All about the immune system in 4 points

Every day we are exposed to huge amounts of pollutants such as bacteria, viruses, allergens and pollen. However, thanks to the immune system, we are always healthy and our body is largely protected. But if this is weakened, it can lead to symptoms of colds, allergies or autoimmune diseases.

be immune means to be protected. So it makes sense that the body system that helps fight disease is called that. But then, how to strengthen the immune system? Or what foods to boost the immune system? why do you always have a weak immune system?

What is the immune system?

It is the human body’s defense system against pathogens (microorganisms such as viruses, bacteria, parasites). It is also a protection against foreign substances with which humans come into contact. This is how it works to ensure that the health and functions of the body are maintained.

What are its component parts?

It includes many different parts, including:

• Your skin: which helps prevent germs from entering the body;
• Mucous membranes: produce mucus and other substances that can trap and fight germs. These membranes are moist internal linings of certain organs and body cavities;
• Your white blood cells: to fight germs;
• Organs and tissues of the lymphatic system: these include the thymus, spleen, tonsils, lymph nodes, lymph vessels and bone marrow. These make it possible to produce, store and transport white blood cells.

How does it work ?

Your immune system is absolutely vital: it protects the body from pollutants, pathogens and disease-causing cell changes. It includes different organs, cell types and proteins.

• As long as the body’s defenses are functioning properly, they are not noticeable. But if the immune system fails because it’s weakened or can’t do anything against particularly aggressive pathogens, you get sick. Even pathogens that are still unknown to the body usually struggle.
• With some pathogens, however, only first contact leads to illness. One can for example cite childhood diseases such as chickenpox.

The tasks he undertakes

Without the immune system, the body would be really vulnerable. Both to harmful environmental influences and to changes inside him that are harmful to health. This is why the main tasks of the body’s defenses are:

• Render pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, parasites or fungi harmless and eliminate them from the body;
• Recognize and neutralize environmental pollutants;
• Fight pathological changes such as cancer cells.

What are the types of immunity?

There are three different types of immunity:

Innate immunity:

it is the protection you were born with. It is your body’s first line of defense. It includes barriers such as the skin and mucous membranes. This prevents harmful substances from entering the body.

Active immunity:

also called adaptive immunity, it develops when you are infected or vaccinated against a foreign substance. Active immunity is usually long-lasting. For many diseases, this can last a lifetime.

Passive immunity:

it occurs when you receive antibodies against a disease instead of producing them through your own immune system. For example, newborn babies have antibodies from their mother. People can also acquire passive immunity through blood products containing antibodies. This type of immunity gives you immediate protection, but only lasts for a few weeks or months.

Unfortunately, not everything works well, even with the “body police”. The body’s defenses can be disrupted in different ways, which we are about to discuss.

weak immune system

In some cases, this system is no longer as strong and the body is more prone to infection. Many factors can lead to poor defenses. In many cases, lifestyle plays a significant role. This can usually be changed positively. In some cases, however, there is a disease behind it.

The causes of his weakness

When your immunity is weakened, it can no longer function properly. The causes can be different:

• old age;
• Stress (physical and mental);
• Malnutrition or undernutrition;
• Lack of sleep and sleep disorders;
• Sedentary lifestyle;
• Smoking and alcohol;
• Existing infections and inflammations;
• Blood cancer and immunodeficiency;
• Chronic diseases (diabetes, HIV/AIDS etc.);
• Autoimmune diseases (inflammatory rheumatism);
• Defense suppressing drugs (immunosuppressants);
• Chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Some diseases also result from a dysfunction in the immune system. This is for example the case of:

• Crohn’s disease;
• Lupus;
• Multiple sclerosis ;
• Type 1 diabetes;
• hypothyroidism;
• Rheumatoid arthritis;
• celiac disease;
• Psoriasis;
• Ulcerative colitis;
• Etc.

How to recognize the weakness of your immunity?

If you have a weak immune system, intruders find it easier to enter your body. They penetrate more easily into the body, multiply and spread there. The result: you get sick more often.

In addition to this susceptibility to infection, a weakened immune system often leads to systemic symptoms. These include in particular:

Tiredness and exhaustion

It is true that fatigue can have many causes. But if it’s continuous and you wake up already exhausted, that’s not normal. You have to be careful about it. It could be a sign that something is wrong with your health.

Frequent infections

By not being able to properly deal with pathogens that enter the body, the immune system does not give the appropriate response and cannot defend you against certain viruses or bacteria. Therefore, you may regularly suffer from infections.

Some of these symptoms could therefore be a sign of a weak immune system:

• Urinary tract infections;
• Easily inflamed gums;
• Episodes of diarrhoea;
• Etc.

Increased allergic reactions

Some people suffer from allergic reactions more frequently than others. Some disruptive elements have an impact on the skin or mucous membranes and immediately affect health:

• pollen ;
• dust ;
• or other surrounding agents.

Wounds that take time to heal

A wound taking longer than normal to heal is a warning sign that something is wrong. If you have a fairly weak immunity, it seems that the wounds do not heal… On the contrary:

• They become infected;
• ignite;
• And can even hurt more than they should.

Colds

How many colds do you usually catch? One every month? Does your throat still hurt? Do you catch the flu right away? If so, you need to see your doctor for an analysis and check your white blood cell count. Maybe your immunity isn’t defending you as it should.

To sum up, these symptoms could therefore be the result of a weakness in your immunity:

• constant feeling of fatigue;
• various discomforts in the body;
• muscle aches ;
• cramps;
• headache ;
• cold feeling or frequent cold;
• flu ;
• and even wounds that do not heal completely.

Be careful, not everything is necessarily due to a weak immune system. These are just likely symptoms.

How to strengthen the immune system?

To be able to strengthen it, it is essential to adopt a healthy lifestyle. And we must ensure that this way of life continues all the time… It must not only be temporary!

Establish a healthy lifestyle

There are actions that are simple and that can boost your immune system. If applied daily, you will most certainly see a marked improvement. Ask those who have made the decision to take control of maintaining their immunity. They will confirm to you how much simple things can change everything!

1 – Wash your hands

Viruses are often transmitted by:

• shaking hands;
• coming into contact with door handles;
• by touching baskets and shopping carts etc.

So there is no mystery! Wash your hands frequently throughout the day with warm water and soap. Soap is essential for disinfecting your hands. If you don’t have water within reach, you can always wash your hands with hydroalcoholic gel. However, do not do it too often anyway, at the risk of damaging your hands.

2 – Drink water regularly

Unfortunately, hot air dries out our mucous membranes in the nose and throat. This limits the natural barrier against viruses and bacteria. Make sure to drink at least 2 liters of water or unsweetened tea every day. Green tea is excellent for boosting your immune system!

3 – Establish a good diet

What food to strengthen the immune system? Good nutrition is synonymous with good health. And it is not necessary to pay attention to your health only when you are sick. On the contrary, it should be a daily struggle. This is something we should all absolutely change.

The ideal is that we always maintain a good diet to be healthy. This is the solution to stay in shape, and thus be able to strengthen the immune system.

There are many natural foods that can help strengthen the body’s line of defense. Some recommendations in this regard are:

• Include natural herbs and spices in your diet such as garlic, onion, oregano,turmeric;
• Eat foods rich in vitamin A and beta-carotene: sweet potato, squash, carrot etc. On the exotic side, papaya is also a very good food for strengthening the immune system.
• Also favor those that contain vitamin C: citrus fruits, peppers, broccoli, kiwi;
• Zinc is also the key to your good immunity. It can be found in pumpkin seeds, nuts, and beans;
• Also eat fiber-rich foods. Fiber is very important in the functioning of immunity. In addition, they promote the growth of your bacterial flora;
• You can choose foods that contain probiotics, which are bacteria with various beneficial effects. Yogurt is excellent as a food to boost the immune system.

4 – Sleep well

How to boost your immune system effectively? By getting enough sleep!

Indeed, our defenses are closely linked to the quality and duration of our sleep. Because while we sleep large amounts of immune-active substances are released into the body.

Discover in our appendix article: our tips for better sleep

5 – Reduce stress

Try to stop the stress as much as possible. Take breaks in the day, do some yoga, or take a warm, relaxing bath. Try to sleep 8 hours a night because only a rested body can produce new antibodies. Stress can literally weaken your health, it can even have serious consequences for you!

6 – Make sure your intestinal flora is healthy

Your immunity and your gut are linked. In fact, almost 80% of the immune cells are located there. A healthy intestinal flora is therefore particularly important for strengthening the immune system.

7 – Stop alcohol and nicotine immediately

In fact, alcohol and nicotine weaken your health. While drunk, the body’s immunity is disabled for at least 24 hours, which is huge. Nicotine weakens the function of certain white blood cells so that it is easier for pathogens to get it.

Covid-19 and the immune system

Did you know ? the COVID-19 plaguing now has a special connection with your body’s immunity.

Without treatment or specific drugs and, without a vaccine, the only defense you will have against the new coronavirus will be your immune system.

The results will largely depend on his response to the infection. We can therefore suffer from both mild and serious symptoms such as:

• only a dry cough;
• a sore throat;
• fatigue and fever;
• severe symptoms such as pneumonia;
• or even acute respiratory problems;
• multi-organ failure;
• and even death in the most serious of cases.

Experts have explained in many articles how to strengthen the immune system to better cope with this disease. They recommend following:

• a healthy diet ;
• to sleep more;
• avoid stress;
• and stop toxic substances.