Up until this year, I always had a super active immune system. I've not missed a day of work due to illness in nine years. I've passed physical exams every year without a hitch, have had only 1 very minor surgical procedure in my entire life, and take no prescription medications, which at age 54 is pretty good. I hadn't had so much as a minor cold for years up until January 2009. Over the past six months, I've had a very bad cold/flu (not swine) three times. One of the episodes lasted nearly three weeks. I just can't fight off these germs.

My doctor assures me that alopecia rarely affects other organs or areas of the immune system. I'm just curious to hear if others have experienced what appears to be an increased inability to fight off common germs as they've gotten older.