Avoiding Further Illness

     Fighting viral and bacterial infections is a miserable situation for anyone.  For those of us with auto-immune dysfunctions, it is a massive struggle.  My kidney disease is one in which my white blood cells are confused.  If I get a viral infection, the white blood cells are confused and attack my kidneys instead of attacking the virus.  This makes my kidneys bleed and allows the viral infection to invade without resistance.  My only real defense is to avoid getting a viral infection in the first place.  This is why I am a germaphobe. 

     I cannot avoid every germ that comes my way, hard as I try.  I have found a way to reduce my illnesses and it includes taking supplements and rinsing out my sinus cavity on a daily basis with saline (salt water).

     I tried a neti pot before and found that this sinus rinse works better for me.  I bought it at Walgreens and use it every day.  Viral and bacterial infections take time to colonize in your nasal cavity, so rinsing out the nasal cavity with saline solution prevents the germs from taking hold and making you ill.    We won't go over how many ways you can contract infections from the many orifices in the body because I will have a panic attack.  What we can focus on today is that we have a tool to prevent nasal cavity colonization.  The premixed packets are put in the bottle with warm water and you hang frontwards over the sink and gently and slowly squeeze the water up one side of the nose and then the other.  I believe this simple, daily task has reduced my amount of colds and viral infections drastically. 

     Above is a picture of my box of vitamins and supplements I take every day.  This does not include my prescription medications or what I add when I feel sick.  When a person takes this many pills every day, it becomes a real drag.  I have found that keeping drinks handy and taking the pills throughout the day works best for me and it helps me get my 8 glasses of water a day.  I especially like to have a nice cup of green tea handy.

       
     I like decaffeinated green tea and keep a kettle on the stove so I can have a nice cup anytime and take one or two pills at the same time.

     Giving our body the tools it needs to combat illness is a big part of feeling well.