Has coughed, coughed or, even worse, has fallen down with ORZ or a flu - experts will say: the immunity is weakened. Covered with a red rash, eating an extra chocolate, - and this time the explanation will be a malfunction in the immune system. Impaired immunity underlies almost any disease - it became a medical axiom. Let's see what really is the immunity and the immune system of a person? And how to make your immunity work at full power? ..
The most common target of the immune system are viruses and microbes. Being carriers of alien genetic information, they invade the internal environment of the body. And when it comes to immunity, it usually means the body's ability to fight infectious diseases.
Weak link
When talking about a decrease in immunity, they mean a reduction in the so-called immune response (the production of leukocytes) to invasion of foreign microorganisms. Decreased immunity can be suspected if you are ill with colds 4-5 times a year, have foci of chronic purulent infection (sinusitis, otitis, bronchitis, etc.) or fungal lesions of the skin, mucous membranes and nails (eg, capsidosis).
If external signs of a decrease in immunity are already available, a blood test should be done. In this case, a separate analysis, for example, on the number of white blood cells in the blood, will not provide either you or the doctor any useful information. It makes sense only a complex composition of the immunogram. In this case, a real danger is the strong changes in the immunogram - shifts of 20-40% of the norm.
In the risk zone
Even in completely healthy people, immunity can not be regarded as a constant value. It is influenced by thousands of external and internal factors. And here are just some of them.
■ POWER. Inadequate intake of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and trace elements causes a lowered formation of protective factors in the body.
■ STRESS. If the nervous system sends a signal "stress", the adrenal glands secrete a large number of hormones that depress immunity.
■ DISEASES. Virtually any disease causes a temporary decrease in immunity. The most dangerous among them are acute and chronic infections. These include diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, nervous system, lung disease.
■ METHODS OF TREATMENT. When treating serious diseases, sometimes you have to use unsafe actions - anesthesia, radiation therapy, antibiotics and hormonal drugs. They can cause an immunodeficiency state.
Support Group
Modern experts believe that immunity should not be stimulated, but maintained in a state of combat readiness. When, what and in what quantities it is worth while doing this - strictly individually. But there are general recommendations that will come in handy.
✓ Choose suitable immunomodulators for you. To maintain the immunity of a healthy person, immunomodulators of natural origin, containing aloe extract, calanchoe juice, ginseng preparations, eleutherococcus, etc., are recommended. They act gently, although the effect of their use is less pronounced. In order to experience their miraculous power, it will take at least 10-15 days. Herbal preparations are not as safe as it is commonly believed. They can cause allergies. Therefore, in the first week of treatment, the dosage is reduced by half as compared with that indicated, and if the organism tolerates the drug well, they switch to the full dosage.
✓ Do not neglect the vaccination calendar. In most cases, vaccinations do not cause any problems if one simple rule is followed: before your vaccination within 14 days your health should be perfect. Post vaccination immunity is not as persistent as after the disease, so vaccination should be repeated. So, immunity after vaccination against measles or tetanus is kept for about 10 years, after rubella - 12 years, diphtheria - 7 years.
✓ Take care of a balanced diet. Rigid diets in the autumn-winter period are unacceptable! At this time of year the body needs a shock dose of vitamins and trace elements. Effective for maintaining immunity and dairy products with lacto- and bifidobacteria.
✓ Include oxygen cocktails in your diet. A portion of an oxygen cocktail (150-200 ml) per day is akin to a 30-minute run. It is able to increase the efficiency of cells of the immune system several times.
✓ Learn to resist psychological stress. Choose to taste: someone is helped by yoga, someone - breathing exercises, someone - a bath with aromatic salt ... In a favorable position are lovers of cats. Cat purring, performed at a frequency of 14-16 Hz, reduces the level of stress, thereby beneficially influencing the immunity and immune system of a person.