The network of cells, tissues and organs throughout your body that work together to help your body protect itself against germs and infections is known as your immune system. It fights infections by recognizing foreign, harmful germs and viruses, called microorganisms, and cells that have changed due to illness (like a cancer). When these threats are found, the immune system mounts a response by releasing white blood cells.
How does an immune response work?
Lymphocytes (white blood cells that are part of the immune system) are made in the bone marrow, the soft tissue inside of bones, but they may travel to other parts of the body to mature. The two major groups of that recognize and attack infectious microorganisms, T and B cells, mature in the lymph nodes and spleen. T cells are also found in the thymus gland.
These white blood cells are carried through the immune system to seek and destroy disease-causing organisms. The immune system uses the lymphatic system to do its work. The lymphatic system runs throughout your body, carrying lymph, which is excess fluid that has been drained from tissues and blood. The lymph carries white blood cells to where they are needed, and they begin to fight infection. Each type of lymphocyte fights infection differently. B cells make antibodies specific to the type of infection they need to fight. T cells kill the body cells affected by the infectious microorganisms. Other types of immune cells destroy the invading infectious organisms directly.
What happens when the immune system doesn’t work well?
When the immune system does not work properly, it leaves the body at risk for disease. There are many types of immune disorders. These include:
- Allergies and asthma are the result of the body’s immune responses to substances that are usually not harmful to most people.
- Autoimmune diseases cause the immune system to attack the body’s own cells and tissues by mistake. Autoimmune diseases include type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and some types of anemia.
- Immune deficiency diseases occur when the immune system is missing one or more of its parts. Examples include acquired
immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and severe combined immunodeficiency. - Cancers. Some forms of cancer are caused by the uncontrolled growth of immune cells. These cancers include leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma, although unrestricted growth of any cell type can cause cancer.
How can you help boost your immune system?
Unfortunately, there’s no quick fix to strengthen your immune system. The best ways to improve your immune system is to follow a healthy lifestyle. Specifically:
- Don’t smoke or use other tobacco products.
- If you drink alcohol, only do so in moderation. That’s no more than one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men.
- Eat a balanced diet rich in a variety of fruits, vegetables and other whole foods. If you don’t eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, you might benefit from a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement.
- Exercise regularly and maintain a healthy weight.
- Get enough sleep.
- Minimize stress.
- Take steps to avoid infection including good handwashing.
The one thing you can buy to improve your immune system is probably covered by your health insurance plan. Vaccination, or immunization, trains your immune system against a specific pathogen, like influenza or pertussis. Your immune system remembers the infection without actually being infected, so your body is prepared when under attack. Ask your health care provider which vaccines they recommend for you.
Sources:
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease. Overview of the immune System. https://www.niaid.nih.gov/research/immune-system-overview
PubMedHealth. How does the immune system work? https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0072548/
Merck Manual Formation of Blood Cells. https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/blood-disorders/biology-of-blood/formation-of-blood-cells
U.S. National Library of Medicine. Immune System and Disorders
https://medlineplus.gov/immunesystemanddisorders.html
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease. Disorders of the immune System. https://www.niaid.nih.gov/research/immune-system-disorders
Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School How to boost your immune system. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/how-to-boost-your-immune-system
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease. Features of an Immune
Response. https://www.niaid.nih.gov/research/immune-response-features
