Immunity is a combination of the body’s defense mechanisms, the coherence of which deteriorates as soon as we develop addictions. A person whose barrier functions are weakened is less resistant to viruses, bacteria, and other diseases.
Consequently, the weakness of the immune system makes a person more vulnerable to frequent colds and sinusitis as the rate of regeneration of damaged cells slows down. It can also cause a feeling of general depression, lethargy, and constant fatigue. That is why health experts strongly advise keeping the course towards a healthy lifestyle and strengthening the immune system.
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Habits That Harm Your Immune System
Bad habits that reduce immunity often go unnoticed and take root in a person’s life. Today we will talk about the usual habits that are dangerous to health.
1. Staying Up Late At Night
Working at night or enjoying watching TV well past midnight can contribute to weakening your immune system. The habit of staying up late is not good for us. It is during sleep from 22:00 to 02:00 hours that important restorative processes take place in the human body.
This process ensures the well-coordinated work of the body. Poor sleep also reduces the production of white blood cells, which are responsible for fighting germs. Besides, sleep deprivation reduces the production of cytokines, which are specific low molecular soluble information proteins that transmit signals between cells.
While a person is asleep, their immune system releases various types of cytokines that help protect the body from infection and disease. So, if you provide yourself with a daily high-quality 8-hour sleep, you will have a stronger immune system.
2. Daily Alcohol Consumption
For those who like to drink alcohol at the end of each working day, there is sad news. This is a bad habit, and it harms the immune system. Frequent consumption of alcohol provokes a weakening of the properties of antibodies necessary for the destruction of cells infected with the virus.
Also, addiction to alcohol interferes with the production of white and red blood cells, which is extremely dangerous in the long run. This is the reason why, in Wisconsin, where alcohol abuse is at its peak, there are increased cases of health problems too.
Thus, in order to boost the body’s immunity levels, an addict must get alcohol treatment. Due to this increased demand, the number of rehab facilities in Wisconsin and across the US has also increased. So no matter where you live, it is convenient to get treatment from a nearby rehab center.
3. Disregard For Personal Hygiene
When it comes to health, personal hygiene is essential. The habit of washing your hands after using the toilet and before eating is an important and indestructible basic of hygiene, familiar to everyone from childhood. These can be easily attributed to brushing your teeth twice, preparing food in compliance with hygienic standards, and keeping your nails and clothes clean.
Conversely, unsanitary habits increase the risk of exposure to harmful microbes, which in turn makes a person more susceptible to infection and disease. Try not to take other people’s things intended only for personal use to protect yourself from diseases.
4. Not Being Careful in Public Places
You can make every effort to ensure that the house is crystal clear and completely safe, but what about places outside your home? Dirty public places, restaurant menus, coffee shop spice dispensers, toilets, doorknobs, soap dispensers, grocery carts, and common doorknobs- all are filled with bacteria. And these can mediate the transmission of viruses and bacteria from person to person.
If it is possible not to touch these items, it is better not to do so. When leaving the house, it is worth taking with you wet wipes for wiping your hands, a bottle of water so as not to drink from public sources.
When going to the bank or post office, grab your own pen for signing documents. This will already help to reduce the spread of cold and flu viruses significantly. After contact with a known unfavorable environment, wipe your hands with wet wipes.
5. Overeating Sweets
An excess of sweets in the diet can suppress a person’s immune system. Refined sugar reduces the ability of white blood cells to kill germs. This immunosuppressive effect of sugar begins 30 minutes after ingestion and can last for several hours.
If you want to eat something sweet, choose fruits and fight the bad habit. Oranges, apples, mangoes, kiwi, watermelon, strawberries, and others are great options. These fruits contain natural sugars to satisfy sugar cravings. Besides, the vitamin C they contain will help the immune system work properly.
6. Not Drinking Enough Water
The human body contains mostly water, and if it is not enough in the diet to meet the needs of the body, disruptions in its work are inevitable. Proper hydration is essential for strong immunity. A healthy person should drink about 8 to 10 glasses of water a day.
However, this rate may also depend on other indicators. For example, it may depend on the level of physical activity, health status, or climate in which the person lives. Keep yourself hydrated to strengthen your immune system.
7. Inhalation Of Tobacco Smoke
It’s not about smoking as such. A person who has never taken a cigarette in their hands can also suffer from the harmful effects of cigarette smoke. Sometimes a person is in a circle of smokers and inhales the smoke.
Secondhand smoke is highly toxic and can harm the immune system by suppressing immune cells. Toxins that are inhaled with tobacco smoke impair the functioning of immune cells. Exposure to secondhand smoke can make a person more vulnerable to respiratory infections, asthma, allergies, and even lung cancer.
Thus, it is important to try to avoid inhalation of cigarette smoke and keep a distance from people who are smoking cigarettes. Besides, you should also encourage those close to you to quit this addiction for better health.
Things To Watch Out For
For better immunity, you must avoid the following things:
- Direct contact with sick viral and bacterial infections (shaking hands, hugging, and long-term joint stay in a small unventilated room)
- Staying in a bad mood (cultivate pleasant emotions in yourself to deal with stress, do not accumulate bad emotions)
- Passive lifestyle (be more active and move around more)
- Uncontrolled intake of medication (only a doctor can prescribe medication, self-medication of even a mild ailment can result in serious health problems).
We are hopeful that now you know which things you must look out for in order to have a strong immune system that can effectively fight the diseases.
