
Understanding your immune system: the first step to boosting your resistance.
Some time ago, the immune system was in the spotlight, but how well do you actually understand how it works?
A thorough understanding of what your immune system does for you and how everyday factors impact it can play a crucial role in maintaining your health.
Your immune system: your faithful protector
The main task of the immune system is to fight and eliminate pathogens and other foreign invaders.
For example, when you get a cold virus through your nose, your immune system immediately targets that virus. It tries to stop it or prepares your body to recover. Recovering from an infection takes time, and sometimes medications are needed to help, but a good immune system is the foundation for prevention and recovery.
Stress management for a robust immune system.
It is vital to manage stress. When you are stressed, your immune system does not function optimally, making you more susceptible to illness.
Long-term stress, such as - Difficult relationships, living with a chronic illness, or providing care—can take a toll on your immune system. Over time, it can make you more susceptible to conditions ranging from the common cold and flu to chronic diseases like diabetes and heart problems. Research has shown that chronic stress can age the immune system, increasing your risk of catching colds and flu, and developing diabetes and heart disease.
Everyone experiences stress; the key is how you deal with it. Improving stress management skills can help tremendously. Simple techniques like focusing on deep breathing can help reduce the effects of stress. You can also try other relaxation techniques, such as:
- Meditation
- Yoga
- Regular exercise
The complexity of your immune system
Next to your nervous system, your immune system is one of the most complex systems in your body. It includes various tissues, cells, and organs, including:
- Your tonsils
- Your digestive system
- Your bone marrow
- Your skin
- Your lymph nodes
- Your spleen
- The thin mucous membranes in your nose, throat and genitals
All these elements work together to keep your body healthy at all times.
Fever: An ally of your immune system
Fever can help your immune system fight infection in two ways. An elevated body temperature speeds up the activity of cells, including those that fight pathogens. This allows them to respond more quickly to invading germs. In addition, elevated body temperatures make it harder for bacteria and viruses to thrive in your body.
Although you are born with a certain level of immunity, it is important to know that your immune system can develop and strengthen. In a future article, we will delve deeper into how immunity learns from the past and how to improve it.
Above all, remember that your immune system plays a crucial role in maintaining your health, and that persistent stress is one of its biggest threats. Avoid stress and give your immune system the right nutrients it deserves.