Weakened immunity: symptoms, causes and ways to strengthen it

What affects immunity

Since immunity is a complex of reactions of the entire body to protect against external invasions, its functioning is influenced by many factors. This may include:

• dream;
• chronic stress;
• physical activity;
• diet;
• psychological mood;
• ecological situation;
• medications;
• bad habits (smoking, alcohol);
• chronic diseases;
• genetic characteristics;
• infectious diseases;
• radiation.

All these factors influence immunity in combination. If some exposure is excessive and the body cannot cope with it within the limits of a normal reaction, malfunctions may occur, which also lead to a decrease in immunity. For example, short, controlled stress in the form of hardening, training, or a certain period of fasting will stimulate the body and help strengthen the immune system.

If stress is chronic, for example emotional, it leads to exhaustion of the nervous system, imbalance of hormonal levels and, naturally, affects the immune system. Thus, studies have shown that after chronic stress upon contact with a virus, such as ARVI, these people developed severe symptoms such as weakness and nasal discharge. In the other group, without exposure to stress, these symptoms were minimal or absent.

A significant portion of bacteria and viruses enter the body through the digestive system. If the work of enzymes, acidity, microflora is disrupted, the permeability of the intestinal wall is increased, there are inflammatory processes, local immunity is weakened, then the protective function may decrease and foreign agents may enter the blood.

A significant portion of bacteria and viruses enter the body through the digestive system.

Hormonal drugs, bad habits, and infections can weaken the immune system. We often forget about such an important element of health as sleep. Lack of sleep and sleep disturbances can also reduce the body's defenses.

How to boost immunity?

Knowing how to quickly boost immunity, you can prevent the emergence of a large number of problems, including health ones. To do this, it is enough to follow simple rules, the implementation of which can improve your well-being and health in general. This:

1. Normalization of lifestyle. It includes the elimination of all of the above reasons that can lead to immunodeficiency states. First of all, it is necessary to pay attention to adherence to sleep patterns, daily diet and physical activity.
2. Minimizing or eliminating stress. Being in a stressful environment or depression negatively affects not only mental but also physical health. Therefore, it is important to get rid of external stimuli or learn to cope with them (on your own or with the help of a psychologist).
3. Getting rid of bad habits. It is strongly recommended to give up smoking, alcohol or drug abuse.
4. Adhere to medical prescriptions. Even a drug that boosts immunity must be prescribed after receiving approval from a doctor. Self-medication will not only not bring the desired effect, but can also cause significant harm. Therefore, it is necessary to promptly contact the doctors of the MedArt clinic, who will conduct a thorough diagnosis, make the correct diagnosis and prescribe effective treatment. The duration of the treatment course and dosage of medications is selected strictly individually, depending on the characteristics of each organism.

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Proper nutrition

As mentioned above, rational and proper nutrition is an essential component of a complete immune defense. The daily diet should consist of a sufficient amount of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, minerals, trace elements and vitamins. It is necessary to consume fresh vegetables and fruits daily, give preference to low-fat varieties of fish and meat. It is strongly recommended not to overuse salty, fried, smoked and fatty foods. You should also give up fast food, which contains a high concentration of fast fats, which lead not only to rapid weight gain, but also to the development of many diseases. However, food is not the only important aspect of proper nutrition. To increase immune protection, it is necessary to monitor your water balance. An adult should drink at least 2 liters of clean water every day. The liquid promotes accelerated elimination of toxins and normalization of metabolic processes.

Physical training

Adequate exercise has a general strengthening effect, which has a beneficial effect on health, including immunity. However, you need to understand that physical education should be selected on an individual basis. The amount, duration and type of exercise depends on the characteristics of each person: gender, age, history of diseases, current sports form and much more. It is important to know that excessive physical activity can negatively affect the body, leading to fatigue and exhaustion. You also need to carefully monitor proper rest. It is not recommended to engage in intense sports every day. 2-3 sessions a week will be enough to strengthen the immune system. If you can’t go to the gym, you can give preference to jogging or walking in the fresh air.

Hardening

This is one of the most ancient, common, but effective ways to improve the functioning of the immune system. Hardening is a common practice among people who prefer to keep themselves in shape and monitor their own health. This technique has been proven effective by doctors , but not everyone is allowed to practice it. There are a number of limitations under which hardening can cause significant harm. This primarily applies to people with cardiovascular pathologies. It should also be taken into account that unprepared people are strictly forbidden to immediately douse themselves with cold water or swim in an ice hole. This can lead to heart rhythm disturbances, which can lead to cardiac arrest. To begin with, you can practice a contract shower, walking on the floor without socks or slippers, and only then proceed to more complex procedures.

Vitamins and minerals

This is an essential component of increasing immune defense. Vitamins and minerals can be obtained both from food (therefore it is extremely important to properly plan your diet) and through medications. However, you need to understand that their acceptance must be justified. To do this, it is recommended to make an appointment with a doctor at the MedArt Medical Center. Here, a thorough diagnosis is carried out, on the basis of which an optimal, effective and safe course of taking vitamins and minerals is set.

Folk remedies

Not everyone knows how to boost an adult’s immunity at home using folk remedies . There are several effective ways, including:

1. Herbal teas. The most effective are thyme, chamomile, ginseng and rose hips. The combination of these herbs has a beneficial effect on health, improving well-being and preventing the development of diseases.
2. Replace sugar with honey. Honey is a natural immunostimulating product that can be added to tea or consumed in its pure form.
3. Eat walnuts as a snack. They are rich in beneficial microelements that have a beneficial effect on the immune system.
4. Garlic. It contains a natural antibiotic - allicin, which eliminates pathogenic microorganisms. It is actively used to prevent colds in both adults and children.
5. Ginger root. It can be used to prepare healing decoctions or inhalations.

dietary supplements

The modern realities of life in big cities, unfortunately, do not always allow preparing dishes from high-quality food products. Not everyone has the opportunity to constantly monitor their daily diet and ensure adequate intake of vitamins and minerals. In such a situation, dietary supplements can help and can replace the missing elements. Today there are many different dietary supplements, differing in composition and purpose. To choose a drug, it is recommended to consult a doctor at the MedArt clinic, who can choose the most optimal and safe option.

Immunity disorders

Changes in the functioning of the immune system can be divided into 2 types:

1. The first is when its function is reduced and it cannot cope with protecting the body from external attacks.
2. And second, when its response is disrupted, excessive and goes beyond the normal response, then allergic and autoimmune reactions can develop.

In the second case, inflammatory processes are launched that damage the body’s own tissues. We are talking about problems such as:

• atopic dermatitis;
• bronchial asthma;
• allergic rhinitis;
• rheumatic diseases.

Let us examine in more detail the situation of decreased immunity.

Brief conclusions

• Immunity can decline at any age.
• This can happen both for internal reasons and under the influence of external factors.
• There are ways to strengthen the immune system on your own, but only if the body works without serious disruptions.
• To restore the body's defenses, you can contact an immunologist or a doctor of anti-aging medicine.
• The essence of the doctor’s anti-age approach is to eliminate various “shackles” on the immune system.

Low immunity

How do you understand that your immune system is weakened and you need to do something urgently? Many people have heard the concept of children with frequent illnesses. Parents count the number of ARVIs per year and if it exceeds 4 times they begin to worry. But WHO considers the number 8 to be the norm for children attending kindergarten and primary schoolchildren, if it is a common cold.

Both children and adults should be wary of:

• prolonged otitis, sinusitis;
• frequent bacterial infections;
• recurring sore throats;
• pneumonia;
• identification of atypical pathogens (fungi, certain viruses).

Problems with immunity can be congenital, associated with genetic characteristics, or acquired, that is, arising during life.

What is human immunity

Do you want to know more about what human immunity is and how to find out its level? This is a huge complex of specific defense mechanisms. Its main goal is to neutralize or minimize the impact of negative external factors entering the body from the environment (from air, water, food, etc.). These can be not only foreign substances, but also all kinds of viruses and bacteria that can cause many diseases.

The state of the immune system is influenced by a huge number of factors. This depends on sleep patterns, lifestyle and physical activity, quality of food and drinking water, environmental conditions in the area of ​​permanent residence, etc.

A doctor can make a judgment about the current state of the immune system by doing:

• Oral questioning of the patient about his state of health and well-being.
• Visual inspection.
• Studying the medical history (how many times and at what intervals did pneumonia, colds, etc. occur).
• Interpretation of laboratory tests.
• Assessment of immune status (using special studies - for immunoglobulins, B- and T-lymphocytes, suppressors, etc.)

What to do

It seems that if immunity is low, it urgently needs to be increased. Fortunately, in the pharmacy you can find many immunomodulators with the promise of making the immune system stronger. Before swallowing pills, you may want to pay attention to risk factors. After all, without eliminating them, improvements can only be temporary. It will be like hitting your finger with a hammer, but each time you apply medicinal ointment. Maybe I should put the hammer away first.

Before swallowing pills, you may want to pay attention to risk factors.

• Hidden infections. Often, a hidden source of infection may be present in the oral cavity in the form of untreated teeth or cysts hiding under the teeth. Regular medical examination and sanitation of the oral cavity are necessary.
• Chronic diseases. Untreated diabetes mellitus can lead to the development of ulcers and their infection on the lower extremities, and to poorly healing wounds. Without treating the underlying disease, no immunomodulators will help.
• Hygiene rules. Washing your hands before eating, washing fruits, vegetables, drinking boiled water are commonplace tips, but many do not follow them. If you ignore them, it’s easy to get sick with an intestinal infection while on vacation in warm countries.
• Lifestyle. Try to reduce stress, develop a regular daily routine, and eat regularly. This will help normalize the biological clock and also help the immune system.

Few people manage to follow all the recommendations, so I want to resort to the achievements of modern science.

Causes of decreased immunity

Both external and internal factors can break through the body’s defense system - for example, a person’s lifestyle and existing diseases.

External factors include:

• Unbalanced diet;
• Nutrient deficiency or excess;
• Physical inactivity or, conversely, too intense physical activity;
• Sleep disorders;
• Constant stress;
• Smoking, using drugs or drinking too much alcohol;
• Prolonged stay in an area with increased background radiation;
• Poisoning by chemical compounds;
• Constant exposure to industrial emissions.

Disorders in the functioning of organs and systems, chronic or acquired diseases can also weaken the immune defense:

• Blood diseases (lymphoma or leukemia);
• Impaired intestinal absorption;
• Liver damage;
• Impaired kidney function;
• Immunodeficiencies, including HIV;
• Oncological diseases;
• Intestinal parasites and helminthic infestation;
• Chronic infections;
• Severe injuries and operations;
• Long-term antibiotic therapy;
• Chemotherapy.

In addition, immunity may decrease due to physiological conditions: hormonal changes in adolescents, pregnancy and menopause.

Drugs

Only those products that directly modulate, that is, directly act on some parts of the immune system, can be classified as immunomodulators. Ideally, they should bring it back to normal. All the rest, such as vitamins, dietary supplements, adaptogens, can have an effect on the immune system, but calling them immunomodulators is not entirely correct.

Immunomodulators

An ideal immunomodulator that, when taken, would normalize all parts of the immune system does not yet exist. Today, real immunomodulators include:

• Immunomax;
• Galavit;
• Lycopid.

These molecules act on specific parts of the immune chain and their actions are relatively unknown.

Lysates

A group of drugs that are fragments of bacteria, up to several dozen species. The drugs are available in the form of tablets and nasal sprays. Once in the body, they “awaken” immune cells and put them on alert. This increases the resistance of mucous membranes to the penetration of bacteria and viruses, especially during infections. Medicines:

• IRS-19 (spray);
• Imudon;
• Bronchomunal.

Vitamins and microelements

Vitamin D has a very wide spectrum of effects on the entire body, and not just on the condition of bones and muscles. If we consider its effect on the immune system, then here it helps to relieve inflammation by blocking the interaction between immune cells. With its deficiency, the risk of autoimmune diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, type 1 diabetes) increases. Vitamin D has immunomodulatory properties and can enhance humoral and cellular immunity. There are water- and fat-soluble forms of cholecalciferol. If digestion is disrupted, its absorption may be impaired.

Vitamin D has a very wide spectrum of effects on the entire body.

Preparations:

• Solgar Vitamin D3;
• Natures Bounty Vitamin D3;
• Vitamin D3;
• Vitateca vitamin D3;

Vitamin C has a stimulating effect on the immune system. Under its influence, neutrophils increase their ability to recognize and destroy bacteria and viruses. Ascorbic acid is needed for the synthesis of endogenous interferons and cytokines. The combination of vitamins A, C and zinc stimulates the production of antibodies.

• Solgar Vitamin C 500 mg Raspberry Flavor;
• Solgar Ester-C plus Vitamin C 500 mg.

Zinc is involved in processes affecting the synthesis of T-lymphocytes and stimulates the phagocytic activity of neutrophils. There are no reserves of zinc in the body; it must be supplied with meat, legumes, and cheeses.

• Solgar Flavo-zinc;
• Natures Bounty Zinc Chelate 25 mg;
• Solgar Zinc Picolinate.

Combination drugs

Many vitamins and minerals have a synergistic effect. If there is a deficiency of one, taking a mono drug may be ineffective. To achieve this, manufacturers produce complex, balanced products:

• Natures Bounty Calcium Magnesium Zinc;
• Solgar Calcium-Magnesium with Vitamin D3;
• Vitamin C plus zinc.

dietary supplements

Typically, dietary supplements include various extracts from herbs with an adaptogenic effect. They are often combined with vitamins.

• Vitamin C 500 mg plus Echinacea;
• Vitamin C and rosehip.

Dietary supplements include various extracts from herbs with an adaptogenic effect

Interferons

This group of drugs is also very common in Russia and the post-Soviet space. Western colleagues do not share our optimism regarding the use of this group of drugs and use it in rare cases for certain diseases. But not for ordinary people with symptoms of ARVI, and especially not for prevention.

Our market offers:

• Grippferon;
• Ingaron;
• Viferon;
• Arbidol.

Vitamin drinks to boost immunity

Such drinks will support the immune system and make up for the lack of vitamins. You will strengthen your body and be less susceptible to stress and illness.

Vitamin compote. Mix dry mint, lemon balm, fireweed and chestnut flowers in equal proportions. Then 5 tbsp. pour 1 liter of boiling water over the mixture and keep on low heat for a few minutes. Leave for 2 hours to infuse, then strain and add 2 liters of any berry or fruit compote without sugar to the broth. During the day, drink 0.5 liters of ready-made vitamin compote.

Rose hip tea. Pour 100 g of rose hips into 1 liter of boiling water. Let it brew for 1.5-2 hours, and then take 1 tbsp. after meal. It is also useful to add this infusion to black or green tea.

Drink made from spruce needles. Rinse 2 tbsp. pine needles with cold water, pour 400 ml of boiling water and boil for 20 minutes over low heat. Then let it sit for about 30 minutes and strain. Drink about 2 glasses of the drink per day. If desired, you can add honey or sugar to it.

Cranberry juice. Wash and sort 500 g of cranberries, mash them and squeeze out the juice. Place the squeezed berries in a saucepan, add 2 liters of water and cook for 3-5 minutes after boiling. Then strain the broth, add 2 tbsp. honey and previously squeezed cranberry juice. Drink 2-3 times a day.

Sea buckthorn infusion with lemon and honey. Grind 3 tbsp. sea ​​buckthorn berries, pour 1 liter of boiling water and let it brew for about half an hour. Then strain the infusion, add 2 tsp. honey and a slice of lemon. Drink a glass of drink a day and you will feel much more energetic.

Ginger and lemon drink. Grind 3-5 g of ginger root and a quarter of a lemon along with the peel. Pour 250 ml of hot water, let cool slightly and add 2-3 tsp. honey Drink this drink in the morning on an empty stomach.

Decoction of bay leaves. Boil 300 ml of water, add 10-15 bay leaves and boil for another 5 minutes. Then let the broth brew for 4 hours, preferably in a thermos. Take 1 tbsp. 3 times a day for a month.

Useful mixtures to strengthen the immune system

Using a meat grinder or blender, you can prepare delicious and healthy mixtures. You should not eat them in large quantities, because even a couple of spoons will have a positive effect on your immunity. Try it!

Vitamin mixture of dried fruits. Grind 100 g of dried apricots, prunes and raisins, 200 g of walnuts and 2 lemons. Add 150 g of natural honey to the mixture. Stir, transfer to a glass jar and refrigerate. Eat 1 tbsp per day. mixture before meals.

Horseradish with honey. Grind clean and dry horseradish roots in a blender or using a meat grinder. Pour boiled water to cover the mixture and leave for a couple of hours. Then strain the liquid and add honey to it in a 1:1 ratio. Mix thoroughly and take 1 tbsp. in the morning and in the evening.

“Strengthening” mixture with buckwheat. Grind 500 g of dry and clean buckwheat, mix with 500 g of chopped walnuts and pour liquid honey into the mixture until smooth. Take 1 tbsp. 3 times a day for a month.

To enhance the healing effect of the mixture, you can add chopped dried apricots and raisins to it.