Good Lifestyle

With thecoronavirus pandemic Keeping a lot of us with us, we once again reminded how important it is to have a healthy immune system to fight the disease. Although our immune system can not always protect ourselves from each virus, we can take steps to strengthen it. The bases seem to have enough sleep and maintain a healthy diet - are essential, but some unexpected things can also have a major impact.

To laugh every day so as not to exercisetoo muchWell, here are 13 surprising things that can affect your immune system in both positive and negative ways.

The old adage that laughter is the best cure has some truth, according toLee S. Berk, RDPH, Associate Dean of Research Business at Loma Linda University School of Allied Health Professions. Berk studied the impact of laughter on mental and physical health since 1988.

Laughter "decreases cortisol, which then reduces stress, lowers blood pressure, increases oxygen consumption, improves the immune system and reduces the risk of heart disease or stroke", explains Berk. He encourages people to laugh every day. Your immune system will thank you.

Optimism can be difficult at an hour like this, but there are real health benefits to maintain a positive perspective. It turns out that the search for the right side of mental health did not entail your mental health, which also affects your physical well-being. More specifically, an optimistic perspective has been linked to a healthier immune system, according to a pivotal study of 1998 published inThe Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

Because these foods contain high levels of sodium, they can affect the immune system, according toErin Nance, MD. "In ato study Examining the effects of excessive intake of salt on immune function, they found that a high salt diet had a potential for triggering an excessive immune response, "she explains.

In addition, Nance says that high salt intake has also been demonstrated to change the immune function byDelete regulatory T cells, which helps the anti-inflammatory body response.

It is not surprising that not having enough exercise can weaken your immune system, but overexulser can also be harmful, according toDean C. Mitchell, MD, Professor Clinical Assistant at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine. "Too many exercises increases interleukin-6 (IL-6)" and depresses the function of the immune system, "he explains.

Losing a loved one is a devastating experience and long-term sorrow can affect your immune system, according to a 2012 study published inDialogs in clinical neuroscience. The researchers found that "an unresolved grief response can be a change factor for a modified immune response", but this effect is not immediate. Participants characterized as having an "anti-avoiding temperament and a long-term dysphoric atmosphere" six months after the unexpected loss of a loved one had a smaller immune system response than participants who presented lower mourning levels.

Chances are that you feel more solicious than usual during this period ofsocial distancing. That's why it's important to keep all the virtual connections you can.

A 2015 study published inActs of the National Academy of Sciences found that "the perceived social isolation" (loneliness) is linked to changes in immune system.Steve Cole, the main author of the study, observed that when the participants felt alone, they had significantly higher levels of hormonal norepinephrine in their blood. When a person is in a situation threatening by life, norepinephrine courses through blood and closes the functions of the immune system, such as viral defenses. Meanwhile, the production of white blood cells called monocytes increases.

"It is this increase in these pro-inflammatory white blood cells that are highly adapted to defend the wounds, but at the expense of our defenses against viral diseases from close social contacts with other people"Cole explained.

"Our stress hormones have been devoted to changing the evolution of a serious threat, often referred to as" flight or fight response "," saysTania Elliott, MD, a health assistant associate of Nyu Langone. But chronic stress means that the lower levels of these hormones circulate constantly in your blood. Elliott explains that this stimulates chronic inflammation of a crowd of organs, which, in turn, fatigue our immune system.

According to a 2018 study published byBrain, behavior and immunityNegative moods can affect immune response functions and increase the risk of exacerbated inflammation. The same year, researchers toPenn state Noted that adolescents who have suppressed negative emotions were more likely to "produce more pro-inflammatory cytokines, molecules that report other cells that there is a present threat and that the body's immune system must be launched gear. " A high level of cytokines suggests that the immune system does not work as should be.

Drinking has a negative effect on the immune system, especially when it's excess. "The use of alcohol can weaken the immune system by changing the balance of normal microorganisms that live in a healthy body, resulting in increased inflammation," saidChirag shah, MD, co-founder ofHealthy.

In addition, Shah says that alcohol consumption canAlter specific cells in the immune system, including macrophages and monocytes, and "reduce the body's ability to reduce the normal inflammatory response when it has to be disabled."

It is not secret that the use of nicotine can wreak havoc on your respiratory system, which is particularlyrisky during the coronavirus pandemic-Bustry search published in 2009 byActa Pharmacher Sinica found that this can also harm your immune system. According to the study, the use of nicotine affects both the branches of the immune system and "produces a modified immune response characterized by a decrease in inflammation, a decrease in the antibody response and a reduction in signaling. mediation by T cells ".

Mitchell says that age has an impact on your immune system. "Very young infants are more subject to infections because their antibodies have not fully developed, and the elderly have a decrease in immunity because their antibodies have dropped," he explains.

Some medications can negatively affect your immune system. Mitchell notes that acid burns drugs, such as Prilosec and Nexium, decrease acid hindering and allow yeast and bacteria to fly over, which in turn lowers immunity.

Nance says corticosteroid drugs also affect the immune system. Many people take a form of oral steroids to treat conditions such as asthma, arthritis and autoimmune diseases. "Steroids decrease inflammation by reducing the chemical activity of the body's immune system," explains Nance. "Glucocorticoids with high concentrationsinhibit the production of B cells and T cells, the main components of the body's immune system. "

Daniel Naysan, DDS, a dentist in Beverly Hills, said there is an important link between oral health and your immune system. "Risk factors such as periodontal diseases, caries, [and] oral infections are providing white blood cells, which are the defense system to our immune system [and] are enabled to help combat these oral diseases", explains Naysan. If these oral infections are not processed, your immune system can become compromised and weakened over time.