But if you get sick often, 4 or more infected For example, if you need antibiotics, you should talk to your doctor about having tests done to determine if you have a health condition that affects your immune system. Certain diseases, including genetic disorders, affect your ability to fight infections, and diseases such as diabetes can weaken your immune system.
Here’s how to support your immune system and what you need to know about tests and symptoms.
support the immune system
Beware of supplements and probiotics that promise to improve your body’s ability to fight infections. Research shows that these aren’t really the quick fixes we all want.
routine vaccination. The best thing you can do for your immune system is keep your vaccinations up to date.
healthy diet. A balanced diet will help ensure that your nutritional needs are met. A variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains contain key vitamins and nutrients that are important for your immune system.
Prioritize physical activity. Moderate exercise has been shown to: Increases activity of immune cells.Approximate 150 minutes of physical activity Week by week.
Please take a good rest. Lack of sleep powerful effect It affects the functioning of our immune system, such as inhibiting antibody production. Most adults need 7 hours or more Overnight.
Quit smoking and cut down on alcohol. nicotine and tobacco smoke suppress the immune systemas well as alcohol. Your doctor can provide resources such as medications to help you break the habit.
test the immune system
The immune system protects you from bacteria, viruses, and other potentially harmful enemies. Among its soldiers are white blood cells known for their ability to locate and kill intruders, as well as plasma cells that produce antibodies.
Severe defects in the immune system can lead to immunodeficiency. The term is often used interchangeably with immunodeficiency.
If symptoms are worse than usual, the immune system may be weakened, and further testing may determine the diagnosis. Doctors often start by looking at overall antibody or immunoglobulin levels and doing a complete blood count to check white blood cell levels. In some cases, advanced tests such as flow cytometry, which uses lasers to analyze cells, need to be performed to pinpoint molecular problems or analyze genomes to find mutations. There are cases.
Depending on the medical history, additional tests, such as chronic kidney disease, such as urinalysis and a comprehensive metabolic panel, may help clarify other possible reasons for immunodeficiency.
Testing for antibodies to certain infections may also help.in the meantime majority of US population Antibodies have already been developed against covid-19, but testing for them is not particularly helpful. This is not the case for less common infections.
Tests for specific antibodies are routinely done when evaluating some disorders, such as hepatitis. These can alert doctors to the possibility of an active infection and give information about how the immune system is responding.
Conditions affecting the immune system
Some genetic diseases, such as common variable immunodeficiency and selective IgA deficiency, generally impair the body’s ability to produce effective antibodies.
Immunodeficiency diseases include HIV, which can deplete certain white blood cells and leave people vulnerable to life-threatening infections. If you belong to a high-risk group, such as men who have sex with men or people who inject drugs, talk to your doctor about starting pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) without delay.
Autoimmune conditions, on the other hand, occur when the immune system mistakenly creates antibodies against its own body. Autoimmune diseases themselves do not render people completely immunocompromised, but treatment with immunosuppressive drugs is commonly used to render them immunocompromised.
Also, people with certain health conditions are at higher risk of getting sick. These situations include:
- Diseases such as cirrhosis, chronic kidney disease, and diabetes.
- old age. Our immune systems tend to weaken with age, and people over the age of 65 often become seriously ill when infected.
- Are receiving chemotherapy or taking other drugs that suppress the immune system. In such scenarios, your doctor may already be monitoring your blood counts.
- pregnancy. It does not impair immunity per se. Pregnancy is associated with unique changes in the immune system You may be more susceptible to infections.
In such cases, additional testing of the immune system may not always provide useful information. However, you may need to take extra precautions to prevent infection, such as wearing a mask in crowded places.
Physician Profile: Trisha S. Pasricha is a physician at Massachusetts General Hospital, a medical lecturer at Harvard Medical School, and a medical journalist.
