For Those Who Have Moved to Another State

Never ever even thought about my immune system....never sick now....and never was sick anywhere I moved... ever. That includes the many moves we had while my husband was in the Marine Corps. But then again...I never give all that vitamin stuff a second thought....I don't dwell on "if I'm gonna get sick"....and that went for my kids too. We were all healthy.And never really did anything to guard against. I think people tend to be over protective....making their own selves sick. Oh...yea....that included Yorktown Va too.

Are you all allergic to tobacco? VA and NC have terrible air quality due to all of the tobacco being processed for cigarettes.

It can take awhile.
Some take a year or two to really acclimate.
Try eating locally produced honey.
Some say it can help you get use to local pollen.
Washing up is great but how dirty do you get?
Do you ever dig in the garden till you are fairly covered with mud?
Some think just getting dirty once in awhile can help prime your immune system.
Visit petting zoos.
There's a nice one near you, Reston zoo.

C.!!

I'm sorry - I've been sooo busy!! We need to catch up again next week!!

When I moved here from Germany - I think it took me about six months to adjust....when I moved from San Francisco to Belgium? It took me about year - TOTALLY different climate, etc.

I know your house is clean. I'm wondering if it's too clean. Does that make sense? I had a friend in Germany who kept her house ABSOLUTELY SPOTLESS - you could probably eat off the floor. Kids hands were washed with antibacterial wipes, etc. so ANYTIME they met someone new - they got sick as their bodies had NOTHING to fight against normally.

Have you had the house checked for mold? There might be mold behind the walls that you can't see which might be causing some breathing issues???

The other thing to consider is that we have different trees here in VA than in CA...especially from where you come from in CA - not a lot of dogwoods, etc. there...more palms, etc. that makes a HUGE difference.

Go to the allergist and see if you can get tested for allergies...as allergies for SOME people - not all - make them feel sick instead of just the runny nose, etc.

Every time I move (I've been in the military for nearly 10 years) I end up with new seasonal allergies. I eventually adjust, but usually have to take Claratin (Loratadine) when I notice they're really flaring up.

When it first started, I thought I was getting sick...and I often did, since having a runny nose, watery eyes, and sore throat often cause us to touch our faces a lot more and expose ourselves to germs. But it was just allergies.

My point is, when you think it's a minor cold/runny nose, popping a Claritin to see if it helps (and if it does, you have allergies) is a great way to mitigate a potential illness.

I moved from the city to the sticks and found that my health improved greatly! I moved from a busy street to the boonies of Northern VA and have not had a single asthma symptom since.
I don't know if it's the fresh air or what.
I do know that if I substitute teach in the school, I get sick exactly a week later... So - I've stopped subbing until after the spring break.
I stopped letting the children to drink out of drinking fountains years ago -- they are germ infested - and that seems to keep the stomach bug away from my house. (knock on wood)
I guess it kind of depends...
LBC

Eating local honey is supposed to help with allergies. I'm not sure about flu or other illnesses. Honey might be worth a shot, though. Good luck!

I have moved to a new state 4 times and we never had this problem. I would guess your colds/flu don't have anything to do with moving, but I could be wrong. Our last move was 2 years ago and we moved from Alaska (where many of the flu and cold viruses don't make it) to New Mexico. The first year we were all healthy (the first winter). The 2nd winter we had a bad year and our son brought home more illnesses than usual - that we all caught. This winter/schoolyear has been pretty normal...mostly healthy with a few colds. Maybe it is because I am not a clean freak! I am crazy about keeping things neat but I don't really deep clean enough. I think I mop the floor once every 2-3 weeks. We do live in a less populated area - and we did in Alaska too. Maybe that is it?

I moved from the midwest to the southwest and after 4 years of the exact same thing, I got sinus surgery. It changed my life!

Did you move from somewhere with completely different weather? If so, it could take your body several years to adjust. Also, if you moved from far away, chances are the bugs that your family is being exposed to are completely new. Also, in my experience, the age of your children makes a big difference in how often you're sick.

Stay optimistic. I know where you're coming from, and it is awful, but they say that the more illnesses your kids have as children, the healthier they'll be as adults.

BTW, a little bit of dust and dirt never hurt anything. It can help to build immune systems slowly, without the pain of true illness in many cases. Your house may be a bit too clean, although washing hands regularly is a very good defense. Good luck.

Have you considered maybe something actually in your house? Like mold? It can show up in new homes too. Sometimes it can be the furnace system not ventilating correctly even. Maybe I've watched too much Holmes on Homes though ;P

I moved from WI to MN and haven't noticed any issues like this, but maybe it's different since we're much closer states?

My old pediatrician assured me that people who live in less "clean" homes are sick less. I'm not saying you need to be dirty, but if you mop once a week then try mopping once every two weeks and wipe up spots in between. Get rid of any antibacterial stuff.

I moved to Florida last year and we are the same as when we lived up in PA, except we are adjusting to the different pollen.

I wonder if it is something in your house (like another poster mentioned). Like mold or dust. I also wonder if the warmer weather this winter has anything to do with it. How old is your house? A lot of older homes still have lead paint and asbestos in them.

Try to open the windows when you can and let the air in and keep doing things the same. Now that spring is here you should start to feel better.

My son was sick ALL the time when we first moved last year. I'd say it took a good 6-8 months. He's 3 and is in preschool this year etc. and he has only been sick maybe once and that was a cold. Nothing serious.

Maybe its time to use some bleach and harsh chemicals from time to time. I too use natural cleaners but there are times when I have to get down and dirty with some bleach for cleaning! And yes it may take some time to get use to the new climate especially when you are use to a certain type of living, its hard, I was in Texas last year and I am having to learn what it means this time of the year with this cold in the morning and evening and warm weather during the day, so confusing! Good Luck!

Aw sweetie I feel you, when we lived in CA I never had the amount of issues as I have here. Change your air filter religiously, you can get one that is reusable and wash it bi-weekly. Ensure you are washing your hair daily (my kids get a bath before bed so they don't carry pollen into their sheets) and vacuum before you go to bed. Regardless of how "clean" your house is this area is bad for Mold and allergens

I have to go along with Cheryl that your house may be too clean. Try some regular soap and water and digging in the garden. Go outside and walk in the air and such.

I have moved around the country and the world and got a cold when we left Las Vegas NV for Germany because of the climate and where we were staying without central heat which turned into pneumonia.

When we returned back to the states some 8 years later no one got sick and we were in NJ and Canada before we got to NM.

I hope you find out what is really got you down soon.

The other S.

PS You could eat off the floors when my daughter was a baby but not now and we rarely get ill. I work at a university with many students and attend my husbands medical treatments lots and lots of germs in both places.

We moved to Virginia from Pennsylvania last November. We are still having trouble adjusting to the climate and allergens. My daughter was really bad last week and her doctor told us to stay inside all weekend with the A/C on due to the high pollen count. My advice would be to keep checking the pollen count daily and plan your days.

Earlier this week, the maintainence crew cut the grass. We were supposed to be notified by the complex 24 hours in advance so we could make arrangements not to be home all day. We have severe allergies to cut grass and the doctor even supplied us with a note to give the complex. They never informed us and we are still feeling like poo.

We have to go in for more allergy tests since the last ones we had were in Pennsylvania where allergens (types of trees/grass) are different.

Hi, C.:

Have you checked the filter in your furnace room?
Have you had someone check your house for mold?

Have you thought about using an air humidifier or air purifier
with Young Living Essential oil to help clear the air of
floating particles.

Just a thought.
D.