HOW TO BOOST YOUR IMMUNITY?
WHAT IS IMMUNITY?
Immunity is the ability of a body to prevent the invasion of pathogens. Pathogens are bacteria and viruses that are disease causing and people are exposed to them on a daily basis. Antigens are present on the surface of pathogens and the immune response of the body is stimulated by the antigens. An immune response is the body’s defence to protect the body and fight against the antigens.
There are several types of immunity:
· Innate immunity — It is the protection that a person is generally born with. The physical barriers such as the skin, body hair, the defence mechanisms such as the saliva, gastric acid and the body’s general immune response such as inflammation.
· Passive immunity — It is the immunity that a person acquires for the defence to fight pathogens by borrowing antibodies from others. For example, antibodies can be transferred from a mother to a baby through breast milk.
· Acquired immunity — It is the immunity that is adapted by the body by its immunological memory. The body is exposed to a specific antigen and develops antibody to that specific antigen. Next time the same antigen invades, the body already has a memory of that specific antigen and has the antibodies to fight it off.
WAYS TO STRENGHTEN YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM
Your immune system does an excellent job in protecting against the diseases caused by microorganisms. It can be improved by maintaining a proper diet, including some exercise in your everyday routine and including some medicines and changing some part of your lifestyle.
BOOST IMMUNITY IN A HEALTHY WAY
Your first priority to boost your immunity is to choose a healthy lifestyle. It can e followed by maintain general healthy guidelines that is beneficial for your body. You can maintain some of the healthy habits such as:
· Avoid smoking — Smoking comprises with the balance and equilibrium of our immune system. It can cause some immune disorders in our body. Immune disorders happens when the body’s immune system attack the healthy cells of the body.
· Diet containing a high amount of fruits and vegetables — Fruits and vegetables provide nutrients like vitamin e , vitamin c, beta carotene, which can boost the body’s immune system.
· Include regular exercises — Regular exercise causes change in antibodies and white blood cells. White blood cells are responsible to fight diseases. These White blood cells circulates more rapidly so that they could detect illness that would otherwise be late to have been detected by the body.
· Adequate sleep — Lack of sleep can negatively affect your immune system. Studies show that people who does not get adequate amount of sleep can fall ick when exposed to a virus such as common cold.
· Minimize stress — When we are stressed the ability of our immune system to fight off diseases gets reduced. The stress hormone corticosteroid can suppress the effectiveness of our immune system to fight off diseases.
AGE AND ITS RELATION TO IMMUNE SYSTEM
As we age the capability of our immune system reduces and which contributes to more infections and more cancer. Studies have shown that young people are less likely to get affected by any diseases than the elderly and are more likely to die from that disease. People world wide over the age of 65 years has expired from infections such as influenza and the covid-19 virus. No one knows the actual reason of why these happens but many scientists have the increased risk of death correlates with the decrease in T cells. For example, studies have h=shown that the effectiveness of influenza vaccine over the age of 65 is less compared to healthy children over the age of 2.
There is a connection of nutrition and the elderly. Elderly people tend to eat less and have less variety in their diet causing “micronutrient malnutrition”. Micronutrient malnutrition is caused by deficiency of micronutrients that are supplemented by diet, which is less taken by the elderly. Older people should consult their doctor for dietary supplementation that can help them boost their immunity.
IMMUNE RESPONSE AND STRESS
Modern medicine has found the relation between mind and body. A wide variety of medical issues such as stomach upset , hives and even heart diseases can be the effects of emotional stress.
Stress is very difficult to define as it is very dynamic in nature. A situation which is stressful to one person may not be to another. It is very difficult to measure the amount of stress. When a person is exposed to a stressful situation it is very difficult for a person to identify the amount of stress he has been exposed to. People should seek the help of professional doctors and psychologists if they feel that they are under a stressful situation.
WHY EXERCISE IS GOOD FOR IMMUNITY ?
Exercise improves overall health and is one of the strongest pillars for healthy living. It helps us to maintain a good cardiovascular health, to maintain a healthy weight and a normal blood pressure. Exercise helps us to maintain a good healthy body and thus to protect against various diseases and maintaining a good immune system.
