So in this article of My Health Only, we are going to tell you about the weak immune system, by knowing weakened immune system, you will be able to handle it as soon as possible.
Let’s know what to do about weak immune system ..
Table of Contents
Immune system is the most important defensive response of our body and its function is to protect and keep the person healthy from disease causing germs like bacteria, viruses, fungus and parasites. The immune system protects us from many types of infections, The immune system in the body of most young and healthy people is successful in performing this function completely. But many times the immune system is unable to do the way it should work and due to this the person becomes susceptible and is more at risk of getting diseases. A person whose immune system is weak also has the risk of frequent infections.
Our body’s immune system consists of white blood cells (WBCs), antibodies and many other elements including specific organs and lymph nodes. There are also everyday stresses, bad eating habits and many diseases or disorders that weaken our immune system and that person is called immunocompromised or immune impaired. Many times a person’s immune system remains weak due to some diseases from birth, while at times it happens due to environmental related reasons.
After all, what is the point of weakening of the immune system or immunity, and what causes our immunity to become weak? What are the symptoms of weakening immunity and what is the treatment of weak immunity problem. We are telling you all about these in this article.
Symptoms of weak immune system –
The first and basic indication or symptom of a weak immune system is that the person will be highly sensitive to any kind of infection. People who have poor immunity are at a significantly higher risk of infection and diseases than others and also severe infections that are difficult to treat. Not only this, people with weak immunity are also at risk of infection which can never happen to people with strong immune system.
The types of infections that people with poor immunity are usually at risk of are:
- Pneumonia
- Meningitis
- Bronchitis
- Skin infection
Such infections often recur in a person with a weak immunity. Apart from this, people with weak immune system can also have these problems:
- Autoimmune diseases
- Inflammation (swelling and irritation) in internal organs
- Blood disorders or irregularities such as anemia
- Digestive diseases like – loss of appetite, diarrhea, stomach cramps etc.
- Developmental delays and problems in newborns and children
Apart from these symptoms, there are some warning signs that indicate that your immune system is weak:
Stress level too high
According to the report of the American Psychological Association, if a person is under stress or tension for a long time, then his immune system weakens. This is because stress reduces the body’s lymphocytes (white blood cells) that help fight infections. The lower the person’s lymphocyte level, the higher the risk of infection and diseases.
If you have a cold all the time
It is quite normal for a normal adult person to have a cold, cold, runny nose, sneeze 2 to 3 times a year and most people are completely cured in 7 to 10 days. But if you have a problem of frequent colds and colds and this problem is not corrected without taking medicines then it is a sign that your immune system is weak.
Stomach problems
If a person has regular diarrhea, stomach gas, or constipation, it can also be a sign of a weak or inefficient immune system. According to research, 70 percent of our immune system is located in the digestive system. In this case, the good bacteria and microorganisms present in the digestive system help in protecting the gut from infection.
It takes longer to heal
As soon as you are injured, scratched or have a wound due to burns, then your skin immediately starts controlling damage. This whole process of healing of the wound depends on the healthy cells of the immune system. But if your immune system is weak then your skin will not be able to form new skin and it will take more time to heal the wound.
Feeling tired all the time
If you feel tired and stretched all the time even after getting enough sleep, then it can also be a warning sign of a weak immune system. This is because when your immune system is struggling for work, the energy level of the body also decreases.
Causes of weak immune system –
To understand why our immune system is weak, first you have to know about the most important part of the immune system – white blood cells. According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (niaid), white blood cells always patrol in the blood and most of the time search for external invaders so that the body can be protected from them.
But there are many diseases that affect the functioning of white blood cells. These diseases or disorders can be mild or severe, such as:
- HIV
- Cancer
- Malnutrition
- Viral hepatitis
- Diabetes
Autoimmune diseases such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis also weaken the immune system. Apart from this, there are some medicines which weaken your ability to fight diseases and immune system. They are drugs – corticosteroids, chemotherapy drugs and biologics used to fight inflammation in the body.
Increasing age also causes the weakening of the immune system
Not only this, your growing age also makes the immune system weak because the immune system’s ability to respond decreases over time, due to which the elderly are more at risk of infection and diseases. Although the exact cause of this has not been known, but scientists believe that this happens because of the lack of T cells in the body because the thymus produces fewer T cells to fight infection as it ages.
Treatment of weak immune system –
People whose immune system is weak should make some changes in their lifestyle as well as take care of some important things so that they can reduce the risk of infection and diseases and lead a healthy life. For this:
- Take care of cleanliness
People with weak immune system should always be healthy so that they should take full care of cleanliness, especially the cleaning of hands. Before and after cooking, before and after eating, immediately after cleaning your nose, coughing and sneezing, immediately after cleansing the wound, after coming in contact with a sick person, using the toilet Immediately, after changing the baby’s diaper, touching the pets and touching the garbage, clean your hands thoroughly with soap and water.
According to the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a good hand wash can reduce the risk of infectious disease diarrhea by up to 58 percent in people with weak immune systems. Apart from this, the risk of many more diseases can also be removed by washing hands thoroughly. In addition to cleaning the hands, household items and surfaces that are frequently touched by people such as door handles, latch, remote control, table surface should be cleaned and disinfected regularly.
- Avoid contact with sick people
If the immune system of a person is weak, then they should avoid going too close to the person suffering from any kind of infection or ill. Not only this, they should not share the food and drink of the sick person.
- Control stress
Stress or tension also makes a person’s immune system weak, so it is very important to manage and control your stress. To control stress, do yoga, meditate, get massaged, give time to your favorite hobbies, keep in touch with friends, relatives etc.
- Get enough sleep
According to the National Sleep Foundation, lack of sleep has the same effect on the immune system of our body as that of stress. Lack of sleep causes a decrease in the normal production of white blood cells – the most important part of the immune system. According to the CDC, at least 7 hours of sleep per night is very important for adults. At the same time, children need 8 to 17 hours of sleep according to their age.
- Take healthy diet
Healthy and balanced diet helps in keeping the person happy and healthy as a whole. People whose immune system is weak should include more quantity of fruits and vegetables in their diets so that they can get adequate nutrients. Apart from this, do not consume raw or under cooked meat, fish and eggs, consume pasteurized dairy products, wash and clean fruits and vegetables thoroughly before eating them.
- Exercise daily
Exercising regularly also keeps your body healthy. While strengthening the body, the endorphin hormone is released while exercising, leading to a decrease in stress level. However, people whose immune system is weak, they should avoid doing very high intensity exercises.
- Supplements can be consumed
Sometimes, due to lack of certain vitamins and minerals in the body, the immune system also becomes weak. Therefore, you can ask your doctor to take the following supplements to make the immune system strong again:
