Any one else getting sick more often and more intensely? I am healthy, normal, good diet, don't abuse myself or drugs. This has been an ongoing thing for the last 15 years or more.

If you really think your getting sick more often or with more Intensity coming to the Internet is a waist of time, Go see your Doctor.

More often and worse,,Immune system sounds like Its getting weaker,, yeah go see a Doctor..

Normally when you get sick a few times,,colds etc you develop more Immunity to them or they come with less Intensity.
At least that's normal for me..

Hadn't had a cold for 6 yrs. Caught one on a recent trip to Spain - lack of sleep and bottled up in airplanes for 16 hrs. I used to travel a lot for business and would get colds more frequently.

I don't "have a doctor", went to a doc ina box with bronchitis last year, voiced this complaint, he says I am average for an American my age.

OP,, two or three head or chest colds a year and a bout with the flu once a year would not concern me.. That's about how I roll but my wife works with kids and I am In and out of Hospitals five or six times a week with my job.

I consider this normal, unchanged for more than a decade now.

You said, "sick more often and more intensely",,, and, "This has been an ongoing thing for the last 15 years or more".
Starting from my level a pattern like you speak of, "ongoing for 15 years", would put me near death....

You better find a GOOD Doctor....

I am just at the end of my second cold since April. Each has lasted about a week with similar symptoms. Sneezing, tired, coughing without respiratory tightness but a tickle at the back of my throat. My breathing is normal but constant blowing my nose. Recently had my annual checkup with blood work and everything was really good. Around here everyone is complaining about pollen but I have no history of those kinds of allergies. I have no idea why this has happened.

The University of Virginia med school has numerous published studies on cold (rhinovirus) virus transmission and their work is considered definitive. They used a single strain of rhinovirus and volunteers (mostly college kids that needed the money) and put them up in motel rooms that were seeded with virus in various places and with people already infected. You might do some literature searching or look on their website for details. But...they found the major route of transmission was via the hands, not the hands directly but people have a natural tendency to touch their face and if the hand carries virus on the surface skin and you touch your face any where near your nostrils, the virus will be carried (from normal breathing) into the middle nose area and bind to receptors (ICAM-1). Once virus binds to the receptor you're doomed. Bottom line: wash your hands frequently and try to keep them away from your face or at least wash them before touching your face.

Don't know the research on effectiveness of hand sanitizers.

Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are the go-to method of hand hygiene in hospitals. Not appropriate for scrubbing for surgery, for visibly soiled hands, for dealing with c.diff patients, etc. But highly effectively for general use.

How is the pollen count in NorCal? I've never had allergy problems, but my immune system has been assulted by 25 years in the Ohio Valley, and now I am getting more issues in the Spring and Fall.

Also, I've noted that frequent trips to see grandchildren, the plague-infested little boogers that they are, result in an uptick in colds.

Frequent hand washing and hand sanitizers work just fine for viruses, too.

One more thing. Pro cyclists have somewhat surpressed immunity because of the performance-induced stress. They're always wrestling with stuff like this. Are you riding too intensely for your level of fitness?

I get the damn colds, too, and they sometimes morph into bronchitis. I work outside, (yeah, I know it doesn't really get cold here), and I ride year-round, even when I'm sick.
Have been to different doctors, they are rarely any help. Usually they just tell me to wait and get over it, sometimes they will prescribe antibiotics.
I think doctors see so many people who are all effed up from smoking and obesity when they see someone my age (61) who is active and relatively healthy they don't get alarmed by a cold or respiritory infection.

This may sound a little weird, but in order to strengthen our immune systems, my wife and I eschew the cleanliness products that so many use: wipes, sprays, all that anti-bacterial stuff. Bacteria are good for you. We are going on 136 and have maybe a cold every other year and never an intestinal problem. OTOH we don't have grandchildren, don't hang out a lot in public spaces, and are careful around those who are obviously ill.

I can't remember the last time either of use took an antibiotic. Bad, bad, bad.

We eat a good diet, take our vitamins, and work or ride a lot.

VERY SMART, Same here,,, I shake peoples hands without fear !
Did you know that families with dogs are far healthier because of the dirt and germs the dog exposes the family to....

Try Yu Ping Feng San, "Jade Windscreen Formula," especially if you sometimes have night sweats. You can get it online, from various suppliers, unless you live in a state that regulates Chinese herbal formulas.

https://store.yinyanghouse.com/shop/...-ping-feng-wan

Lack of sleep. I have figured out that the only time I get sick (colds, etc) is when I'm not getting enough sleep. Once I figured that out I just about never get sick anymore.

Do you get colds and such when you are on a visit to a different part of the planet?? We get sick every time we go 350 mi to see our son. The weather and such is just different there.

My 'first round' suggestion is that you examine your habits when touching surfaces routinely touched by others. For example, when in a public washroom, or entering an office building or shopping mall, learn to avoid touching the handles of the doors if you can. Use your elbow to push doors open or if pulling the door open, use a piece of paper towel (or your sleeve or a Kleenex) to insulate your hand from the handle.

If you use public internet terminals, be sure to wash your hands carefully afterward and to avoid touching your face or rubbing your eyes while using them. Viruses supposedly die quite quickly on various surfaces but they may not die quite quickly enough.

You should definitely see your PCP. Having said that:

Years ago, I worked in a place where I caught head colds, including some nasty ones, frequently. This place
was a "fishbowl", with people working in close quarters on a production floor, with poor ventilation, and no windows that opened.
People were sick all the blasted time. This company had one of the poorest sick leave polices I have ever encountered.
As a result, people came to work even if they had something nasty.

After leaving that wretched company, I simply stopped getting colds so frequently, and returned to getting them about once every two years.

OP, are you working in a sick building type of place? That is something to consider, but do inquire with your PCP.
A good PCP is like gold.

The RN standard is, if you haven't washed your hands in the past 10 minutes, wash them again. While you're probably not working around infectious diseases, you might want to try to increase the frequency of hand hygiene. As a DOM, I still recommend the Yu Ping Feng San,or at least garlic and astragalus regularly.

Americans seem to be obsessed with hand sanitizers and over-the-top cleanliness.
Your immune system works quite well without all that stuff . . .
Big Pharma loves to sell you 'health stuff!'

I've always figured we should have pretty good immunization for anything cats might carry. A few of them love to rub their noses all over our faces (we assume they see kissing and are trying to emulate that).

Actually, cats have scent glands on their cheeks. They're marking you. By the way, the Infectious Disease bunch at our hospital went around and cultured everything they could think of. The most germ laden surfaces were the elevator buttons, followed by the floors, doorknobs, slap plates for automatic doors, chair backs, and cafeteria tables. Toilet seats were like 17th on the list. Handles on doors leading out of the toilets, however, were pretty high on the list. Nurses cringe at kids playing in the floor of hospitals. I wouldn't even take younger kids to the hospital!

I very rarely get sick. My secret? I stay away from people. It works for me, but is not practical for everyone.

When I'm around my grandkids a lot, I get colds.

I've had congestion and sore throat for a few months now. First doc thought it was strep throat... went on antibiotics and felt a little better after 3 days... labs came back... it wasn't strep. Probably a viral sinus infection or irritation and draining from allergies (I didn't think I had any... but maybe I do.) Anyway... just been taking a sudafed everyday for the last few weeks and hoping my immune system will finally beat this thing. It's an irritant, but it hasn't stopped me from doing things except for the first few days where it really beat me down. I'm not special. I've talked with many people that seem to have something similar that has been hanging around for several weeks to a few months. Some have developed bronchitis and pneumonia. Mine hasn't spread any further than my throat... I'm happy for that.... could be worse.

When I was still working all the time, I had a routine in the morning, and took a bunch of OTC vitamins and stuff, including vitamin C. I know there is no medical evidence that it prevents colds, or whatever, but it seemed like there were lots of opportunities to get colds that just didn't happen. Since retiring, the routine has gone away, I don't take vitamin C regularly. I have a cold right now that is wearing me out. I don't know, maybe it's bogus, but I still feel like vitamin C works to help fend off colds.