What is a weakened immune system? Is that what you were searching for? Well, with the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, everyone is concerned about their immunity. People are frantically looking for ways to know about a weakened immune system, how to boost it and keep the body healthy. So, if you want to know more about what is a weakened immune system, then you must read this article. Here we have all the information that will help you clearly understand a weakened immune system and how to boost it. Read on to know it all!
Table of Contents
What is a weakened immune system?
The immune system of the body protects you against harmful infections. If you do not have a strong immunity system, you will get sick often. Hence, it is important for you to know what is a weakened immune system. The immunity system consists of organs, tissues, and special cells. All these together work to keep you well.
The immune system’s most essential part is the lymphatic system. And it consists of the vessels and nodes channel. The vessels are basically thin-shaped tubes, and you will find them dispersing in the entire body. These vessels usually carry some fluid known as lymph. Lymph has cells of the immune system, waste products, and tissue fluid.
Now we come to the nodes of lymph. They are usually small in size and bean in shape, and there is a connection between lymph nodes and lymphatic vessels. Lymph nodes have cells of white blood and cancer. Immune system cells are the same white blood cells. These white blood cells can trap pathogens and protect you. You can find them forming in any of your organs of lymph, like in your bone marrow, thymus, or spleen.
Weakened immune system due to stress
Stress can happen to anyone. It may last only some hours; for instance, if you are giving an exam, you can feel the stress a few days before the final exam. However, it can even last for many years in some people. For instance, you can feel stress for years when your loved one is not well or in an unhappy relationship, etc.
Stress usually occurs due to some events of life which are difficult for you to deal with. When you are under stress, your body produces stress hormones known as cortisol in large amounts. Too much cortisol with time may make you suffer from many diseases. Moreover, stress reduces lymphocytes which protects your body from several infections. If lymphocyte level is low in your body, that means you have more risk for viruses, bacteria, and other microorganisms. Moreover, your high-stress level can put you in anxiety and depression. If this high-stress level continues for a long time, the immune system becomes overworked and tired. As a consequence, it may fail to work properly and protect you.
You have to control the high-stress levels. If you cannot control it, it may lead to many diseases like psoriasis, fibromyalgia, inflammatory bowel, lupus, and arthritis. Moreover, you can suffer from heart disease, fast rate of heart, gastric ulcers, type 2 diabetes, mental decline, and different types of cancers.
But you have to try to get rid of any long and short-term stress. Thus, reducing the chances of a weakened immune system. Here are some strategies that can reduce your stress and further keep your immune system strong. Check out the following:
Meditation
You can meditate for few minutes to reduce your stress. Meditation helps you to relax and lowers your levels of cortisol. So you can meditate atleast three to four times per week and protect yourself from chromosome breakdown. All of which can cause premature aging and cancer. So, utilize your free time to meditate for 10 to 15 minutes minimum to reduce stress levels.
Yoga
Yoga helps you to reduce levels of stress hormones. If you try out deep breathing, it will increase your immunity power. And further, help you to fight off infections. Yoga also calms you and your nervous system.
How to boost immune system?
Now you know what is a weakened immune system, let us check out how to make your immune system strong and healthy. Here are the following:
Eat healthy food
You have to eat healthy foods. Healthy foods can improve your immune system. Choosing the right foods in your diet chart will help to keep you well. If you can eat daily raw garlic or roast garlic cloves, your immune system will improve. Allicin in garlic can make your immune system strong. You can also eat prebiotics that mainly has insulin fiber. You can find prebiotics in jicama root, plantains or green bananas, asparagus, and Jerusalem artichokes. Moreover, foods rich in vitamin C can protect you from various infections. So you can depend upon kiwi, oranges, and broccoli to get vitamin C. Vegetables and fruits like carrots, spinach, and berries are rich in antioxidants. If you eat these vegetables and fruits, you will be able to lower your stress problem.
Improve your lifestyle
If you are spending your days constantly in stress for a very long time, you may become ill. Too much stress can affect your immunity system and lowers your body’s ability to fight various infections. Moreover, stress can also cause your blood pressure high and poor sleep. However, some lifestyle methods can help you to protect yourself from stress problems.
Sleep
You have to prioritize sleep if you want to fight off infections. Inadequate sleep can make you prone to severe illness. You need to sleep for at least eight hours a day. Proper sleep can make your immunity system strong, and thus, it helps you get rid of many diseases. If you are unable to sleep, then you must consult a good doctor immediately.
Meditation
Meditation can also help you to sleep properly. You can give at least five minutes every day from your busy schedule for meditation. Meditation can calm you, reduce your blood pressure, heart rate, and anxiety. Thus, regular meditation is essential for your health.
Exercise
Exercise is essential for your body. You should exercise atleast 30 minutes every day to keep your body fit. It is very important for you to stay physically active and do some strength training and cardio. Incorporating this can help your body to function correctly.
Positive attitude
It would be best if you thought positively to lower your stress problem. Positive thinking is necessary for your good health. In comparison, your negative thinking can increase your stress. So it would be best if you started every single day with some positive thought. A proper mindset is necessary for you to stay well.
Hygiene
You should maintain hygiene for good health. You must use good medicated soap and warm water to wash your hands properly. Cleaning your hands is essential to stay away from germs, further illnesses. Atleast you have to give 20 seconds for washing your hands before you eat something or prepare any food. It would be best to do the same after touching any public surfaces, sneezing, or coughing.
Quit smoking
It would be best if you quit smoking to stay healthy. If you smoke a cigarette, you are intaking some substances like nicotine, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, and more. These toxins have harmful effects on your immune system. If you want to boost your immune system, then you must quit smoking.
Soak in vitamin D from the sun
It would be best if you spent some of your time daily in the sun. This vitamin D from the sun helps your immune system to make antibodies that will fight against infections. If you do not have a sufficient amount of vitamin D in your body, you will not be able to fight the infections. Hence you have a higher chance of some infections.
Limit consumption of sugars
If you consume excessive sugars, you can become overweight. Obesity can make your immune system weak. You can often become sick due to obesity. Hence, you must limit sugar consumption to keep your immune system well. And to decrease your risk of several diseases like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and more.
Keep yourself hydrated
It would help if you prevented dehydration because it is necessary to keep you healthy. Dehydration can cause you many diseases such as headaches, digestion problems, kidney problems, heart illnesses, and many more.
To avoid dehydration, you can drink water and consume loads of fluids regularly. You can drink fruit juice and tea but try to drink them without sugar. However, water is best for you to get rid of dehydration. The amount of water you need to consume depends on your health, stress levels, and the place you live in. You need more water if your climate is hot or you are into regular exercise. Older adults must drink a sufficient amount of water and must pay attention to their water intake.
Immune system disorders
Now that you understand what is a weakened immune system and how to keep it well, you must also know about some immune system disorders. Here is a list of some of the immune system disorders are as follows:
- Severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) is an instance of immune deficiency. This kind of deficiency you can find in children at their birth, and is also known as “bubble boy disease.”
- Some medicines can make your immune system weak. Medicines used for the treatment of cancer and many more grave illnesses can make the immune system weak. If you are on chemotherapy, doing an organ transplant, or suffering from mono (mononucleosis), flu virus, and measles, your immune system becomes weak.
- If you have poor nutrition, smoke regularly, and consume alcohol, your immune system will be affected.
- Diseases like HIV /AIDS can make you very ill. If you have a poor immunity system, this disease can affect you easily. AIDs is a kind of infection that can weaken your immunity system.
- You can have asthma and breathing troubles or cough due to a weak immune system.
- Also, you will find an itchy rash called atopic dermatitis occurring due to a weak immune system. Allergen eczema causes this kind of rashes.
- Sneezing, nasal passages swelling, runny nose, or sniffling will not happen if you do not have a strong immunity system.
- In type 1 diabetes, you can find that your immunity system attacks the pancreas cells. These pancreas cells make insulin. You will find the insulin taking away the sugar from your blood. Type 1 diabetes can happen to you if you have low immunity power.
- A poor immunity system can make you have rheumatoid arthritis. You can find joints deformities and swellings due to rheumatoid arthritis.
- Lupus is another disease that can affect your immune system. And it can attack any of your tissues in the skin, kidneys, and lungs.
If you have a weak immune system, you can often suffer from several diseases. Some other diseases you can have are anemia, diarrhea, pneumonia, bronchitis, meningitis, viral hepatitis, malnutrition, and many more. All of these can happen to you for not having a strong immune system.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, you have got all the information about what is a weakened immune system, and much more. Moreover, we have given you tips to overcome a weakened immune system by making lifestyle changes and more. All these pieces of information will help you to protect yourself from various infections. You should try to keep your immune system strong to stay healthy through all the ways we have asked you to maintain above. A strong immune system will help you to stay safe from many diseases.