Here are the top 4 signs you may have a weak immune system — and what to do about it: Immunologist

Prioritizing your immune system has never been more important, especially with the highly contagious Omicron subvariant, BA.2, helping to spark a new wave of Covid cases around the world.

As an immunologist and functional physician, patients often ask me how to measure the health of their immune system. I tell them that our immune system is a moving target and has no really specified organs where it can be completely isolated. You can’t scan it with an X-ray, biopsy it, or diagnose it as it is exactly strength or weakness with a single test.

However, there are four main warning signs that can indicate if you have a weakened immune system and need to put in the extra effort to boost it:

1. You often get sick and take longer than usual to recover.

Don’t be alarmed if you sneeze and snort two or three colds a year. Most people recover back to normal in about a week.

But if you have a constant cold with symptoms that last for weeks, or even get food poisoning frequently, it could be due to a slow response from your innate immune system.

Your innate immune system includes barriers that prevent harmful substances from entering your body. Think of it as the first line of defense against all invaders and injuries. The components include:

• cough reflex, that helps us get rid of things that can irritate or infect us.
• mucus production, which traps bacteria and small particles and helps expel them from the body.
• Gastric acid, which helps kill microbes that enter through our food and water.

2. You are in a constant state of stress.

Certain types of stress can be beneficial to our immune health and general well-being.

For example, a short-term acute stressor, such as a traffic jam, is designed to help your body recharge its protective mechanisms in the blink of an eye. As a result, acute stress helps to boost your immune system in the short term.

At the other end of the stress spectrum, chronic stress can be bad news, leading to immune system dysregulation and immune suppression, leading to more infections and poor recovery from disease.

Studies also show that frequent bouts of stress appear to worsen autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and ulcerative colitis and can trigger flare-ups of allergic reactions such as eczema and asthma.

3. You often get cold sores, or had shingles at a young age.

The viruses that cause cold sores and shingles both belong to the herpes virus family. Once you have contracted a herpes virus, it goes into a resting state in the body.

However, when you are under stress or your cellular immunity is weakened, the virus can multiply and reactivate.

Seeing frequent reactivations could be a sign that your immune system needs a boost.

4. You take drugs that weaken your immune response.

Unfortunately, many important drugs used in cancer chemotherapy — to prevent organ transplant rejection and treat autoimmune diseases — can be immunosuppressive.

Corticosteroids, a common class of drugs used for allergies, asthma, and other inflammatory diseases, can also be immunosuppressive.

Even a history of frequent antibiotic use has been shown to damage microbiome diversity in the gut, which can directly impair the immune response.

The good news is that regardless of the state of your immune system, you can intervene daily to make it stronger.

Here are some effective ways to do that:

1. Feed your immune system.

Our immune system cells need a wealth of antioxidant-rich foods — mostly fresh fruits and vegetables, especially those rich in vitamin C and beta-carotene.

Focus on daily servings of dark leafy greens like kale, deeply pigmented berries like blackberries, and gut-friendly, fiber-rich cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, broccoli and arugula.

The minerals zinc and selenium are also powerful immune-supporting nutrients and are found in nuts, seeds, shellfish and some meats.

Finally, add in some superfoods like shitake and maitake mushrooms, green tea, and spices like turmeric, rosemary, and cloves.

2. Get some sun.

In addition to boosting your mood, just 10 to 15 minutes a day of full-spectrum light can provide enough vitamin D, an important immune-supporting vitamin.

Some data indicates that low vitamin D is a risk factor for poor immune status, including autoimmune diseases and Covid. So if you have weak immunity, it’s a good idea to get your levels checked and supplement your time in the sun with vitamin D pills.

3. Focus on sleeping.

Quality and quantity of sleep has a major influence on the resistance of the immune system.

Chronic sleep deprivation is associated with higher inflammation and more frequent infections. This is because while our bodies are resting, the cells of the immune system can focus all their efforts and energy on a strong attack against viruses and bacteria.

Sleep also improves the formation of memory antibodies against bacteria and viruses to help build a stronger immune system for the future.

4. Quit smoking.

This should be a good idea, but even the chemicals in secondhand and even thirdhand smoke are carcinogenic. The damage these products do to our tissues keeps us inflamed and in a constant state of recovery.

Cigarettes, marijuana and vaping are all harmful to the respiratory tract, the first entry barrier for airborne viruses and bacteria.

5. Limit alcohol consumption.

Alcohol has negative effects on most of our innate and adaptive immune cells.

Chronic drinking and binge drinking also damage the lining of the GI tract, as well as protective T cells and neutrophils in the GI tract. This disrupts gut barrier function and allows for leakage of microbes into the blood, leading to inflammation.

6. Double down on stress management.

Chronic, unmanaged emotional and physical stress increases the release of inflammatory cytokines, and people with high physical and emotional stressors have more levels of inflammation.

In fact, C-reactive protein, which is a marker for inflammation, goes up in patients under acute stress.

One of the most effective ways to boost your immune response is to manage your stress through meditation, breathing exercises, and other mindfulness activities.

dr. Heather Moday is a board-certified allergist, immunologist, and physician of functional medicine. She is also the author of “The Immunotype Breakthrough: Your Personalized Plan to Balance Your Immune System, Optimize Health, and Build Lifelong Resilience.” Follow her on Instagram @theimmunityMD and facebook†

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