The immune system is a complex network designed to protect us from foreign pathogens like bacteria, viruses, and parasites. The immune system also responds to things like allergies. Even though it’s good to have a strong immune system, it doesn’t mean that you will never get sick. The mask will not protect you from every possible infectious agent, but it will help protect you from accidental exposure as well as help you recover more quickly if you do become ill.
Someone’s immune system may not work properly because of things like an illness they already have, conditions that are passed down in their family, getting older, or because of medical treatments they’re receiving. Immunocompromised people have weakened immune systems, making them more likely to get sick or develop infections.
The Immune System
The immune system plays an important role in our overall health. If your immune system is not working properly, you are more likely to get sick and have a harder time recovering from illness or infection. Our immune system is important not only for avoiding illness, but also for keeping us active and responsive. The immune system is made up of many cells, tissues, and organs. These work together to protect us from infections and things that we might be allergic to. Your skin is a part of your immune system that protects your internal body parts.
There are germs everywhere and we can’t avoid them. We have to rely on our immune system to keep us healthy. Our immune system is very smart and can tell the difference between our body’s healthy cells and foreign pathogens or our own damaged cells.
Eating foods that boost your immune system can help protect you from catching colds, succumbing to the flu, or developing other infections.
How does your immune system work?
Your immune system has two aspects: the innate immune system and the adaptive immune system . Though they have different roles, the immune system and lymphatic system are interlinked and work together to protect your body. We are born with most of our innate immune system, but it develops over time as we grow and encounter new infections.
The innate immune system is the body’s first line of defense against pathogenic invaders. It offers a broad, general defense against any microorganisms that enter the body through a break in the skin or through the digestive tract. The skin, hair, and mucous membranes act as physical barriers to protect the body from infection. The innate immune system includes certain cells that are found throughout the body and help to identify and protect against foreign pathogens.
The adaptive immune system can protect us from new diseases that we come into contact with during our lifetime. The body produces specific antibodies against specific pathogens when they are first encountered and provides ongoing immunity to these same pathogens if they are encountered again. Cells called B lymphocytes develop antibodies. These cells are long-lived and remain in the body. Our immune system includes additional specific immune cells known as T cells, as well as chemical messengers such as complement and interferon that help facilitate a robust immune response from the innate immune system.
What is immunocompromisation?
There are many reasons why people might have a weakened immune system . This means that if you are immunocompromised, your immune system is not working properly and you are more likely to get infections or other illnesses. Immunocompromisation can make people more susceptible to colds and flu or pose a significant risk to their health, depending on the severity.
Certain medical conditions can make it hard for your body to fight off infection. These include HIV infection, some types of viral hepatitis, and autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes, lupus, Sjogren’s syndrome, or rheumatoid arthritis. People with autoimmune diseases don’t have an underfunctioning immune system, they have an immune system that is overactive. The autoimmune disorder causes the body to attack its own cells by mistaking them for foreign objects.
There are other factors that may make someone’s immune system not work as well. These include being very old, living an unhealthy lifestyle, being generally unhealthy, or having had certain medical treatments such as chemotherapy or an organ transplant. Individuals who are immunocompromised should follow the advice of their trusted healthcare providers and take precautions to avoid exposure to germs. This means that you should wash your hands often and avoid social contact with people who are sick.
What indicates an underfunctioning immune system?
There are some signs that may mean your immune system isn’t working properly. These can include feeling exhausted all the time, having joint pain, a chronic cough, or getting colds and the flu often. If you have seasonal allergies or cold sore outbreaks and they are getting worse, this may be a sign of a weakened immune system. If you have any symptoms that suggest your immune system is not working properly, you should see a healthcare practitioner and take steps to stop any behavior that might make your immune system worse.
How to Get a Strong Immune System
There are many factors that can influence your immune health, including nutrition, supplements, and exercise patterns. The evidence suggests that how and where we spend our time when we are not exercising or eating has a significant impact on our immune system and overall health. Good hygiene, adequate sleep, time outdoors, and healthy stress management are essential for a strong immune system.
Master Good Hygiene
Regular handwashing is one of the simplest and most effective ways to stay healthy and boost your immune system.
According to the CDC, regularly washing your hands with soap and water significantly reduces your risk of contracting an infection. The CDC recommends washing your hands several times throughout the day, or any time you come into contact with a surface.
Here are the five steps to handwashing the right way:
- Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap, and apply soap.
- Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
- Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice.
- Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.
- Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.
Oral hygiene is also important for healthy immune function. The American Dental Association says that you should brush your teeth completely twice a day and floss in between your teeth once a day. Rinsing your mouth with a mouthwash may also be recommended to help keep your mucus membranes healthy.
Get Outside Every Day
When we catch some sun, it not only helps us top up on vitamin D, but also gets our T cells moving to where they’re needed. This helps our immune response adapt to different threats.
There’s nothing like getting some fresh air and experiencing nature, is there? Scientists studying the biochemical responses of people when they are exposed to nature have found that the health benefits of these experiences may be due to improvements in their immune system.
Nature doesn’t just have one or two active ingredients. The metaphor is describing how a multivitamin provides us with all the essential nutrients we need to survive, in the same way that good friends provide us with emotional support and essential conversation. . Nature can protect us from diseases like heart disease, breathing problems, mental health issues, and muscle and skeleton problems all at the same time.
Don’t Sacrifice Sleep or Downtime
We spend about a third of our lives in the mysterious state we call sleep. This is a phenomenon that humans have been interested in for many years. Whole books, training, areas of study, and professions have been established to try to comprehend why sleep is so important.
Sleep is the ultimate reset for our entire body. It’s important to maintain balance in the body, regulate the immune system, repair damaged tissue, remove damaged cells, store memories, restore neurotransmitter balance, and prepare the brain and body for the next day.
According to experts, you need at least seven hours of sleep every night.
Sleep deprivation can harm the immune system in both the short and long term.
The average person’s immune system is known to respond better to viral infections when they have gotten a good night’s sleep, due to the fact that sleep allows for a better distribution of immune cells throughout the body which enhances the expression of antiviral cytokines. (Irwin, 2019)
To optimize sleep hygiene, the following strategies are recommended:
- Be consistent with your bedtime and wakeup time, to the best of your ability
- Be active or exercise, and get outside during daylight hours
- Avoid caffeine after early-afternoon (stop caffeine consumption by 2pm)
- Eat your last meal of the day at least a few hours before bedtime
- Minimize or avoid alcohol as it disrupts sleep quality
- Be sure your sleep environment is cool, dark, quiet, and comfortable
- Avoid or minimize exposure to electronic screens after sundown, or at least wear blue-light blocking glasses to minimize blue light stimulation
- Consider natural sleep-supportive supplements to help with sleep onset and sleep depth, such as evening time magnesium or melatonin (or potentially other botanical ingredients shown to help with sleep)
If you’re not getting enough sleep, it’s not the end of the world.
You should try to control what you can and eat nutrient-dense food, get enough protein, take quality supplements, and think about changing your exercise habits to make yourself more resilient.
Some negative effects of sleep restriction, such as feeling tired, can be improved by taking supplements like protein, zinc, vitamin C, and omega-3 fatty acids.
Some people need more or less sleep than others. There are also other ways to relax that can help improve immunity, such as using a dry sauna or getting a massage.
One of the ways that saunas and massages can help improve immunity is by helping to manage stress hormones and the inflammatory response. This is another important health pattern that you can control to help improve your immunity.
Actively Manage Stress
Without some stress, we would die. And not all stress is bad stress. Our bodies are designed to encounter and adapt to physical and psychological stress.
Stress can become problematic if it’s not managed effectively. If we do not deal with stress in a healthy way, it will have a negative effect on every area of our metabolism and organ system.
This means that the more stress you experience, the more likely you are to get sick, and if you don’t manage your stress properly, it can weaken your immune system over time.
In addition to exercise, sauna, and massage, healthy stress management techniques to implement for healthier immune function include:
- Relaxation and breathing exercises like meditation or positive thinking
- Behavior modification coaching
- Social and community support
- Laughter
No matter how you manage stress in a healthy way, your immune system will benefit.
Successfully improving your immune system health
If you don’t keep track of what you’re doing, you can’t improve upon it. So take charge of your health by learning more detailed information about how your health measures up to what is considered ideal. If you are feeling amazing and just read this guide for fun, it is important to continue to visit your doctor regularly for checkups and to measure how your efforts are impacting your short and long-term health risks.
There is no one way to improve your immune health, but you can help improve it by focusing on your overall resilience and making healthy lifestyle choices.
Your immune response is a complex system that works with your whole body to keep you healthy. Making positive lifestyle choices that improve your physical and mental health will help boost your immune system and make you feel good.
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