A child’s sickness can be pretty scary for parents. Especially when infections are illnesses become more of your child’s routine. Frequent illnesses can be a terrifying experience for both children and parents.
You may be thinking that your child is nutrient deficient or there is something wrong with his hygiene. But you know what germs are literally everywhere (even on the phone you are holding right now). But what about the vaccination your children received?
I can hear all those questions in your mind and to be honest, your concern as a parent is totally understandable. Sharing a similar incident, I remember when my cousin went to a hematologist in Karachi, due to recurrent child infection.
What is the immune system?
Well, to understand all this you need to understand what your immune system is and how it works.
Let’s start with the basics; the immune system is basically the natural defence system of our body that helps to fight diseases. Our immune system fights with millions of germs on a daily basis. It goes without saying that in the absence of an effective immune system we could have spent our lives in hospital.
Surprising facts about immune system
There are several things about the immune system that can add more clarity to your basic understanding of an immune system. Some of the surprising facts about the immune system are;
1- Your immune system is a multi-functional team!
Being a defense system, we might think of an immune system as a military. Just like any sophisticated defense force, immune system components also have their specific functions. Some cells of the immune system identify the invaders while others maintain the record by remembering these invaders for the next time. All these particular cells having defined roles collectively make the defense force of your body.
2- You immune system also needs education.
Just like a human, their body systems including the immune system also need to get educated. But how can you teach your immune system? Well, there are ways for it. You can use vaccination to teach your immune system about a particular invader. Having this presorted information about particular germs, your immune system can encounter the fight of the germ when it enters your body in the future.
3- Germs can be good or bad
When we hear the word germs, we definitely think about the infections and diseases. But are all germs bad? Definitely not! Just like every other thing, germs can also be good or bad. Good germs can help your body to defend against bad bacteria and can also provide certain health benefits for our body.
4- Stress is bad for your immune system
Even though our body has a well-instructed immune system to fight off disease, we still fall sick. However, we all know that some people feel sick more often than others due to an insufficient immune system. Among several factors that can ensure the efficiency of the immune system, stress plays an important role. This is a science-backed fact that stress can interfere with the normal hormonal production of our body that in turn affects our immunity.
5- Allergies are false alarms!
A hyperactive immune system can be as problematic as a suppressed immune system. An overly active immune system will identify not harmful substances as harmful ones generating reactions against them. As a result, a false immune response is generated that results in allergies.
I remember I used to have severe and often allergic reactions. Once I went toLife Care Consultant Clinic, for some treatment and the physician revealed that I have a hyperactive immune system that was resulting in frequent allergic reactions.
6- Your immune system can self-attack.
Other than falsely identifying the invaders, the immune system can sometimes consider its own cells as invaders. When an immune system attacks its own components, autoimmune diseases occur. One of the most common autoimmune diseases is rheumatoid arthritis that results in severe joint pain and inflammation.
7- Being too clean can lower your immunity
Although good hygienic practices are recommended for stronger immunity but do you know too much cleanliness can lower your immunity. If you keep your body excessively away from the pathogens, it will ultimately result in poor development of the immune system. So, being unhygienic can be good for you -but not all the time.
