The human immune system helps our body every day, fighting bacteria and viruses that surround us wherever we go, with tumor processes and malfunctions in cellular activity that normally occur constantly, allows cells to regenerate after injuries and performs many other functions. But, of course, it is qualitatively active far from birth to old age, and during adulthood many factors influence it. Let's look at all this a little bit more.
Structure
The human immune system includes both whole organs and individual cells. It includes:
- Bone marrow. All blood cells are formed in it, including those that have a protective function: macrophages, T and B lymphocytes, plasmocytes, monocytes, natural killers, etc.
- Thymus. It exists only up to 12-14 years, after which it begins to gradually fade away, in it the final differentiation of T cells occurs.
- Spleen. The place of death of all blood cells and the maturation of lymphocytes.
- Lymph nodes and individual sections of lymphoid tissue. A reserve of immune cells is stored here, and with their urgent need - and their formation.
Immune Reducing Factors
Every day a person is exposed to the negative effects of the environment: breathes gas and dusty air with impurities from industry, uses poorly purified water and products grown on contaminated soil. In addition, obviously harmful food is often used in food: alcohol, carbonated drinks, chips and all kinds of snacks with flavor enhancers and carcinogens, canned, meat offal and much more.
This all depletes the liver, the main laboratory of the body, and also violates the intestinal microflora, which normally protects us from the introduction of pathogenic microorganisms that have penetrated with food. Plus, a person is increasingly exposed to stress, lack of sleep and gets tired at work, which ultimately weakens the reactivity of the body. On this basis, chronic diseases, allergies develop, the introduction of infectious agents is easier, which only exacerbates the situation.
The basics
Since, as we have already found out, an extraordinary number of points act to weaken the body, it is equally important to know how to strengthen the immunity of an adult. The basis is, of course, getting rid of all risk factors, which is the primary prevention of any disease.
First of all, it concerns bad habits. Further, a person should clearly understand that sleep and leisure should be complete both regarding time and comfortable conditions. Plus you need to cure all chronic diseases, including carious teeth, so that you get rid of the constant source of infection in your body.
Also, to raise immunity, an adult should abandon the harmful products that were mentioned in the previous paragraph. And if possible, try to get out more often to nature - to a summer house or to a village with relatives, in order to at least temporarily reduce the negative impact of the environment. And, of course, you need to switch to proper nutrition, that is, those products that can strengthen the immune system. We will talk about them further.
Healthy foods
From childhood, mothers explain to each person how important it is to eat more vegetables, fruits and fresh juices. And although all of them directly or indirectly affect our body, there are still the most honorable natural remedies of this kind for immunity to adults.
First of all, these are products with a high protein content, because it is at their expense that the body builds new cells. These are meat (beef, horse meat, poultry, rabbit), fish (preferably marine and steamed or boiled), eggs (chicken protein is one of a kind, digestible 100%), a family of legumes (beans, peas, lentils). The latter, in turn, is better to eat no more than 2-3 times a week, since they cause a tendency to constipation.
Other "delicious medicines"
It is also necessary to try to consume more seafood, as they contain, in addition to protein, unsaturated fatty acids and the maximum amount of minerals. This is seaweed, shrimp, squid. Moreover, the less their heat treatment will be, the better they will enhance your immunity. Their special value lies in the high content of iodine - the main stimulator of the thyroid gland, whose hormones affect all types of metabolism and improve the functioning of organs.
And dairy products will help normalize the intestinal microflora and the gastrointestinal tract. These are kefir, fermented baked milk, milk, sour cream, yogurt and cottage cheese. Especially useful will be their simultaneous use with fruits or berries, and preferably without sugar.
Unconditional Leaders
And, of course, the most valuable natural remedies for immunity to adults are fruits and vegetables. First of all, these are foods rich in phytoncides - natural antibiotics: onions and green onions, garlic, horseradish, red pepper.
Secondly, these are vegetables rich in vitamin C, the main antioxidant and immune system assistant. These include bell peppers, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower and brussels sprouts. The body also needs potassium, a large amount of which is found in potatoes with peel, nuts, apricot, oatmeal and buckwheat. How to strengthen the immunity of an adult, prompt and fruits and their derivatives, the most important of which in this regard are all citrus fruits, kiwi, prunes, dried apricots and raisins, as well as their pulp juices and red wine.
Of the berries of a storehouse of vitamin C, these are honeysuckle, sea buckthorn, blackcurrant, viburnum, wild rose, wild strawberry and mountain ash. In addition, antioxidants also contain green tea, which also helps to remove harmful toxins from the body. And ginger has tonic properties, which will help you withstand prolonged stress and less tired. Now we turn to the topic of which drugs strengthen the immune system.
Medications
Often, the human body is so exhausted from stress, mental and physical labor, that just establishing a lifestyle is not enough, and you have to resort to pharmacological knowledge. So, the simplest medications for immunity to adults are vitamins. They affect a variety of types of metabolism, thereby contributing to the strengthening of our body as a whole, including its protective forces.
They are contained in herbal preparations with extracts of purple coneflower (Immunal), ginseng, and Chinese magnolia vine. Their advantage lies in the free sale, relative cheapness and ease of use, and therefore reviews of vitamins for immunity to adults are almost 100% positive, because with mild immunodeficiency they are highly effective.
Prophylactic agents
Next are bacterial immunostimulants containing enzymes of various infectious agents and acting as passive activation of the protective system. These include IRS-19, Ribomunil, Imudon, Bronhomunal, Likopid, and many others. However, these medications for raising immunity in adults are mostly preventive and require a doctor's consultation before use.
Antiviral agents containing interferon or stimulating its endogenous synthesis in the body are similar. These are the preparations “Grippferon”, “Viferon”, “Anaferon”, “Cycloferon”, “Arbidol”, “Amiksin”. Most often they are used in the form of solutions or tablets. However, candles for immunity for adults "Genferon", which are more often used by pregnant women in the complex treatment of any infectious disease, have proven themselves well.
Other drugs
Means with a more pronounced therapeutic effect are the drugs "Remantadin" and "Acyclovir", which directly cause the destruction of influenza viruses of group A and herpes. Also included are nucleic acid preparations Derinat, Poludan, Sodium Nucleinate. They are available in various pharmacological forms. The first is in a parenteral solution (i.e. these are injections for immunity for adults), the second in a lyophysilate for the manufacture of eye drops and for administration under the conjunctiva, and the third in tablets and powders. However, they all have a pronounced stimulating effect, activating the humoral and cellular stages of protection.
Reserve drugs
More serious medications that affect immunity are thymus gland preparations and bone marrow immunomodulators. They are prescribed exclusively by a doctor in severe forms of infection with severe complications. Thus, they have strict indications and are not dispensed from pharmacies without a prescription. The first includes Taktivigin, Timalin, Timostimulin, Timogen, Vilosen, and the second group includes Mielopid and Seramil.
In the treatment of purulent-inflammatory diseases, prolonged sluggish forms of immunodeficiency with inhibition of bone marrow function, trophic ulcers, as well as in rehabilitation from frostbite and burn disease, they have established themselves as highly effective drugs. They cause the restoration of normal blood formation, regulate the quantitative and qualitative ratio of protective cells, improve metabolic processes at the biochemical level and skin regeneration.
Other methods
You can help your body cope with a serious illness on its own, so everyone should know how to strengthen the immunity of an adult. To do this, you can reinforce the treatment with special preparations of herbal medicine using home recipes of traditional medicine.
Acupuncture and acupuncture (acupuncture, moxotherapy, acupressure) are also well established, because they tone the whole body and well relax the nervous system, thereby restoring the correct processes of regulation of immunity, metabolism and energy. And physiotherapy will help reduce the time of treatment and rehabilitation, stop the pain syndrome present in some infectious diseases, increase blood circulation in the tissues, thereby providing a better flow of immunocompetent cells to the site of inflammation. Such methods are especially important during pregnancy, when the patient should sharply limit the intake of any medications. The most favorable physiotherapy procedures include electrophoresis, sunbathing, ultrasound and laser therapy, as well as mud and hydrotherapy.
Symptoms
How to understand that the defenses of your body do not work enough? Of course, the most important role in diagnosing this is played by clinical tests that detect a decrease in blood circulation, formation in the bone marrow, or the inferiority of your immune cells.
However, there are external signs that a person can independently observe at home. If at least three of them are found, he should be interested in how to strengthen the immunity of an adult, change his lifestyle for the better, or even consult a doctor. These include: susceptibility to colds (more than once during the cold seasons), as well as their duration, headaches, a feeling of rapid fatigue or general weakness, reduced ability to work, impaired gastrointestinal tract (diarrhea or, on the contrary, constipation, nausea, heartburn), the development or frequent exacerbations of chronic inflammatory processes (stomach ulcer or duodenal ulcer, tonsillitis, tonsillitis, laryngitis, cystitis, pyelonephril, prostatitis, etc.), slowing hair growth, nails and wound regeneration.
conclusions
Thus, there are many methods to strengthen their immunity and restore its normal functioning. These are special procedures, and medications. However, despite this, it is first necessary to remember that prevention is the best way to maintain your health. Therefore, a person should initially try to lead a correct lifestyle, minimizing the impact of external factors on his immunity. Be healthy!