Strengthening Your Immune System
Our bodies have a natural ability to repair damage caused by viruses and bacteria through our immune system. They are our body’s inner clocks – continuously ensuring our health.
There are infectious disease-causing microorganisms everywhere, but despite this fact, you are reasonably healthy. This is because your immune system is doing its job. However, there are times when everyday stresses can take its toll on your body and mind, leaving you susceptible to illness and infection.
Physicians Premier, your Corpus Christi emergency room, encourages families to optimize the function of their immune system so it’s always ready to fight! And you guessed right, your first line of defense is to choose a healthy lifestyle. Read on for more tips.
1. Manage stress – Yes, keeping stress in check is easier said than done, but it is an essential part of maintaining good health. Stress can affect your mental health, quality of sleep, and can make you more susceptible to disease. Stress that is left untreated could lead to burnout and many health concerns.
Research has shown that spending time in nature lessens the activity area in the brain that triggers stress response. Spend at least 30 minutes a day to unwind, and consider it an investment to your future health.
2. Sleep better – There’s a lot of science to back your mom up when she says that it’s important to get a full night of rest. Sleep is an important part in managing anxiety and stress. In fact, the National Center for Biotechnology Information reveals that sleep facilitates and encourages the creation of infection-fighting cells, like leukocytes and T cells. Stress and sleep deprivation boosts the production of the hormone cortisol. Too much cortisol in your body will result to suppressed immune function.
3. Eat a healthy diet – Your diet plays a crucial role in helping your immune system fight off disease and infection. A study conducted by The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that increasing your vegetable and fruit intake increases antibody response to the Pneumovax II vaccine, which protects against pneumonia.
Your caring staff at Physicians Premier, your Corpus Christi emergency room, understands that everyone gets sick every now and then. However, you can play an active role in fortifying your body and strengthening your immune system by choosing to lead a healthy lifestyle.
Sources:
“How to boost your immune system.” Harvard Health, https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/how-to-boost-your-immune-system.
“15 Ways to Keep Your Work Stress in Check.” The American Institute of Stress, https://www.stress.org/15-ways-to-keep-your-work-stress-in-check.
Besedovsky, Luciana. Lange, Tanja. Born, Jan. “Sleep and immune function.” US National Library of Medicine, Nov. 2011, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3256323/
https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/96/6/1429/4571488.
Gibson, A. Edgar, D. Neville, C. Gilchrist, S. McKinley, M. Patterson, C. Young, I. Woodside, J. “Effect of fruit and vegetable consumption on immune function in older people: a randomized controlled trial.” The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 7 Nov. 2012, https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/96/6/1429/4571488.
