How to increase immunity in an adult at home

What is immunity and the causes of reduced immunity

Our immune system is made up of several organs. It:

1. Tonsils and adenoids.
2. Thymus gland – thymus (begins involution by puberty, its functions are delegated to other immune organs).
3. The lymph nodes.
4. Spleen.
5. Appendix.
6. Peyer’s patches in the intestine.
7. Bone marrow.

All of them produce or accumulate our main protective cells – lymphocytes (white blood cells).

As soon as the body is attacked by an infection, that is, pathogenic bacteria, viruses, or fungi, protozoa penetrate it, the lymphocytes begin to produce antibodies.

These proteins are the weapons of our immunity – they pounce on the “invaders” and engage in battle with them.

If the immune system is healthy, the lymphocytes are strong and there are many of them, then the body emerges from the struggle as a winner.

Lymphocytes have “immune memory”. This means that if a pathogen once already noticed by them enters the body again, lymphocytes already meet it with a large number of antibodies and win faster and easier. Vaccinations are based on this principle.

If lymphocytes guard our health in the blood, then their “colleagues” serve in the cells of internal organs – macrophages, whose task is to immediately “arrest” bacteria and other pathogens that have entered the tissues.

The manifestation of weakening in the human immune system

The main enemies of our immune system are:

• Chronic foci of infection and untreated inflammatory processes.
• Seasonal hypovitaminosis (for example, deficiency of vitamins D and C, group B).
• Stress. It has been proven that with strong emotional and mental stress, not only the production of such stress hormones as adrenaline and cortisol increases, but also the production of acetylcholine, it is otherwise called the “hormone of weakness”, which makes the immune system of the human body more vulnerable.
• Rigid diets, imbalance of proteins, fats and carbohydrates.
• Alcohol and cigarette abuse.
• Illiterate use of antibiotics.

Immunity strengthening methods

Drink tomato juice and nibble on apples

1. Carotenes, from which vitamin A is synthesized, and vitamin E are the best defense of body cells, including immune ones. The higher their concentration, the more successfully the body is able to fight microorganisms. Pro-vitamin A is found in carrots, spinach, rose hips, vegetable oils are rich in vitamin E, the World Health Organization recommends eating two tablespoons of olive oil per day.
2. Regular consumption of tomato juice increases the concentration of carotenes in all cells of the body due to the content of lycopene. It is a powerful carotenoid antioxidant that helps protect cells from free radicals.
3. Eat more citrus fruits and apples (they contain vitamin C).
4. Also help to support the immune system: zinc (it is abundant in unrefined grains, brewer’s yeast) and selenium (they are rich in grain bread, beef, veal, turkey, garlic).
5. To maintain local immunity in the respiratory tract, use essential oils diffused in the air. Studies have shown that essential oils improve the condition of the mucosa, moisturize it, and increase the immune response.
6. Walk every day for at least 30-40 minutes, this is how much time the body needs to activate the cardiovascular and immune systems.

Reduce stress on the immune system

There is another side of prevention, which should be remembered. When everyone around is sick, it is important not only to strengthen the immune system, but also to reduce the number of contacts with infectious agents. The less bacteria and viruses enter the body, the easier it will be for the immune system to defeat them.

• Avoid places where there are a lot of people, if possible. Keep a distance of 1,5 m when meeting. Do not shake hands, do not kiss in greeting.
• To reduce the ingress of particles of infected mucus on the mucous membranes of the nose, pharynx and eyes, if there is a sick person next to you, wear a mask in public transport, in a store.
• Before going outside, apply essential oils with antimicrobial and antiviral effects (mint, eucalyptus, cajeput, juniper, etc.) to your clothes to disinfect the air you breathe.
• Wipe your hands with an antiseptic after touching the intercom, elevator buttons, doors, handrails, telephone. Don’t touch your face while you’re out.
• Ventilate the apartment every 3-4 hours. Wipe off the dust. Humidify the air.
• Wash your hands thoroughly when you get home. Don’t forget to wipe your keys and bag. If you wear glasses, wash them with soap too.

Immunostimulant drugs weaken the body

When pathogenic bacteria, viruses penetrate into the blood, blood cells – lymphocytes – begin to produce protective antibodies. These proteins are the weapon of our immunity – they pounce on the “invaders” and engage in battle with them.

Elena Milovidova, doctor-immunologist:

– We used to attribute any ailments to “decreased immunity” and immediately buy its stimulants at the pharmacy. In fact, problems with the body’s immune response occur in serious cases – after surgery, implantation, aggressive antibiotics.

Now “in vogue” are various drugs based on interferons – substances that affect immune metabolism. But these medicinal immunostimulants are either generally useless, or more serious drugs are needed only according to indications, for example, with secondary immunodeficiency. Any illiterate stimulation leads to exhaustion. If you constantly stimulate the production of leukocytes with drugs, your own immune system will become “lazy” and simply lose its functions. If you constantly stuff your body with all sorts of stimulants, it will simply become a dependent, constantly waiting for “unemployment benefits.” And that’s when real problems with immunity can begin.

If your task is to cheer up and increase tone, then it is better to use natural adaptogens (ginseng, Chinese magnolia vine, Rhodiola rosea, Eleutherococcus, etc.). They enhance the synthesis of RNA and proteins (that is, the basis of our cells), activate metabolic enzymes and activate the autonomic and endocrine systems, while not interfering with the immune system.

Fashionable analyzes as a way to “honestly take money”

There is another fashionable (and expensive) thing now – the “immune status test”, which is often sent to complaining of “decreased immunity”. But it is important to emphasize certain nuances that you should know about before going to the clinic.

According to allergist-immunologist Professor Yuri Smolkin:

– The “test” can be for pregnancy or for a specific allergen. One test for immune status is not possible. And not needed. It makes sense to determine the immune status in patients with suspected severe disorders in immune regulation – with primary immunodeficiencies.

All other cases of general determination of immune status with a large number of indicators are not appropriate and are one of the ways to extract money from the population. And then such figures begin to “treat the analysis.”

A competent doctor prescribes accurate studies of specific indicators, suggesting a particular violation.

In a good half of frequently ill children, for example, the problem of constant colds is not in “bad” immunity, but in unrecognized allergies. To find out, it is enough to take a blood test for immunoglobulin E and do skin tests.

But where does the fatigue and pale look come from

Professor Yuri Smolkin says that often the cause of weakness, lethargy, pallor, frequent colds is a smoldering focus of an untreated infection or a latent allergy, which, especially in young children, is often behind the incessant runny nose and laryngitis.

Also, recent studies have shown that chronic fatigue syndrome in 50% of cases is caused by viruses from the herpes group (including the well-known Epstein-Barr virus). Herpes viruses lie dormant in the body (their lair is in the nerve nodes of the spinal cord) and do not prevent it from working normally. But against the background of the same ARVI or flu, herpes viruses sharply “come to life”. And they give a picture of a “fall in immunity”:

– seemingly causeless fatigue, inability to concentrate, memory impairment, nervousness and irritability over trifles, sleep problems, frequent headaches, decreased sexual desire.

And in order to find out exactly the cause of the infection, you need to pass a general blood test, and an analysis for viruses. If the “viral theory” is confirmed, antiviral drugs are needed (for example, based on acyclovir, which is active against herpes group viruses), multivitamins, anti-stress agents to normalize the emotional background.

Popular questions and answers

We discussed with an expert therapist Natalya Karaseva the question of stimulation of immunity and drugs that are trying to increase immunity.