Everyone’s Getting Sick. Here’s Why Some People Aren’t.

Right now, my diary tells a story. Influenza A, Influenza B, Swine flu, Covid. In a single week, I’ve seen patients diagnosed with all of the above.

And yet, some people sail through it completely untouched.

People from the same office. Families in the same household, even. Same virus. Different outcome.

So what’s the difference?

It’s not the bug. It’s the body it lands in.

Back in the 1800s, two scientists had a famous disagreement. Louis Pasteur argued that germs cause disease, that the enemy is the pathogen itself. His fellow scientist, Claude Bernard, disagreed. He believed the terrain, the internal environment of the body mattered far more than the pathogen.

Think of it like rats and rubbish dumps. Rats don’t create a rubbish dump. They just thrive in one. You can remove the rats all you like, but if the conditions remain, they’ll be back. The dump is the problem. The rats are just taking advantage of it.

Your body works the same way.

We are surrounded by viruses and bacteria constantly. They’re on every surface, in every breath. Most of the time, your immune system handles them without you even noticing. It’s only when the terrainbreaks down, when your body’s ability to adapt and function is compromised that things take hold.

So what compromises your terrain?

The three main stressors that erode your HEALth are physical, chemical, and mental stress. Disrupted sleep, poor nutrition, a nervous system that’s been running on high alert for too long. These aren’t just wellness buzz-words, they are measurable inputs that affect how your body responds to everything it encounters.

The nervous system is the master controller of your immune function. When it’s under stress, the immune system follows. This is not opinion, it is well-established physiology.

What can you actually do about it?

You cannot control what’s circulating in your community. You cannot control whether the person next to you is sneezing. You can control how well your body is equipped to handle it.

That’s the whole point of what we do at Caley Chiropractic. Not treating sickness or disease, but maintaining the function of a nervous system that keeps you adapting, responding, and recovering as well as possible.

You can’t change what’s out there. You can absolutely change what happens when it finds you.

It is why we encourage our community to come in and get checked when they are not feeling well, rather than staying home.

Hugs (even if you’re fighting a virus!),

Glenn