Health
Signs and Causes of Weak Immune System
Apr
The immune system is important for our bodies to protect us from foreign invaders and diseases. However, a weak immune system can make your body more vulnerable to different infections, and sometimes, severe debilitating diseases.
Why is your immune system weak? There are several reasons behind a weak immune system, such as poor diet, stress, lack of sleep, certain medication, etc. Let’s break this down further and have a look at major sings and causes of weak immune system.
Weak Immune System Signs
- Blood disorders
- Repeated Infections
- Autoimmune diseases
- Frequent cold
- Mild Fever
- Fatigue
- Dry eyes
- Slow wound healing
- Joint aches
- Patchy hair loss
- Rash
- Organ inflammation
Causes of Weak Immune System
The immune system consists of various organs and tissues that aim to detect and neutralize substances that can harm our body. One of the immune system’s main players is white blood cells, these cells circulate continuously through our bloodstream and look for deadly invaders to safeguard us from their adverse effects.
White blood cells are capable of protecting our body without any issue until their efficiency is affected by any serious illness. One of the reasons you have a weak immune system is that you might have conditions such as cancer, diabetes, autoimmune disease, or infectious diseases like HIV. Some people are born with the weak immune system, others may get immune deficiency because of medications such as chemotherapy drugs.
Psychological Factors Affecting Immune System
Stress
If you are dealing with stress on an almost daily basis, this could be the reason your immune function is actually suppressed. It causes your body to not produce as many infection-battling white blood cells as it should.
Moreover, stress often makes you put aside some healthy habits that can boost your immune systems, such as exercising, eating healthy, and getting enough sleep. This also often leads to increased levels of cortisol, and thus acne.
Emotional Trauma
Recent research shows that any tragic incident can affect your immunity. Some studies also reported that the sudden death of a loved one could weaken our body’s immune response and make it more prone to viral infections like flu.
Overactive Immune System
When a person’s immune system is hyperactive, it will respond to environmental factors such as dust, mold, and pollen.
Physical Health Factors Leading to a Weak Immune System
Certain Medications
Certain medications that a person takes to treat conditions like arthritis, allergies, organ transplant, lupus, and IBS (Irritable bowel syndrome) may weaken the immune system. It’s advised to consult your doctor before taking any medication.
Too Little Exercise
Lack of exercise often leads to a weak immune system. Exercising daily helps the antibodies circulate faster and destroy the invaders before they cause damage to your body.
Lack of Sleep
Not getting enough sleep often puts the body at more risk of getting attacked by viruses and germs. It also slows down the wound healing process or recovery time. That’s becuase the human body releases certain proteins called cytokines during sleep that help the immune system function better.
Other Causes of Weak immune system
- Smoking
- Alcohol
- Bad eating habits
- Not washing your hands regularly/properly
- Marijuana
Take Away
The immune system is a complex system that protects our body from dangerous invaders that can cause illness. If you think that your immune system is not working the way it should, for instance, you constantly get infections, feel tired, have blood disorders or autoimmune diseases, then you might have a weak immune system.
Several factors can contribute to and weaken the immune system. We have mentioned some causes of a weak immune system, identify your reasons and treat accordingly. Moreover, take healthy diet and consume immunity booster vitamins such as vitamin A, C, D, and E.
