Introduction
A functioning immune system guarantees a healthy life. However, when you have low immune defenses , you may experience colds , allergies, asthma or eczema , but also autoimmune diseases , such as rheumatoid arthritis or type 1 diabetes . Here are the signs of low immune defenses and how support them at the table with foods that can boost the immune system.
Symptoms Low Immune Defenses
The symptoms of low immune defenses are different, from the most common, such as colds, sore throats or frequent inflammations , to dry eyes, up to intestinal problems. Colds are among the first symptoms that reveal a state of immune deficiency , a very annoying and often debilitating condition: runny nose , sneezing , exhaustion occur more often than not. Other similar symptoms include chronic sinusitis , ear infections , and relapsing bronchitis .
Fatigue
One of the symptoms of low immune defenses is fatigue. That typical feeling of poor lucidity and exhaustion that is usually felt as soon as you wake up, like when you suffer from the flu , could be a sign, as well as stress and anxiety . Other symptoms, related to tiredness and an unresponsive immune system are muscle and joint pain , insomnia or unrefreshing sleep .
Slow healing and inflammatory states
The immune system not only defends the body from pathogenic attacks by bacteria and viruses , but performs the fundamental function of healing and promoting perfect healing. If the timing gets longer, or it is necessary to resort to antibiotics several times in a short time, it means that the immune defenses are very low.
Other symptoms of low immune defenses are:
- Sore throat: a clear sign that white blood cell levels may not be up to standard;
- Allergies and skin rashes: allergies, both airborne, such as hay fever and allergy to pollen and mites, and eczema and skin rashes. Indeed, the latter are a clear signal that the skin ‘s immune defenses are not performing their function as a protective shield against pathogens.
- Feeling extremely hot and feverish: Sudden hot flashes or sudden increase in body temperature and without fever or the flu indicate that the immune system may be weakened due to an ongoing infection.
Immune Defenses: what to put on the plate?
Choosing what to put on the table can help support the immune system. In particular , it is useful to include green vegetables in the diet , such as cabbage , chard , spinach , broccoli , Brussels sprouts . The merit of their goodness lies in the healthy phytochemical compounds of which they are rich. Do not forget yogurt , rich in lactic ferments , fish , as long as it is not canned or smoked, such as tuna , salmon , oily fish , such as anchovies , sardines and mackerel , essential to support the immune system, as a precious source of omega 3 . And again: walnuts contain high concentrations of omega 6 , kiwis provide the body with significant quantities of vitamin C (an ally in fighting colds and respiratory tract infections), papaya and berries , chickpeas , beans , lentils and whole grains . Allies of immune defenses also garlic and turmeric .
And the chocolate ? It is an excellent food as it contains serotonin , known as the ” hormone of happiness”, endorphins , effective pain inhibitors , and diphenyldantonin, an antidepressant . Above all, chocolate stimulates the production of T lymphocytes , which act against infections.
Other symptoms Low Immune Defenses
Intestinal disorders. Colitis and dysentery , with diarrhea that has lasted for over a week, is a clear sign of the presence of an inflammatory and altered state of the intestinal bacterial flora and digestive tract . The immune system, in this case, is attacking the inner lining of the small intestine . Conversely, even constipation , and therefore a slowing down of peristalsis , could be a symptom of low immune defenses which would hinder the correct intestinal transit of faeces .
Cold hands , ears and nose. If your blood vessels are inflamed, your extremities will have a hard time staying warm. When exposed to cold temperatures, the skin can become whitish and even purplish. This is the so-called Raynaud’s syndrome : that is, a lack of oxygen in the limbs caused by a disorder of the immune system.
Dry eye. Dry, red eyes , eye pain , and blurred vision are often the result of an autoimmune disorder, such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus .
Tingling in hands and feet . We are often led to believe that the tingling felt in the hands and feet is due to a wrong posture or position of the arms and legs. However this condition indicates that there is an ongoing immune system attack on the nerves . Numbness may be felt in the legs, hands and chest, i.e. the so-called Guillain-Barre syndrome , often confused with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy .
