What causes immunity to weaken? What to do if you have a weakened immune system? Sedentary lifestyle

Most people believe that a weakened immune system is when an adult or child has frequent colds, from which the patient takes a long time to be treated. Few people think that due to suppressed immunity, the risk of cancer also increases. Because only the immune system in the human body knows how to find and destroy small colonies cancer cells, preventing them from growing into a serious tumor. Below are the causes and symptoms of weakened immunity in adults and children, as well as ways to improve it.

Weakened immunity: how to restore it

Symptoms of a weakened immune system include frequent colds, other infections, and cancer. Below is a list of screening questions. If the patient answers affirmatively to at least one of them, it means that the adult or child has a compromised immune system.

• Do you often have acute respiratory diseases?
• Do you get colds more than twice a year?
• Are there any chronic diseases caused by bacteria, viruses or fungi?
• Do you suffer from any form of herpes - on the lips, genital, etc.?
• Do your lymph nodes become swollen and painful?
• Have you ever had any cancer?

Read about plants that boost immunity:

Causes

The causes of weakened immunity are an unhealthy lifestyle and bad habits, which are often formed since childhood. Unfavorable environmental conditions and poor heredity also play a role.

Bad habits, weakening the immune system

The main cause of weakened immunity in children and adults is self-medication with antibiotics. In second place are problems with nutrition. The diet may contain enough or even too many calories, but not enough vitamins, minerals and trace elements. Protein deficiency is also common due to the desire to save money on nutrition or misconceptions about a healthy lifestyle. Calmly eat meat, poultry, fish, eggs - all these foods are healthy and even vital. Avoid trans fats. Find out the differences fatty acid Omega-3 from Omega-6 and how they affect immunity.

The reasons for decreased immunity in women concern a fairly large number of representatives of the fair half of humanity.
The female body is very resilient and hardworking, but in the rhythm of life and the pursuit of the well-being of the family, alas, it is the woman who suffers first, diseases begin to appear, constant fatigue, drowsiness, vitamin deficiency. We will talk about what a number of these symptoms are associated with in this work and consider the main reasons for decreased immunity in women.

Why does immunity decrease?

A woman today is a very active unit of society: she is busy every day at work, she is an excellent housewife at home, and she also needs to remain a super mother in front of her children. How can a fragile organism resist in all this turmoil of life, how can it not break and withstand all the stress? Let's consider now possible reasons decreased immunity.

Causes resulting from diseases such as:

Maintaining wrong image life:

• bad habits;
• anemia due to lack of vitamins;
• poor nutrition;
• excessive nervousness;
• sleep disturbance;
• the effect of toxic emissions on the body, harmful conditions labor.

All of these factors harm the body and immunity of women. Immunity is the body's ability to rid itself of harmful infections. Insufficiency of immunity leads to the development of inflammation and diseases, the rapid perception of other infections, and the functioning of the digestive tract deteriorates. Even with mild infection entered the body, severe inflammatory process, and it can only be cured with a course of antibiotics. Tendencies to allergic reactions- This is also an indicator of a weakened immune system. A decrease in immunity in the body is accompanied by a number of symptoms.

The most common signs of decreased immunity

Let's consider possible symptoms weakening the body's defenses:

• fast fatiguability;
• pale appearance, weakness;
• herpes, acne of unknown origin on the skin of the face;
• frequent ARVI (about 2-3 times a year), frequent runny nose or a tendency to bronchitis;
• increase lymph nodes;
• fungi on the nail plates;
• poor wound healing;
• tuberculosis infections.

All of the listed signs of decreased immunity in women indicate that the body, with the help of individual manifestations shows his dissatisfaction with the whole situation and begins to work incorrectly. The skin of the body becomes dry and purulent pimples or, even worse, illness, the body does not receive the substances it needs. Perhaps chronic diseases begin to form inside the body, for example, women are characterized gynecological diseases(inflammation of the appendages). Diseases that develop as a result of acute respiratory viral infections are difficult to treat and can develop into chronic sinusitis or chronic bronchitis.

Indicator reduced immunity There may be signs such as problems with nails (they become brittle), with hair (they become thin, weak, fall out, lose shine).

Immunity affects teeth and gums: soft fabrics When it decreases, the gums are destroyed, which leads to stomatitis, caries, and bleeding.

Methods to boost immunity for women

1. Maintenance healthy image life: giving up bad habits (alcohol, smoking, drugs).
2. Create conditions for maintaining full-fledged proper nutrition. Your daily diet should include foods enriched with vitamins, minerals, fats, and proteins. Must be in the diet pure water- 2 liters per day, fruits (especially apples, rich in iron), protein (found in meat), phosphorus (found in fish). Monitor the correct intake of carbohydrates: for example, limit consumption flour products, reduce the amount of sweets and coffee.
3. Normalize your sleep schedule, sleep should last 8 hours.
4. Introduce sports into your lifestyle. Nowadays there are a lot of gyms; experienced trainers will work with you and give you correct load for the muscles of the body. There are many different sports groups: step aerobics, yoga, callanetics. All classes are accompanied by music and help you relax and have fun. You can practice dancing; such activities will help you keep your body in shape, strengthen your body muscles and enjoy listening to pleasant music.
5. Morning exercises will be therapeutic for your body, do it at home yourself, this will charge you for the working day. If you do morning exercises constantly, you will forget about weakening the muscles of your body.
6. The correct approach to the treatment and prevention of chronic diseases, if any.
7. Taking vitamin complexes and multivitamins 2 times a year in spring and autumn to support your body during the spread of viruses and diseases, vitamins will enrich your body with minerals and iron.
8. Visiting the bathhouse is very good for health. The bath stimulates blood circulation in the human body, removes toxic substances and fights infections. You need to visit 2 times a month if you do not have heart problems.
9. Hardening with water, a person’s gradual and slow adaptation to the temperature of the water, to rubbing, simply air baths are possible to begin with. Showering has a very beneficial effect: alternation warm water and cool, then drying with a rough towel.
10. Maintain an optimistic mood for yourself, do not provoke others. Try to relax, cheer yourself up.
11. Arrange moments of relaxation for yourself at home after work, give yourself baths with oils or simply wipe your temples with flower oils, close your eyes and tune in to a positive wave.

Immunity- This main system an organism that provides its protection from everything that carries signs of genetically foreign information.
Immunology is a relatively young science, slightly more than 120 years old. Louis Pasteur is rightfully considered its founder.

Currently, the immune system is considered as a control system that ensures the individuality and integrity of the body. Immunity is based on the ability to distinguish the body’s own structures from genetically foreign ones, as well as to destroy and eliminate the latter.

What structures can bear signs of a genetically foreign organism and, accordingly, be attacked by the immune system.
In the first place, of course, are various microorganisms: bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa, etc. If the immune system fails to cope with its protective role, then they begin to multiply inside a person, causing various infectious diseases.

Mutant or tumor cells are in second place in the list of immune targets. The body constantly produces enough large number mutant cells, many of which can cause the development of cancer. And the immune system is responsible for their timely recognition and destruction.

Of course, the list is not limited to this. Carriers of foreign genetic information can be food, drugs, transplants, etc.

This is normal. If the immune system malfunctions, an immune attack may develop on cells, organs and tissues own body. This pathological immune response is the root cause of the development of autoimmune diseases. Deviations from the norm in the development of the immune response can also lead to the development of allergic diseases.

Providing immunity in the body

The ability of an organism to distinguish “self” from “foreign” has existed for hundreds of millions of years. However, only in vertebrates the lymphoid system has formed into the morphological basis of the immune system, and plays a leading role in immune defense body. True cells immune system ( immunocytes) are only lymphocytes.

Currently, there are two main populations of lymphoid cells: B-lymphocytes and T-lymphocytes (more on their properties and functions below). They and only they are able to recognize the antigen (the structure directly to which the immune response develops). The remaining cells involved in the immune response (cells of the blood system - neutrophils, monocytes, basophils, eosinophils, cells blood vessels, dendritic cells and others) - only assist lymphocytes in performing their functions, as if they cooperate with them. Various protein systems (for example, proteins of the complement system) and regulatory molecules (interleukins) also take an active part in the development of the immune response.

The anatomical basis of the immune system is lymphoid tissue. It forms the immune organs, which in turn are divided into central and peripheral.

The main stages of lymphocyte development occur in the central organs of the immune system. In peripheral organs, lymphocytes mature and develop receptors for a specific foreign agent, that is, a clone of lymphocytes is trained to a specific antigen.
The central organs include the thymus and bone marrow. The first stage of T-lymphocyte development occurs in the thymus, in bone marrow– B-lymphocytes.
Peripheral lymphoid organs include: spleen, lymph nodes, tonsils, appendix, adenoids, etc.

Types of immunity

Currently, there are two main types of immune response: cellular and humoral.

Humoral immune response is realized due to the activity of B lymphocytes that produce antibodies (immunoglobulins). This type The immune response is directed primarily against extracellular antigens. These are primarily bacteria. That is, we can say that this is an antibacterial immune response. When this part of the immune system malfunctions, a person begins to worry about frequent bacterial infections(tonsillitis, acute respiratory infections, sinusitis, bronchitis, boils, etc.). The central organ of the immune system, responsible for the humoral immune response, is the bone marrow.

At the heart of the functioning cellular immune response lies the activity of various subpopulations of T-lymphocytes. The central organ of this type of immunity is the thymus. The cellular immune response is focused on combating intracellular antigens. Thus, this type of immune response is the basis of antiviral, antitumor, antifungal immunity and transplant rejection. Accordingly, when this type of immune response is pathological, the patient begins to worry about frequent viral infections (for example, frequent relapses of herpes), the risk of cancer increases, etc.

In addition, the immune response can be primary or secondary. The primary immune response is the immune response that occurs upon first contact with an antigen. A secondary immune response is an immune response to repeated exposure to the same antigen. The development of a secondary immune response became possible due to the appearance of immune memory cells.

Both humoral and cellular immune responses have a certain speed and, upon repeated exposure to the agent, develop much faster and have qualitative features.

Symptoms of decreased immunity

Symptoms of a malfunctioning immune system are called immune deficiency, Symptoms of decreased immunity, confirmed by abnormalities in the immunogram, are called immunodeficiency. Thus, it is impossible to talk about the presence or absence of immunodeficiency in a patient without testing the blood for an immunogram.

There are four main clinical syndrome(a set of symptoms), the detection of which indicates pronounced disturbances in the functioning of the immune system, that is, a decrease in immunity.

1) Infectious syndrome.
It is mentioned when the patient has frequent colds (more than 6 acute respiratory infections per year for a child and more than 4 for an adult);
frequent occurrence complications of acute respiratory infections, such as sinusitis, sinusitis, bronchitis, etc.;
with frequent relapses of herpes (more than 4 times a year); pustular diseases skin (boils, pyoderma);
presence of chronic infectious diseases ( chronic pyelonephritis, chronic cystitis etc.), etc. Emerging infectious diseases, as a rule, have a protracted course that is resistant to treatment and requires frequent courses antibacterial therapy.

2) Lymphoproliferative syndrome.
It is characterized by an increase lymphoid tissue. For example, enlarged lymph nodes in several areas, enlarged spleen.

3) Autoimmune syndrome characterized by the development autoimmune diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, myasthenia gravis, systemic lupus erythematosus, etc.).

4) Allergic syndrome.
During development this state the patient experiences allergic diseases (atopic dermatitis, allergic bronchial asthma, allergic rhinitis etc.).

If the patient has one or more of the above syndromes, consultation with an allergist-immunologist is required.

Causes of decreased immunity

Changes in immunity can be primary (genetically determined) and secondary (developing under the influence of environmental factors).

What factors cause a decrease in immunity?

The reasons leading to a decrease in immunity may be physiological, i.e. natural and pathological. TO physiological reasons include changes in the body that occur in the spring, during pregnancy, in old age and early childhood.

There are many pathological reasons for decreased immunity. This is work in hazardous production, exposure to unfavorable ecology (for example, on residents of large cities), inadequate use medicines, including antibiotics, prolonged exposure to stress, poor nutrition, chronic diseases, etc.

Reasons for decreased immunity during pregnancy

A very interesting situation occurs during pregnancy. The fact is that the fetus, from a genetic point of view, is an object foreign to the mother’s immune system. Only half of his chromosome is from his mother, the other half from his father. And so that this “foreign object” is not rejected, a mechanism inherent in nature is triggered, somewhat suppressing the activity of the immune system. The downside of this triggering is the woman’s increased exposure at this time infectious diseases.

Diagnosis of decreased immunity. Immunogram

The functioning of the immune system can be objectively assessed either based on clinical picture(for example, by identifying the above syndromes) or by laboratory examination. IN the latter case take a blood test for an immunogram.

– a blood test that evaluates the concentration and activity of various components of the immune system. At its core, an immunogram is a continuation of a clinical blood test, a much more detailed version of it.

Level 1 tests for assessing immunity can only identify gross breakdowns in the immune system. Level 2 tests provide more accurate information.

Grade cellular immunity is usually carried out by determining various subpopulations of T lymphocytes (CD3, CD4, CD8, CD16 cells, CD4/CD8 ratio).

Indicators humoral immunity: level of immunoglobulins of the main classes (E, A, M, G) in the blood serum; determination of the number of B-lymphocytes (CD19, CD20, CD72 cells); determination of immunoglobulin G subclasses (IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, IgG4); determination of surface markers of B lymphocytes (interleukin-2 receptors, transferrin, DR HLA antigens and others); determination of circulating immune complexes in blood serum.

To assess the complement system, the number of its various components is determined: C3, C4, etc.

The phagocyte system is assessed by studying the activity of phagocytosis, spontaneous and stimulated NCT test, and assessing the number of phagocytic cells.

In addition, detailed blood tests for an immunogram may contain the HLA phenotype, data on the concentration of interferons, interleukins, etc.

Given its high prevalence and impact on the immune system, it is recommended to include an HIV test in the immunogram.

The conclusion on the immunogram is given by comprehensive analysis all its indicators at once.

Correction of immunity. Immunosuppressors, immunostimulants, immunomodulators

Correction of disorders in the immune system is carried out using immunotropic, that is, drugs that affect the functioning of the immune system. Currently, there are 3 groups of immunotropic agents.

1) Immunosuppressants. These are drugs that suppress the activity of the immune system. They are usually used in the treatment of autoimmune and lymphoproliferative diseases, and in organ and tissue transplantation. A classic example of immunosuppressants is glucocorticosteroid drugs (prednisolone, metipred, etc.).

2) Immunostimulants. This is class medicinal substances, increasing the activity of one or another part of the immune system. In medicine they can be used to treat primary or secondary immunodeficiencies accompanied by recurrent bacterial or viral infections, in the complex of treatment of patients with oncological diseases etc.
Immunostimulants include a large number of groups medicines: immunoglobulins, interferons, bacterial lysates, yeast polysaccharides, herbal preparations etc.

The use of immunostimulants is possible only as prescribed by a doctor, as it requires sufficiently deep knowledge in this area. Some drugs are optimally prescribed during the acute stage of an infectious disease (immunoglobulin preparations, interferons), some can only be prescribed during the stage of remission of the disease. In addition, you need to clearly understand which part of the immune system you want to strengthen, and not take “something to boost immunity,” as is usually asked in pharmacies. If you stimulate the wrong link, then in force feedback the patient will only get worse.

For example, a patient has furunculosis and he begins to use interferon drugs “to boost immunity.” After such treatment, the number of boils will only increase.

Immune activation does not occur in isolation. It is always necessary to search and eliminate the factors that led to the development immunodeficiency state. If this component of treatment is missed, the effect of such an increase in immunity will be short-lived.
The prescription of immunostimulating therapy is usually carried out against the background of vitamin therapy and a protein-rich diet.

3). Immunomodulators. This is a group of drugs that return the immune system to its original balanced state. That is, they suppress overly stimulated and activate suppressed parts of the immune system. It is often difficult to draw a clear line between immunomodulators and immunostimulants, but traditionally immunomodulators include herbal tonic preparations (echinacea, ginseng, eleutherococcus preparations), multivitamin complexes. People with the syndrome need immunomodulators chronic fatigue, persons under stress, going through a period of adaptation, living in unfavorable environmental conditions, etc. That is, for the most part it is clinical healthy people, but have risk factors for developing immune disorders.

Which doctor should I contact if my immune system is weakened?

The medical specialty that studies the peculiarities of the immune system and various malfunctions that arise during this work is called immunology. Medical aspects of the functioning of the immune system in our country are included in the sphere of interests of doctors such as allergist-immunologist. Sometimes doctors of this specialty, wanting to emphasize their narrow specialization It is in matters of immunology that they call themselves immunologists, but this is not entirely correct.

Allergist-immunologist, Ph.D. Mayorov R.V.

The human body is designed in such a way that it can independently fight various pathogenic microorganisms. Protection against diseases is provided by the immune system, represented by phagocytes and leukocytes, which recognize and destroy foreign cells. When immunity decreases, protective forces the body weakens, clearing the way for various infections.

Causes of decreased immunity

Natural defenses are reduced due to many reasons.

Here are just a few factors that negatively affect immunity:

1. Wrong lifestyle. Bad habits, sedentary work, poor diet, routine and wakefulness lead to the failure of many processes occurring in the human body and ensuring its vital functions. As a result, it is activated pathogenic flora present in cells internal organs.
2. Bad ecology. Toxins released into the air during various industries, increased radiation, noise pollution promote the accumulation of cells in internal organs heavy metals, salts and other harmful substances.
3. . In women, after conception, a restructuring of life support processes occurs in the body, the purpose of which is to direct forces to the development of the fetus, that is, the immune system must now protect two organisms - the mother and the child she is carrying. During pregnancy, it is especially pronounced in the mother in the first 6-8 weeks and in the period from the 20th to the 28th week.
4. Another possible period reduction – . This happens due to excessive production of the hormone prolactin, which stimulates the formation breast milk.

Diseases also affect the decrease in immunity, the reasons for this lie in negative impact pathogens on immune defense cells.

Especially severe consequences have:

You need to eat at approximately the same time when eating in small portions. Calorie content daily ration calculated depending on professional activity, constitution and other individual human factors.

Features for children

Compared to adults, children are more susceptible to infectious diseases due to an incompletely developed immune system. IN different periods age, they go through peak declines in immunity (immediately after birth, after giving up breast milk, during the first trips to kindergarten, at the beginning of puberty).

Not all strengthening recipes are suitable for children protective system body due to more sensitive digestive system. In addition, it is sometimes difficult for them to explain why some tasteless foods should be eaten, while other tasty foods are harmful.

The main burden of responsibility lies with the parents. Therefore, it is they who must monitor the diet, daily routine, and hobbies of their child, being an example to follow in leading a healthy lifestyle.

We have already talked about immunity. Today we will look at this issue in more detail.

If cold infections too often began to interfere with your life, you need to take measures as soon as possible to increase your body’s immunity. IN otherwise with a cold will come much more serious illnesses, when the infection weakens your defenses. It is immunodeficiency that usually leads to intractable bacterial, viral or fungal diseases.

If you want to increase your body's immunity, first it will be useful to find out why its defenses failed. Eliminating this very cause will lead to increased immunity.

What usually weakens our immunity? This:

• unbalanced, monotonous or insufficient nutrition;
• lack of vitamins and minerals in the body;
• long-term infections;
• chronic diarrhea;
• helminthiases;
• lack of protein in the diet, poor absorption due to insufficiency of the exocrine function of the pancreas;
• previous injuries or surgical interventions;
• loss of protein in the urine resulting from kidney disease;
• poisoning;
• burns;
• radiation exposure;
• pregnancy;
• heavy bleeding or small but constant blood loss;
• illnesses endocrine system(hypothyroidism, diabetes mellitus);
• the use of drugs that suppress the immune system (most often glucocorticoids);
• elderly age;
• autoimmune diseases;
• oncological diseases;
• allergic diseases.

How to boost immunity without taking medications? Not every one of these reasons can be eliminated so easily, which is why it is necessary to know and apply universal methods of increasing the body’s defenses. There are many methods to increase nonspecific immunity, however, none of them give instant results. You will have to be patient; it is quite possible that there will be no effect at the very beginning of the journey. So, here are the methods themselves.

Hardening technique. It allows the body to adapt to the conditions that surround us, to have resistance to overheating and hypothermia. Hardening also helps reduce morbidity; in general, it has a positive, restorative effect on the human body. But you should remember: hardening cannot be started suddenly. You won't be able to go outside in your underpants and immediately empty a bucket. ice water to myself. You should start gradually, otherwise you may reduce your immunity rather than increase it.

Enhanced nutrition. Your diet should contain a large amount of protein foods, as well as plant food. Season vegetable salads vegetable oil, because some vitamins dissolve exclusively in fats and are not absorbed at all in their absence. If you are underweight, eat more often to eliminate it faster. Meat, eggs, and dairy products should be in your diet every day. Take multivitamin complexes. Use when poor digestion enzymes (such as Mezim or other similar drugs, we advise you to consult a doctor before using them).

Active lifestyle. Walk on fresh air walk as often as possible, drive less, play sports. It has been noticed that those who constantly sit at home, move little, get sick more often. Movement is life. Regular physical exercise significantly strengthen the immune system, which is why doctors recommend sitting at the computer less.

Concerning medicinal methods treatment of immunodeficiency, then to restore it, drugs from the group of immunostimulants are used. There are quite a lot of them, they differ in the type of effect on the immune system, as well as in price. Immunostimulants are considered the cheapest and, at the same time, more effective. plant origin. Every pharmacy sells them, these are: echinacea extract, tincture of lemongrass, ginseng, combination drugs, which contain several tonic and restorative herbs.

Immunologists, as a rule, do not prescribe such drugs, since there are more effective drugs that are effective. They must be used strictly under the supervision of a doctor in order not to spoil your health. In addition, immunostimulants affect various parts of the immune system, which also needs to be taken into account when you select medications.

Thus, we reviewed the most popular methods of increasing immunity, both non-drug (hardening, enhanced nutrition, active image life), and medicinal. The result is guaranteed if you use everything together.