How do we harm our immunity
How do we harm our immunity. immunity
Weakness in the whole body, fatigue, malaise, bad mood … So I want to drink something “strengthening” and “tonic.” But all these phenomena are far from always associated with a decrease in immunity. This can be a manifestation of depression, chronic infection, swelling, allergies, in which, for example, immunostimulants can simply do harm.
Determine your immunity
“It’s time to save our immunology from enthusiasts,” said Rakhim Khaitov, chief allergologist and immunologist of Russia, academician of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences. “Everyone is encouraged to strengthen the immune system with everything. You can’t push it on endlessly, it can lead to autoimmune diseases, provoke allergies. Everything should “be within the physiological norm. Even in the fall, everyone doesn’t need to boost their immunity. If the immune system works fine, don’t touch it.”
See also: Test. Is your immunity OK?
In order to find out whether you need to strengthen your immunity, there are simple criteria:
– Frequent colds (in adults more than 5 times a year, in children – more than 6), lasting more than 2 weeks;
– bronchitis, purulent diseases of the oral cavity and nasopharynx;
– prolonged elevated subfebrile (37-37.5 degrees) temperature;
– upset gastrointestinal tract.
In case of suspicions regarding the weakness of your immunity, you should contact an immunologist. Why is it necessary? There may be several reasons for the appearance of immunodeficiency, and immune disorders can be different.
You need to know what exactly you need to adjust. Immunostimulants, immunomodulators, immunocorrectors … There are a lot of drugs designed to affect the immune system, therefore, in order not to take too much or unnecessary, it is better to consult.
Immunity is a defense system
Immunity can be innate (good, the body’s defense system given to you by nature), acquired (which appeared after a previous illness or vaccination), specific (resistance to any particular disease) and non-specific.
How not to lose the protective forces obtained by nature? Of course, you can get vaccinated before the season of flu and colds, but the main thing is to create the so-called non-specific protection. That is, to raise immunity to such a height that the body can easily deal with any infection that dares to get close to you.
Help immunity at home
For this it is necessary: good nutrition, moderate physical activity (gymnastics, walking), hardening (wet wiping, foot baths, dousing, contrast shower) – all this trains the ability to thermoregulate. And also fresh air, quitting smoking and alcohol, respect for your psyche and the psyche of the people around you. Well, that’s all ideally, many will say. If you take everything together – probably this ideal will be unattainable. Start with a simple one – hygiene. Gates for infection: mouth, nose, skin, stomach. Therefore, swim, go to the bath, get rid of dirt on the face and body.
What depresses the immune system
Known thing: weak stimuli train our immunity, but prolonged stress leads to the release of special hormones that inhibit the immune system. If a person is upset and depressed, he is more vulnerable to all enemies, including all kinds of bacteria and viruses.
Be sure to get enough sleep. It is advisable to go to bed and get up at the same time. Overwork and lack of sleep is a step towards the disease. Keep in mind that immunostimulating drugs such as tincture of ginseng, Eleutherococcus, can increase pressure.
With a mild illness, when it comes only to a temporary weakening of the adaptive capabilities of the immune system, all of the above tips can help. But serious immunity disorders cannot be cured by any vitamins or diet. Do not get along with home remedies. A doctor’s intervention is necessary to find out at what level of the defense system a malfunction occurred and which drugs this time will help you recover.
