About 3% of people in America have a weaker immune response due to issues such as organ transplants, poor nutrition, alcohol, infections, and smoking. A healthy immune system is vital for protecting your body against dangerous bacteria, chemicals, and cellular changes. Therefore, part of the primary care that Dr. Sudha Challa offers involves promoting healthy lifestyle choices. That is vital for a robust immune system to protect you from common illnesses and conditions, including high cholesterol, asthma, hypertension, high blood glucose, and coronavirus.
Consequently, below are some tips to help keep a healthy immune system.
- Go for vaccination
There have been a lot of misconceptions about vaccines, especially during the current COVID-19 pandemic. For instance, some people say that natural immunity is healthier than immunity induced by vaccines. But, the truth is that when you are vaccinated, your innate immunity has additional strength to resist the harmful effects of diseases that can be prevented by vaccination, like polio, tetanus, and measles.
Although your immune system is naturally strong, vaccinations recommended by health experts make it stronger and thus more prepared to fight.
For now, ensure you are vaccinated against the coronavirus and receive booster shots. Moreover, you should also go for your annual flu jab or shot.
- Eat healthily
When sick, your health provider will recommend you consume a particular diet and vitamin supplements to boost your body’s defense mechanism. If you have flu, you may have to drink green tea with honey and eat chicken soup, broth, and fruits.
Fruits and vegetables are rich sources of vitamin C, which strengthens your immune system and eliminates the signs and symptoms of cold and flu.
On the other hand, chicken soup contains various ingredients that alleviate inflammation, boost the immune system’s response, and eliminate the congestion or stuffiness of the nose.
You can get Vitamin B6 from eating tomatoes with skin, chicken, and bananas. Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that you can get from eggs, poultry, and vegetable oils.
Health experts generally believe that your body can better digest vitamins and minerals from your diet than the ones that come from dietary supplements.
- Stay active
Although frequent physical exercises can help in muscle gain, the best possible result is an improvement in the functioning of your immune system. Staying physically active boosts your body’s defense mechanism by improving blood circulation throughout the body. Thus, the cells that identify and destroy foreign substances can travel and act faster in the body.
Exercising can also help you achieve or maintain a healthy weight. Being obese or overweight impairs the functioning of your immune system, increasing your risk of diseases such as COVID-19. Being overweight also makes vaccines less effective against illnesses, including flu and cold.
- Get enough sleep
Various studies show that if you do not get enough quality sleep, you become more susceptible to sickness after exposure to an infection or virus. If you are sleep-deprived, it means your body has not found sufficient time to rest and regenerate infection-fighting cells.
Strive to sleep for more than seven hours every night.
Contact Lenox Medical Clinic today for prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and management of common health conditions and injuries.
