Influenza virus is rampant, can we quickly develop immunity? How to improve immunity?

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Mycoplasma, influenza A virus, and new coronavirus have been rampant recently, and there are a lot of sick children around us. Our two children have also been sick. First it was mycoplasma, and recently it was influenza A. They had a high fever of 40 degrees and it took two days of intermittent fever to subside.

When children are sick, parents are the ones who suffer the most. Many parents wonder: Can children's immunity be improved quickly? Is there a quick way? What can I eat to improve my children's immunity? I really hope my children don't get sick.

1

Does immunity = resistance?

When it comes to immunity, many people will think of resistance, and even equate immunity with resistance, believing that "the stronger the immunity, the stronger the resistance."

In fact, immunity and resistance are not exactly the same.

Our human immune system is mainly composed of immune organs (such as skin and mucous membranes, bone marrow, spleen, etc.), immune cells (such as lymphocytes, neutrophils, etc.), immune molecules (such as lysozymes, immunoglobulins, etc.), etc., which work together to maintain our health.

On the one hand, immunity can resist harmful external threats such as viruses and bacteria.

When the body is "invaded" by the outside world, such as viruses and bacteria, the "protective barrier" composed of immunity will take action in time to identify, eliminate and deal with them, safeguarding our health. It can be said that immunity plays an important role in resisting foreign invasions for our body and maintaining the stability of the internal environment.

On the other hand, immunity can also eliminate harmful cells and substances from the body.

When various "bad elements" appear in the body, such as aging, damaged, dead, and degenerated cells, the immune system can play a role in internal immune surveillance. Once discovered, it will begin to eliminate these harmful cells and substances from the body.

What we usually call "resistance" mostly refers to our ability to resist the invasion of certain pathogens and to eliminate already invaded pathogens to avoid causing diseases, such as colds, diarrhea, etc. This refers to the function of immune defense.

So, "resistance" is an important part of our immunity, but not all of it.

2

Is it true that stronger immunity is better?

We all know that when our immunity is poor or weak, it is not good. We are prone to fatigue, repeated colds, easily infected wounds, diarrhea, susceptibility to infectious diseases, poor sleep, etc. We are also more likely to get sick.

Many people believe that the stronger the immunity, the better, and they will try various methods to enhance immunity, such as eating a lot of health foods that improve immunity.

However, stronger immunity is not necessarily better! Stronger immunity does not necessarily mean better resistance.

In our daily lives, we deal with various substances every day, and our immune system can cope with them with ease.

Skin allergy. Image from: freepik.com

However, if the body's immune system is too strong and mistakenly judges harmless external substances as harmful substances, it will attack them, thereby triggering an allergic reaction. Common allergic manifestations include rash, recurrent wheezing, rhinitis, sneezing, vomiting, diarrhea and other symptoms.

In severe cases, immune cells may even mistakenly attack their own normal tissues and organs, causing autoimmune diseases , such as systemic lupus erythematosus, which was a hot topic some time ago.

Image source: [7] The Lancet, 2018, 92, Issue 10143, 190 - 192

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a typical autoimmune disease , which is more common in women aged 15 to 40 years old. Children can also suffer from it. It is known as one of the three most difficult diseases in the world. It is characterized by chronicity, repeated attacks, and incurability .

Most lupus patients will have facial rashes and erythema. The more typical rashes are distributed on both sides of the cheeks and nose bridge, and are shaped like a butterfly with its wings spread. Therefore, it is called "butterfly erythema", which is one of the characteristic manifestations of lupus. This disease is not easy to cure and requires long-term treatment. Patients suffer for a long time and are called "immortal cancer" by the medical community.

In addition, rheumatic fever, Sjögren's syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, autoimmune encephalitis, dermatomyositis, etc. are also common autoimmune diseases.

3

Can immunity be developed quickly?

Because there have been many cases of illness recently, many people are wondering: Can children's immunity be improved quickly? Is there a quick way to do it?

Immunity is the ability of the body's immune system to respond to exogenous microorganisms and exogenous antigens through immune cells such as lymphocytes and macrophages and immune molecules such as antibodies and cytokines, thereby ensuring its own stability. It includes both resistance to pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, and mycoplasma, as well as internal immune surveillance and the ability to eliminate aging and mutant cells.

When a person's organs are strong, their nutrition is good, and their physical and mental stress is low, they can achieve the best resistance, but these cannot be achieved overnight.

The functions of the organs of the body need to grow slowly. Children cannot grow up in just one or two days.

Nutritional status also depends on the daily eating and living habits.

Physical and mental stress is also greatly affected by long-term living habits.

Therefore, immunity cannot be developed quickly in a short period of time.

Image from: pixabay.com

4

What can I eat to improve my immunity?

There are many products on the market that boost immunity, and many of them claim to improve/enhance immunity, for example, the most commonly mentioned is vitamin C.

In fact, if you want to strengthen your immune system, you need not a certain type of nutrition or a certain type of food, but systematic and balanced nutrition.

The immune system is composed of a whole set of complex and strict systems, such as the respiratory system, skin, lymphatic system, etc. To maintain the good operation of the immune system, a variety of nutrients are needed, not only vitamin C but also other nutrients.

Don't think that you can improve your immunity by eating only one nutrient. It also needs carbohydrates, protein, fat, water, minerals and other nutrients. The immune system needs a variety of balanced nutrients, not just one nutrient or one food. My suggestion is to follow the recommendations of the Food Pagoda, eat a variety of foods, and try to achieve a balanced nutrition.

5

How to do it?

There are many people who are sick recently. What should we do? For parents:

First, adjust your mindset.

It is difficult for children to completely avoid colds and illnesses as they grow up. Don’t be too anxious. Just treat it as an experience for your child’s growth.

Second, take good care.

For example, monitor body temperature, seek medical treatment and take medicine in time; try to eat better and get more rest to help children get through it smoothly.

Image from: freepik.com

For the general public, how can we make our immune system healthier? Here are some suggestions:

1. Get enough sleep and try not to stay up late.

2. Eat healthy. Follow the recommendations of the Food Pagoda, eat a variety of foods, and ensure a balanced intake of all nutrients

3. Quit smoking and drinking, and stay away from secondhand smoke; try not to drink alcohol, and if you do drink, don't drink too much.

4. Ensure harmony between body and mind, learn to resolve negative emotions, and maintain an optimistic attitude.

5. Exercise moderately. Take 6,000 steps of active exercise or 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise every day.

6. Pay attention to the change of temperature during the change of seasons and add or remove clothes appropriately.

7. Wash your hands frequently, wear a mask, and take personal protection measures.