The first lesson: think of vitamin/mineral/antioxidant/omega 3/probiotic supplements as tools needed to change a tire - like the jack, the lug wrench, the actual spare - real or donut. If you've been taking in enough supplements or have been getting these items in your regular diet then when you get a flat tire - catch a cold, tummy bug, strep throat - you can change that tire without too much trouble. Your body can fight off that cold with the appropriate weapons at its disposal. However, if you're short on any or all of these things, you may have to call for help in changing that tire. You might even have to get a tow. So, instead of a cold that's zapped by the immune system quickly, it turns into an ear infection or bronchitis, or you get dehydrated from the stomach flu. So...got that? Keep plenty of tools stocked up so when the inevitable occurs you can fight it off like it's no worse than a flat tire.
Lesson #2: the 2nd flat tire in just a few weeks on the same car. Think of the car as the body, the tires as a part of that body. Think of the law of chance. One flat tire is bad luck, a 2nd is either really bad luck or there's a problem with the tires or the car or the road or something. So...the more flat tires the more likely it's not 'just a cold' and may be allergies, or it may be that there is a food intolerance causing the diarrhea, not 'just a stomach flu'. This is one of the ways we, as physicians, can either tell you 'it's just a cold' because lots of kids have come in with the same thing, or can reassure you that kids this age get ear infections every so often and unless they don't get better in a couple of months, the child will 'fix his own flat'. But weird things happen and when we see either a lot of flats in a certain neighborhood we investigate for nails in the road or a vandal slashing tires. If this is the only car that keeps having flats then the problem is probably with the car itself - the child may have an underlying problem that needs to be addressed.
So, flat tires are common. Most cars come equipped with a kit that has all the things required to change a tire. However, if one has to change the tire quite often, some of the tools may wear out, break, or the spare tire may become damaged. Kids come with a 'kit' that has all the necessary 'tools' to get him or her over the common cold or stomach flu. However, after a few of these 'bugs' the 'tool kit/immune system' gets tired, gets used up, needs repair or replacement. Things like daycare centers, schools, poor diets, lots of siblings - any extra 'nails' around that can puncture a tire often - cause the depletion of the 'tool kit' and require more vigilance on the part of the 'owner' of the 'car' to keep it running well and not requiring visits to the 'mechanic'.
that's about it, so far.
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