Immunity refers to the defense system that our body protects against bacteria and viruses that enter from the outside. Various pathogens and harmful substances introduced into the body by the complex action of the digestive juices of the digestive system, the primary defense barriers such as tears, runny nose, mucous membranes, and skin keratin, and various immune cells such as white blood cells, phagocytes, T cells, and B cells. It means collectively the action of removing them.
When the immune function, like a shield that protects our body, is lowered, we become vulnerable to the occurrence of various infectious diseases. In addition, if the weakening of the immune function continues for a long time, the risk of various chronic diseases and cancer increases. It is known that when the immune system that performs these important functions is weakened, various physical abnormalities occur and signals are sent to our body. So, today, let’s check the various symptoms that appear when the immune system is weakened, one by one.
symptoms of reduced immunity
1. Cold Symptoms
When the immune system is weakened, the defense against the cold virus becomes weak, making it easier to catch a cold. These colds usually get better within a week if you take medicine and get enough rest, but in a situation where the immune function is weakened, the symptoms may not heal well and the symptoms may last for a long time.
2. Inflammation
Another symptom that occurs when the immune system is weakened is that various bacteria or viruses easily penetrate and multiply in the body, resulting in excessive production of inflammation throughout the body. Inflammatory diseases such as cellulitis and herpetic stomatitis may occur, and when there is a disease such as arthritis, the symptoms may worsen due to an abnormality in immune function.
In addition, in the case of women, vaginitis, which causes inflammation of the vaginal mucosa by various causative bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus, gonorrhea, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus, and Trichomonas, may occur.
3. Fatigue
Weakened immunity can also cause fatigue and lethargy. These fatigue symptoms may appear in the form of chronic fatigue that does not recover well even with rest. In addition, problems in getting normal sleep can be accompanied by symptoms of sleep disturbance and insomnia, and symptoms such as deterioration of physical condition and loss of concentration and memory can appear due to insomnia.
4. Frequent stomach upset
The gut is a bodily organ that is deeply related to immunity, as it is responsible for more than 70% of our entire body’s immunity. Therefore, this weakening of immunity leads to weakening of the ability to remove bacteria or viruses introduced into the gastrointestinal tract, increasing the risk of the proliferation of harmful bacteria and inflammation in the intestine. Therefore, if you experience abdominal pain after eating and frequent diarrhea symptoms, you may suspect that your immune function is weakened.
5. Shingles outbreak
Shingles is a disease in which severe pain, paresthesia, and red spots appear in clusters in the form of multiple blisters when the chickenpox zoster virus, which was dormant in the ganglion, is reactivated. This re-activation of the shingles virus is mainly caused by weakened immunity due to irregular life patterns, accumulated fatigue, and excessive mental stress. Shingles can cause inflammation when symptoms appear, or in severe cases, there is a risk that the inflammation spreads throughout the body. When symptoms such as blisters form red bands, the probability of developing shingles is high, so it is very important to get treatment as soon as possible.
How to boost immunity
In order to prevent the various symptoms of reduced immunity mentioned above, it is important to regularly implement various methods to increase immunity. It is important to eat a balanced diet rich in various vitamins and minerals that play an essential role in the immune system, and to regularly perform aerobic exercise such as walking, jogging, and cycling. In addition, exposure to sunlight for the synthesis of vitamin D, which is closely related to immunity, is also important in enhancing immunity.
In addition, excessive mental stress and accumulated fatigue are also known as major risk factors for weakening immunity, so it is important to get enough rest and to engage in leisure and hobbies to relieve stress. Insufficient sleep is also known to be the main cause of weakened immunity. As studies have shown that the immune system that defends the body is greatly weakened even if the amount of sleep time is reduced by only 2-3 hours a week, getting enough quality sleep is also a very important management habit to increase immunity. .
