A strong immune system helps ward off colds and flus, but it’s not the only factor

[AussieNeil]

Your skin and saliva are key barriers to infection and form part of your immune system, along with cells in every tissue of your body, including your blood and your brain.

:

The cells that make up your immune system need energy too, and when you’re low on juice, they’ll be on low-battery mode. This is when our natural immune defences are weakened and normally innocuous bugs can begin to cause strife.

Our immune system requires a lot of energy to defend our bodies. Feeling tired and achy, overheating, and glands swelling are all signs that our immune system is busy fighting something. (Or we have CLL cytokines causing similar symptoms - Neil)

Boosting our natural defence system

- getting adequate sleep. Sleep deprivation increases the hormone cortisol, which suppresses immune function when its levels are elevated

- exercising, which helps the lymphatic system, where our immune cells circulate, and lowers levels of stress hormones

- eating well and drinking enough water. Your immune system needs energy and nutrients obtainable from food. And staying well hydrated helps the body to flush out toxins

- not smoking. Smoking, or even secondary smoke, damages our lungs and increases the vulnerability of our respiratory system to infection.

Full article by Hui-Fern Koay, Research Fellow in Immunology and Jesseka Chadderton, PhD Candidate, University of Melbourne: theconversation.com/a-stron...

The responses by Sue Ieraci in the comments section are well worth reading. I have a great deal of respect for her knowledge imparted in many The Conversation articles.

Neil

Photo: I don't think I need to introduce the subject of this photo, spotted by my wife not 4km from our home. We saw this marsupial jump onto a tree, pose for us, then climb off and scamper to another tree, where we were entertained by effortless climbing up and down branches, coming down a branch holding on just by the forelegs and leaping across to nearby branches, before settling in the crown of eucalyptus tree for a feed.

[mrsjsmith]

Thank you Neil,

Very useful post, and one I will try to follow. As it is 6am in London, getting enough sleep 💤 is one on the list I regularly fail with, and I try not to resort to pills.

Love the photograph

Regards

Colette

[AdrianUK in reply to mrsjsmith]

I’m with the early birds too this morning collette. Did you go to sleep early last night? I actually do resort to sleeping tablets SOME of the nights. It’s bizarre to me how we can be so fatigued during the day and then sometimes struggle to go to sleep or wake early. I do find my best energy of the day is in the morning so I’m about to get up and load the dishwasher which just didn’t happen last night.

[mrsjsmith in reply to AdrianUK]

Hi Adrian,

Yes I am also an early morning person. I am fine until about 2/3pm when I seem to hit a brick wall and vanish into some twilight zone ?? When I imerge at 6ish I then end up eating later than I want. I settle down as there is usually something on the TV at 9pm. I get to watch about half and then fall asleep. I wake to see the credits and then I am awake for ages. Last night I tried hot chocolate and that gave me 5 hours sleep ! Worth a try.

Good luck next week.

Colette

[Psmithuk in reply to mrsjsmith]

Try putting a small shot of sprits (brandy maybe) in the hot chocolate ☕️ - sends me to sleep when I’m desperate!! Why is it that our minds just won’t settle when it’s time for bed? Mine starts all sorts of unpleasant scenarios while I’m lying there.

[mrsjsmith in reply to Psmithuk]

Chris,

Are you trying to lead me astray ! I am good at doing that on my own ! Must find that brandy !

Luckily I have stopped mulling over things at night. I have read about all the things you are supposed to do to aid sleep, and writing a ‘to do’ list the night before helps.

Colette x

[DebKat999 in reply to mrsjsmith]

Colette I am a big fan of "to do" lists, and sometimes I will also send text messages to myself to help keep me organized as well.

Chris not being able to turn off your mind enough to rest is something that I'm guessing so many of us have in common, unfortunately.

Neil thank you, this was an excellent post.

I always enjoy the photographs of nature that you share, and this one is an absolute favorite. The fact that this visit happened so close to your home is wonderful. Very considerate of this beauty to pose like that for a photo too. 🙂

Debbie

[mrsjsmith in reply to DebKat999]

True Debs,

It’s always when something is playing on your mind ! Sometimes it can be very minor and the next morning it seems trivial.

Agreed your nature photographs are amazing Neil, funnily nothing like that on Clapham Common ! Don’t think Canada Geese count ?

Colette x

[Lily_Pad_Master in reply to AdrianUK]

Adrian, I take Ativan every night as I deal with some PTSD. I'm definitely a morning person. I, too, am mystified by how I can be completely exhausted by 7 p.m. and still find it loathsomely difficult to fall asleep even with Ativan.

[Lily_Pad_Master]

Thanks, Scott. This might explain why, despite my CLL, I've had fewer colds (or anything, really) since my diagnosis in 2013 than at any other time in my life. I guess I've got good saliva!