all you can do is to stay warm and avoid damp environments to protect you from getting viruses.
9. Foods
The foods you eat will affect your body temperature, not just nutrition intake. And as have been talked above, cold temperature is what cold virus likes. So avoid eating salads in the wintertime and instead think about warm soup. Eat warm foods like ginger, garlic, oats, coconut, trout, and cinnamon. These can help prevent the incidence of getting colds.
10. Low Thyroid
Why do I keep getting colds? If you suffer from low thyroid conditions, your body will naturally be cold and you will be an environment ripe for getting the cold virus. Your thyroid gland affects the metabolism of your immune system, so, if you want a healthy-running immune system, have your thyroid gland checked by your doctor and take thyroid medication if you need to.
11. Low Blood Sugar
You can suffer from a low sugar state if you eat simple carbohydrates and suffer from "reactive hypoglycemia". This causes a low blood sugar state from putting out too much insulin in response to the sugar you have eaten, which can lower your body temperature. Eating foods you are allergic to can also result in low blood sugar and subsequently low body temperature. This puts you at an increased risk of catching the cold virus. So stay away from simple sugars and allergy-provoking foods in order to prevent body coldness.
This is not the full list of the causes of keeping getting colds, if you are worried about this condition, go to see a doctor and get checked as early as possible to avoid any more serious underlying problems.