My father is currently in ICU (see post re: bleeding ulcer if you would like info on this situation) and I've been visiting the hospital daily. Since hospitals are probably full of germs how can I keep from getting sick? He has MRSA so I really want to boost my immunity. I'm thinking Vitamin C? What about probiotic?
I'm good about using hand sanitizer and trying not to touch my nose, mouth, & eyes and changing my clothes & showering when I get home from the hospital but I need to work on what I'm putting into my body. I haven't been eating well lately due to the hectic schedule of working FT, visiting my father, keeping up with the house/kids, trying to keep some normalcy in my life, etc.
Any suggestions?
I think I feel myself getting sick already. Ugh!
Thank you :)
From a nurse - the best defense against infection is hand washing. Wash your hands with soap and water before leaving the hospital and don't touch your face with your hands.
Sorry, but, There is not a magic pill that will boost your immune system - exposure is what builds your immunity.
So to be proactive - eat healthy, get enough sleep and watch your stress level. Stress will break down your immune system.
Hope your father is better soon
First, I wouldn't use hand sanitizer so much. Just washing with regular soap is a lot better for you. You can become resistant to the antibacterial stuff and you will end up more sick. Probiotics are great for you and they do help with your immune system. Vitamin D is also good for building up your immune system. Vitamin C is good too. Make sure you get a lot of rest as well.
I hope your dad gets better soon and that you don't get sick!
What you put into your body won't help if your body isn't healthy to begin with. The healthiest people I know are regular chiropractic patients. The immune system is controlled by the nervous system, so when it's out of alignment it leads to decreased health. My family gets sick less often than others we know and often get adjusted day one of any illness, which cuts it super short!
Soap and water is better than sanitizer, and we also take vitamins c and d and a probiotic.
I take probiotics regularly. Go to a gd health food store and get a quality one. My bottle has to stay in the frig.
Hand sanitizers are AWFUL. Soap and water lather for 20 seconds before rinsing is the best. It's all about marketing---they are not gd as written below !
What about either eating lots of fresh greens/fruits, etc... I would decrease your sugar intake ! Green tea is great, too. Each and every day I eat a handful of raw, organic (either) almonds, cashews, walnuts, etc...
Try to sleep for 8 hrs. and practice deep breathing a few x a day ! Breathe in through your nose and release through your mouth.
Sending get well wishes to your father!
I am so sorry about your dad! I hope he heals quickly!
My suggestions for boosting immunity are: astragalus, probiotics, vitamin D3, sambucus (elderberry syrup), and Xlear nasal spray (made with Xylitol). These are just some suggestions, no need to use them all at once. :)
All the things you are already doing are great! I hope you stay well!
Make sure you get 8 hours of rest. Continue to wash your hands and not touching our nose and mouth. Eat good meals with lots of veggies.
You should do well. I spent six weeks at a time in hospital twice when hubby was sick. I lived in room with him and did not get sick. About every fourth day I woud come home to do laundry, pay bills, mow the lawn, and change the cat box. My immune system was bolstered by living in hospital with all the germs as well as the germs from working in a university with college students.
If you need to take a good multiple vitamin and drink lots of fluids.
The other S.
the absolute best thing you can do is to eat really really well. if you don't have time to cook fresh-food meals, whip up a green smoothie every day. i don't 'like' them but oh my, they make you feel like a million bucks. handful of dark greens, like kale, half a frozen banana, handful of frozen berries, dash of juice and then water. i add hemp protein powder to mine for an extra kick of health. and make sure to take lots of vit C and echinacea.
hope your dad feels better soon!
khairete
S.
I'm in the hospital constantly, and I'm almost never sick. I also wash my hands until they bleed. :)
Just wash your hands a lot, not just with the hand santitizer, but with plain old soap and water, too. Definitely shower when you get home, and if you can, leave the shoes you wore to the hospital outside - otherwise you track those hospital germs (and those from the floor, too - yuck!) all over your floors/carpet.
Drink plenty of water (drinks with caffiene don't count as fluid intake), and sleep. Your body needs water and rest to heal.
Everything else is just extras - hand washing is essential. Rest and Water are essentials.
I wouldn't worry too much about MRSA, either. MRSA is pretty common everywhere in the community - you're probably not exposed any more to it in the hospital (even with your father actually having an MRSA infection) than you are out in the community.
I know that I, and probably all my co-workers, are probably already colonized with MRSA. :)
Good luck - best wishes for your father.
So sorry your dad is still in ICU. You are right to think of your immune system at this time.
I think that a multi-vitamin and maybe a B-complex vitamin would be very helpful. Vitamin C is great, but don't overdo it because what your body doesn't need will just pass out of you in your urine anyway.
Drink lots of water and you need 8 hours of sleep a night. I'm sure that's a tall order with all the stress you are under. Do whatever you need to in order to help facilitate sleep. Hot warm bath before bed, warm milk, sounds of the ocean tape, boring book about history, you get the idea.
All the rest of what you are talking about sounds good. Hugs and hopes for good news for you all...
Dawn
- High Fat Diet
((Your immune system is largely made up of lipids. Antibodies are almost pure fat, with just a tiny bit of protein thrown in for structure. So go get yourself some fast food. Completely serious, here.))
- Vit. C
- Sleep (sleep deprivation triggers the adrenal system, see below).
- NO or LOW exercise (stress shuts off our immune systems... it's the adrenal v immune response. Both systems cannot run simultaneously. So the body figures that it doesn't really matter if you would have caught the measles, if the bear has already eaten you. AFTER your stress level lowers, and you've escaped the bear, it focuses on not letting you die of measles. It's a priority and timing thing. The adrenal system trumps the immune system every time. AND GUESS WHAT??? Working out is pure adrenal system. Every time you work out, you shut off your immune system for a time. If you're around a lot of microbes, it's best to shelve working out so your immune system can concentrate on the invaders.))
Sleep, make sure you eat as healthy as you can, and stay hydrated. Try to keep your stress levels low - ask for help with things like house cleaning, cooking, errands, etc. MRSA is scary stuff - I have a friend whose 2 year old is on round 4 of trying to get rid of the MRSA, and it is totally outrageous the things she has to do in order to try and eradicate the MRSA from her house (such as: changing every sheet and pillowcase and towel and washcloth in the house DAILY, cleaning all toilets, sinks, and tubs daily, wiping down all surfaces that the child touches daily (and sometimes more often)... total nightmare. MAKE TIME to rest, eat, and drink lots of water. It couldn't hurt to take a multivitamin, or at least C and B6/B12. And, make sure to get your flu shot. They're available everywhere right now, and you need to be sure you keep yourself healthy. The flu or a regular cold will allow the MRSA to gain a foothold more easily since your immune system would be compromised.
Good luck. I'm sorry to hear about your dad, and I hope he gets well soon.
wear gloves and use hand sanitizer, which is ubiquitous in hospitals.
