Your Ultimate Guide to the Immune Health Basics You Need to Know

Did you know our immune system can get affected by stress? If you want to learn more about your immune system, we can help.

In this guide, we’ll go over the immune health basics you need to know.

Want to learn more? Keep reading.

Different Parts of the Immune System Have Specific Functions

The immune system is like the military. It has different branches that serve a specific function to protect the body.

Your first line of defense is the white blood cells in your body. White blood cells will recognize pathogens first and fight off infection.

One common type of white blood cell is lymphocytes. These cells will work to help the body remember the invading microbes. This way, your body can fight the microbes faster in the future.

The bone marrow is another part of the immune system. Bone marrow is where the white blood cells get produced.

Your lymph nodes will produce and store the infection-fighting cells throughout your body.

The spleen will help control the amount of blood in your body. It also cleans out damaged or old blood cells from your body.

What Is Immunity?

The specialized parts and cells in your immune system will protect against disease. The protection’s referred to as immunity. People have three kinds of immunity: adaptive, passive, and innate.

Innate immunity is something everyone is born with, and it’s general protection. The skin acts as a barrier that will block germs from entering our bodies. The immune system sees specific invaders as foreign.

Adaptive immunity will develop throughout our lives. People develop adaptive immunity when they get exposed to diseases or take vaccines.

Passive immunity is when you borrow immunity from another source, and it lasts a short period.

Vaccines and Your Immune System

Vaccines will stimulate the immune system to create antibodies against a foreign invader.

Yet, the vaccine doesn’t infect the person with the disease. When your body encounters the infection in the future, it will know how to fight it.

Vaccines will help educate your immune system using a unique part of the pathogen. If you get exposed to the pathogen down the road, you’ll have little to no symptoms.

We Encounter Germs Every Day

Many microbes live in and on our bodies. You need some of the microbes to help maintain good health.

The good bacteria in our body will give us the nutrients we need. Also, the bacteria will provide a defense against infection and harmful bacteria.

You’ll need a balance because when good bacteria gets reduced, the harmful bacteria will take over. When there isn’t a balance, you’ll feel sick.

Stress Affects Your Immune System

Stress can lead to higher levels of cortisol. Cortisol is a steroid hormone that’s essential for the function of your body.

Yet, if you have too much cortisol, you’ll have many health problems, like decreased immunity.

Aim for a Healthy Lifestyle and Positive Outlook

Some research shows optimism can boost your immune system, making it work better. The more positive or happier you are, the less stressed you will feel.

If you eat a balanced diet, you can also boost your immune system. Try to eat citrus fruits, red bell peppers, broccoli, and spinach.

Look into taking a supplement. Check out Transfer Factor Multi-Immune™.

Poor Sleep Impacts Your Immune System

If you don’t get enough sleep, your mental and physical health will suffer. Your immune system isn’t an exception to poor sleep.

A lack of sleep could lead you to catch a cold. You’ll also have a more challenging time fighting it off.

What About Allergies?

If you experience allergies, your immune system is responding to an allergen it sees as a threat.

Most allergens are a harmless substance that triggers a response in the immune system. The response results in an allergic reaction.

Do you have an allergy to pollen? Your immune system sees pollen as an allergen or invader.

Symptoms of an allergy include hives, a runny nose, and even fainting. These result from your immune system’s response to a harmless allergen.

Your Immune System Can Harm Itself

Autoimmune diseases occur if the immune system begins to kill healthy tissues.

White blood cells can’t distinguish between the body’s normal cells and pathogens. The white blood cells will set off a reaction that ends up destroying the healthy tissues.

Common autoimmune diseases include psoriasis, Chron’s disease, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Being Too Clean Stops Your Immune System From Functioning Well

Disinfecting and cleaning are the best ways to avoid infection. Yet, too much cleaning can do the opposite.

When you clean your environment too much, you lower the foreign pathogens. This can affect the development of the immune system.

If young children don’t get exposed to harmful microbes, their bodies won’t create the appropriate antibodies.

Practice good hygiene but try not to go overboard. If someone has a cold, make sure you wash your hands and avoid direct contact. Clean as usual, but don’t get obsessive about it.

You don’t want to remove all the good bacteria in your environment.

Now You Know About the Essential Immune Health Basics

We hope this guide on the immune system was helpful. Now that you have an understanding of immune health basics try to boost your immune system. Eat a healthy diet and distress. Try to get a good night’s sleep.

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