Most people believe that a weakened immune system is when an adult or a child has frequent colds, from which the patient is treated for a long time each time. Few people think that due to suppressed immunity, the risk of cancer also increases. Because only the immune system in the human body is able to find and destroy small colonies of cancer cells, preventing them from growing into a serious tumor. Below are the causes and symptoms of weakened immunity in adults and children, as well as ways to boost it.
Weakened immunity: how to restore it
Symptoms of a weakened immune system include frequent colds, other infections, and cancer. Below is a list of review questions. If the patient answers in the affirmative to at least one of them, it means that the immunity of an adult or a child is impaired.
- Do you often have acute respiratory infections?
- Do you catch a cold more than twice a year?
- Are there any chronic diseases caused by bacteria, viruses or fungi?
- Do you suffer from any form of herpes - on the lips, genital, etc.?
- Do your lymph nodes sometimes swell and hurt?
- Have you had any cancers?
Read about immune boosting herbs:
Causes
The causes of a weakened immune system are an unhealthy lifestyle and bad habits, which are often formed since childhood. Unfavorable environmental conditions and poor heredity also play a role.
Bad habits that weaken the immune system
| Problem | Description | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Off-label use of antibiotics | Overuse of antibiotics is the most common cause of weakened immunity in adults and children. | Never take antibiotics on your own. With SARS, do not take them for prevention, even if the doctor recommends it. |
| Passive lifestyle | Lack of physical activity slows down the metabolism and depresses the immune system | Every 1-1.5 hours, get up and walk for 5-10 minutes. Exercise several times a week. |
| Use of low-quality cosmetics | Substances contained in cosmetics are absorbed into the blood through the skin. These may include toxins. | Learn more about the composition and quality standards of cosmetic products. Switch to natural products that do not contain chemical additives. |
| Eating junk food | Junk food is overloaded with refined carbohydrates and poor in vitamins. It does a lot of harm, including weakening the immune system. | Switch to whole grain breads or crispbreads, or better yet, to, for example, the Paleo diet. |
| sleep deficit | If a person does not get enough sleep, the production of white blood cells that fight bacteria decreases. | Set aside 7-9 hours of sleep a day. Find out how to ensure a sound healthy sleep. |
| Passive smoking | Breathing in other people's tobacco smoke increases the risk of colds, asthma, various types of cancer | Avoid passive smoking at all costs. If persuasion does not help, then you need to change your job, circle of friends, and even your spouse. |
| Loneliness | If a person spends time alone, then this depresses his immune system - proven by rigorous scientific studies. | Communicate with people more often. Attend recreational activities. Get involved in community work. |
| Frequent stress | Chronic stress raises cortisol levels. This is the hormone that triggers the fight-or-flight response. It disables the immune system. | Develop and implement a plan to reduce psychological overload. Learn to deal with stress better. |
| Pessimism | Pessimists live shorter lives than optimists and suffer more from infectious diseases | Optimism is not an innate quality, but a habit that can be developed. Ask how to do it. |
| Suppressing your emotions | The desire to avoid conflicts at all costs is called personality type C. Such people are more likely to suffer from cancer than others. | Learn to negotiate constructively, defend your interests |
The main cause of weakened immunity in children and adults is self-medication with antibiotics. In second place are food problems. The diet may contain enough or even too many calories, but not enough vitamins, minerals and trace elements. Protein deficiency is also common due to a desire to save money on food or a misconception about a healthy lifestyle. Calmly eat meat, poultry, fish, eggs - all these foods are useful and even vital. Avoid trans fats. Find out how omega-3 fatty acids differ from omega-6 fatty acids and how they affect the immune system.
