Medical advice: 4 signs of weak immunity and ways to fix it - ForumDaily
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Medical Tips: 4 Signs of Weak Immunity and How to Fix It

There are 4 signs that you may have a weak immune system - and what to do about it, according to the immunologist, reports CNBC.

Photo: Shutterstock

The state of your immune system is always important, especially during the cold season.

“As an immunologist and functional medicine physician, patients often ask me how they can measure the health of their immune system. I tell them that our immune system is a moving target and there are no specific organs where it can be completely isolated. You can't x-ray it, do a biopsy, or determine its exact strength or weakness with one test,” says Dr. Heather Modey, a board-certified allergist, immunologist, and functional medicine physician. She is also the author of The Immunotype Breakthrough: Your Personalized Plan to Balance the Immune System, Optimize Health, and Build Resilience Throughout Life.

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However, there are four main warning signs that may indicate that you have a weakened immune system and that you need to make extra efforts to strengthen it:

Signs that you have a weak immune system

1. You often get sick and take a long time to recover

Don't be alarmed if you sneeze and sniffle through two or three colds a year. Most people bounce back in about a week.

But if you're constantly getting colds with symptoms that persist for several weeks, or even getting food poisoning frequently, it could be due to your innate immune system's sluggish response.

Your innate immune system includes barriers that keep harmful materials from entering your body. Think of it as your first line of defense against all invaders and injury. Barrier components include:

  • The cough reflex, which helps us get rid of things that can irritate or infect us.
  • The production of mucus that traps bacteria and small particles and helps flush them out of the body.
  • Stomach acid, which helps kill germs in our food and water.
2. You are under constant stress.

Certain types of stress can be good for our immunity and general well-being.

For example, short-term acute stress—a traffic jam—is designed to help your body instantly recharge its defense mechanisms. Because of this, acute stress actually helps boost your immune system in the short term.

On the other end of the spectrum, chronic stress can be bad news, causing immune dysregulation and immune suppression, leading to more infections and poor recovery from disease.

Research also shows that frequent episodes of stress seem to exacerbate autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and ulcerative colitis and may exacerbate allergic reactions such as eczema and asthma.

3. You often get herpes or had shingles at a young age

The viruses that cause herpes and shingles belong to the herpes virus family. Once you are infected with the herpes virus, it goes into a dormant state in the body.

However, when you are under stress or your cellular immunity weakens, the virus can multiply and reactivate again.

Frequent reactivation may be a sign that your immune system needs a boost.

4. You are taking medications that weaken your immune response.

Unfortunately, many of the important drugs that are used in cancer chemotherapy—to prevent organ transplant rejection and treat autoimmune diseases—can be immunosuppressants.

Corticosteroids, a common class of drugs used for allergies, asthma, and other inflammatory conditions, may also have an immunosuppressive effect.

Even a history of frequent antibiotic use has been shown to be detrimental to microbiome diversity in the gut, which can directly impair immune responses.

How to strengthen your immune system

The good news is that no matter what your immune resistance is, you can intervene daily to make it stronger.

Here are some effective ways to do this:

1. Feed your immune system

Our immune system cells need plenty of antioxidant-rich foods, mostly fresh fruits and vegetables, especially those rich in vitamin C and beta-carotene.

Focus on getting your daily servings of dark leafy greens like kale, deeply pigmented berries like blackberries, and gut-friendly, fiber-rich cruciferous vegetables like kale, broccoli, and arugula.

The minerals zinc and selenium are also powerful immune-supporting nutrients found in nuts, seeds, shellfish, and some meats.

Finally, add some superfoods like shiitake and maitake mushrooms, green tea, and spices like turmeric, rosemary, and cloves.

2. Get some sun

In addition to improving your mood, just 10-15 minutes of full-spectrum light a day can provide you with enough vitamin D, an important immune system-supporting vitamin.

Some evidence indicates that low vitamin D levels are a risk factor for poor immune status, including autoimmune disease and Covid. Therefore, if you have a weak immune system, it is recommended to check your level and supplement your time in the sun with vitamin D tablets.

3. Focus on sleep

The quality and quantity of sleep have a big impact on immune resilience.

Chronic sleep deprivation is associated with more severe inflammation and more frequent infections. This is due to the fact that while our body is resting, the cells of the immune system can also focus all their efforts and energy on a powerful attack against viruses and bacteria.

In addition, sleep enhances the formation of memory antibodies against bacteria and viruses, which helps strengthen the immune system for the future.

4. Stop smoking

This shouldn't be a problem, but even the chemicals in secondhand smoke are carcinogens. The damage these foods create in our tissues keeps us in a state of inflammation and constant repair.

Cigarettes, marijuana and vapes are harmful to the respiratory tract, which is the first barrier to entry of airborne viruses and bacteria.

5. Limit your alcohol intake

Alcohol has a negative effect on most of our innate and adaptive immune cells.

Chronic and binge drinking also damages the lining of the gastrointestinal tract, as well as protective T cells and neutrophils in the GI system. This disrupts the barrier function of the gut and allows microbes to enter the bloodstream, leading to inflammation.

6. Double Your Stress Management Efforts

Chronic, unmanaged emotional and physical stress increases the release of inflammatory cytokines, and people with severe physical and emotional stress have higher levels of inflammation.

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In fact, C-reactive protein, which is a marker of inflammation, is elevated in patients under acute stress.

One of the most effective ways to boost your immune response is to manage stress through meditation, breathing exercises, and other mindfulness exercises.

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