Our immune system is an important part of our body system that must be taken care of. Having a strong immune system that can fight back against the germs you may encounter cannot be overemphasized. If you’ve noticed that you’re often sick, easily fatigued or have other disturbing symptoms that you can’t seem to figure out, it may be as a result of a weak immune system.
Here are 10 signs you have a weak immune system
You are always stressed
The more stress you allow into your daily routine, the more you are likely to have a weak immune system. It’s not a coincidence that you always get sick after a big project at work or maybe after an emotional stress at home. This is because, chronic and long term release of the stress hormone lowers your white blood cell response. Your white blood cells are the main fighters of infection in your body. Hence the reason the immune system is weakened when you are constantly stressed.
You Have Lots of Tummy Aches
If you have frequent tummy troubles, gas or constipation, it could be a sign that your immune system is weak. Do you have typhoid fever? Or do you find yourself taking Loperamides like Imodium often to curb diarrhea episodes? If you have these along with frequent constipation, it could be a sign of a weak immune system.
You Have Frequent Infections
If you are always battling infections, your immune system might be sending you unhealthy signals. For instance, it is not normal to be treating malaria or typhoid fever, vaginal discharges, respiratory and urinary tract infections repeatedly within a year. In other words, if you feel sick most of the time and feel the need to see the doctor often, it often implies your body is unable to adequately fight off offensive microorganisms. This is a clear sign of a weak immune system.
You Always Have a Cold
It is usually normal when you might catch cold two or three times in a year. Most people bounce back in like 7 to 10 days. In such cases, it takes the immune system 3 to 4 days to fight it off. But if you’re constantly catching colds, that’s a clear sign your immune system is struggling to keep up.
Often Muscles And Joints Ache
Chronic joint and muscle aches are usually linked to weak immune system. When your immune system has to fight off infections, it produces a lot of inflammatory chemicals and white blood cells. As the immune system weakens and the inflammation continues, the the body moves into a chronic pain state and the joints become chronically inflamed with swellings and a lot of aches and pains.
Your Wounds Takes Too Much Time To Heal
The immune system plays a major role in the healing of wounds that happen on the skin. Your skin goes into damage control mode when you get a burn, cut or scrape. Your body protects the wound by sending nutrient-rich blood to the injury to help regenerate new skin. However, this healing process depends on healthy immune cells. If your immune system is weak, your skin will not be able to regenerate, and this causes your wounds to linger and have a hard time healing.
You Always Have Skin Issues
Your skin tissue contains fat compounds called lipids, which assists in creating a barrier that prevents water from leaving you skin, also irritants and unwanted organisms from entering it. However, when your immune system has to constantly work in the presence of for instance, an infection, the lipids are unable to work effectively. Hence, water leaves the skin, which leaves it dry and cracked up, allowing unwanted bacteria, fungi, to enter the skin causing acne and eczema. Thus if you find your skin flaking, itchy, dry or you develop boils easily , you may want to make want to check your immune system.
You Feel Tired All the Time
If you constantly feel tired and you do all you can to stay refreshed and smart, yet, you always feel exhausted and sleep seems to not be helping this constant exhaustion then you should consider checking your immune system, When your immune system struggles, so does your energy level. And that’s because your body is trying to conserve energy to fuel your immune system so it can fight off germs.
You Develop Sudden High Fevers
High fever is mostly a signal of an incoming infection. When you feel a sudden elevation in your body temperature, then it is time to check your immune system. It is advisable to drink more fluids in this time.
You Are Always On Some Medication
If it is constant for you to take antibiotics or malarial medication more than twice a year, then you need to consider working on your immune system to make it stronger. It is not healthy to constantly be on medications.
How To Fix Your Immune System
If the above signs are familiar, you need to give your immune system some extra attention.
These 6 tips will help you:
- Eat a balanced diet
- Get enough sleep
- Exercise regularly
- Wash your hands regularly
- Keep up with your vaccines
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Stay away from smoking
- Minimize stress
