To determine if you get frequent infections, you might want to think back to how often you are prescribed antibiotics, or how many times in the past two years your healthcare provider has diagnosed you with a bacterial infection.
What causes it?
Frequent or recurrent infections might happen because of recurrent exposure to a germ, or because a person’s body is more susceptible to certain germs. Some infections, like the common cold or strep throat, happen as a result of close, repeated contact with sick people. A less common reason for recurrent infections is immunodeficiency, a condition where an individual’s immune system needs help producing the antibodies that fight off germs.
Tips?
One of the best defenses against getting sick is simply keeping good hygiene and making sure everything you eat is as safe as possible. Most infections have simple treatments and should go away in a few days, and your healthcare provider can give you antibiotics to help. However, if you find that your infections occur and return with great frequency, there may be a greater issue at hand, so you should definitely let your healthcare provider know if this is the case.
Sources
- “Approach to the adult with recurrent infections.” UptoDate. UptoDate Inc., Jan 2016. Web.
- Mayo Clinic Staff. “Primary immunodeficiency: Symptoms.” MayoClinic. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, Jan 2015. Web.
- “Recurrent Infections May Signal Immunodeficiencies.” AAAAI. American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology, 2017. Web.
