Even a healthy person gets sick every now and then. But if you fine-tune certain aspects of your health and daily life routine, you can fight against viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens that affect your immune system. Here we discuss how you can keep your immune system healthy.
How Does the Immune System Work?
The natural defense system of our body is known as the immune system. It plays an important role to protect our body from harmful substances, germs, and cell changes that could make us ill and weak. Made up of a network of cells, tissues, and organs, the immune system works together to protect our body. You won’t notice or give proper care to your immune system as long as it runs smoothly. But, once it starts getting weak or reaches a point where your body cant fights aggressive germs, you get ill. Some germs will only make you sick the first time you come into contact with them. These include diseases such as chickenpox.
The immune system is activated by an antigen, something that our body doesn’t recognize as its own. Once the antigens attach to special receptors on the immune system cells, many processes get triggered in our body. When the human body comes in contact with a disease-causing germ for the very first time, it stores the information about how to fight the germ. Later, when our body happens to come into contact with the same germ the second time, our body recognizes it and fights faster.
6 Ways to Keep Your Immune System Healthy
While there are no magic “healthy pills,” there are certain ways to take your immunity superpowers up a notch. These six steps can boost your immune system the way you have never imagined.
1. Keep stress under control
Long-term stress affects your immunity in a vital way. It chronically elevates the steroid hormone cortisol. Our body depends on hormones like cortisol when it goes into a “fight-or-flight” response. Cortisol plays the role of preventing the immune system from responding before a stressful event. When cortisol levels are in a higher state, it blocks our immune system from doing its job to protect our body against potential threats from viruses and bacteria.
To reduce stress, practice yoga, meditation, journaling, or do any activity that you enjoy the most. Try doing at least one activity every day.
2. Get enough sleep to keep your immune system healthy
When we sleep, our body produces and distributes key immune cells such as cytokines, T-cells, and interleukin 12. If you fail to get quality sleep, then your immune system may not be able to do these processes well. This makes it less able to defend your body against harmful invaders and makes you more likely to get sick. Lack of sleep also elevates cortisol levels, which is not good for the immune function.
An adult should get 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night to optimize health. In order to get a better night’s sleep, follow good sleep hygiene habits such as turning off the electronics two to three hours before you go to bed.
3. Stay hydrated
Staying hydrated is important for your overall health. When you are dehydrated, you get headaches, and this very well hinders your mood, physical performance, focus, digestion, and many more. These complications increase your susceptibility to illness.
Drink enough fluid every day to stay hydrated. When it comes to fluid, normal water is recommended because it is free of calories, sugar, and additives.
4. Follow the perfect immune diet
The nutrients you get from food mainly, plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices are essential to keep your immune system function properly. Most of this food has antiviral and antimicrobial properties, which help us fight off infection and other diseases. Include Vitamin C rich food, Omega-3 fatty acids, probiotics, and fermented food in your diet to keep your immune system functional and healthy.
5. Exercise daily
Daily exercise reduces your risk of developing chronic diseases such as obesity, heart diseases, and type 2 diabetes. Exercising also increases the release of the hormone known as endorphins, which reduce pain and create feelings of pleasure. This serves as a great way to manage stress.
6. Quit smoking
Cigarette smoking affects overall immune health. Carbon monoxide, nicotine, cadmium, and nitrogen oxides are the chemicals released by cigarette smoke. They interfere with the growth and proper functioning of the immune cells. If you are suffering from any viral and bacterial infections (especially those of the lungs), post-surgical infections, and rheumatoid arthritis, smoking worsens it.
Say a big no to smoking. There are many resources available right now to help you kick out this habit, such as- counseling, behavioral therapy, and nicotine replacement products.
We at Radhani healthcare trying to provide a digital platform for everybody, where they can visit to learn about their health issues and directly contact India’s top doctors for online consultation.