Getting sick is obviously an immune issue - if the body truly sick. The immune system is largely comprised of the thymus, spleen, and lymph tissue and half comprised of the "friendly" bacterial that line the digestive tract. Increases in stress hormones, primarily cortisone from the adrenal glands, cause the immune system to function not as well as it should. Sugar is also a big deterrent in immune health. That is why drinking ginger ale or some other sugar-laden soda when you are sick is not a good idea. You'll further suppress your immune system.

The health of the gut is also very important since that is such a major part of your immune system. The healthy bacteria will significantly be decreased from a poor diet, especially one containing allergenic foods, as well as a digestive tract containing unhealthy bacteria and fungus from past antibiotic therapies or simply an unhealthy diet/lifestyle.

However, whether you get sick a lot or only once or twice a year, how do you truly know you are sick and have a viral or bacterial infection? Most will never know. We base how we feel and what our symptoms reveal to indicate that we have a viral infection. And if it's not going away as quickly as it should, then we take antibiotics because it must be a bacterial infection. Well, I'm here to tell you that many times you may not truly have a "bug", but your symptoms are due to a food allergy or some free radical pathology. Studies show that when a person presents with signs and symptoms of strep throat that after the culture is taken, they are more likely to not have an infection than have one! Food allergies, like any allergic reaction, cause histamine to be released. That's the same stuff you get when you're sick (or feel sick) and take an anti-histamine drug for. Especially with constant ear infections, think about a food allergy. Free radical damage, or over-oxidizing of your tissues can easily cause the red, inflamed sore throat as well as other symptoms. Lack of antioxidants and essential fats in the diet will cause your tissues to make you feel as though you've caught something, when you've actually caught yourself. Taking the right antioxidants and correcting the things in your life that are causing over-oxidation will stop your tissues from destroying themselves. This is why taking vitamin C when you feel "sick" many times helps - it is such a powerful antioxidant.

  copyright © 2000-2008 by Dr. Stephen Gangemi