Is Your Immune System Up to Scratch For Winter?
Have you ever been around a group of people, where you are the only one who gets sick, and others don’t even get a sniffle? Why is it that some people catch cold, after cold, after cold, during winter – and other people just breeze through without a worry? Well the good news is that it is normal to have 1 -2 colds per year, it’s actually a sign of a healthy functioning immune system. The bad news for those that never get sick, it can indicate adrenal exhaustion and immune dysfunction (which we look at in more detail below). A healthy immune system is all about resistance and recovery.
Let’s go back to the basics of immunity. The immune system is a complex network, made up of specialized cells moving through blood and tissues. It is a highly effective killing machine, protecting us against bacteria, viruses, parasites and cancer cells. The immune system has built-in weapons, protecting us from the daily barrage of microbes.
Natural Defenders
The body’s first battle secret is the first line defenders. Natural mechanisms within the body create a barrier against microbial invasion. You will find these barriers in mucosal secretions lining the nostrils, vagina, mouth and ears, where it functions like a trap. Skin secretes oil with bacterial-killing properties. Saliva and tears contain anti-bacterial enzymes, and the constant flushing of the urinary tract and bowels also help to excrete pathogens.
White blood cells make up an important part of the immune system. They act like police officers, patrolling the body for any lurking pathogens. Phagocytes are the main officers on patrol, when an invader is spotted the phagocytes engulf and ingest the pathogen, and alert’s the immune system they are under attack. This process signals more specialized white blood cells to come to the scene, and prepare for attack!
Resistance & Recovery
How well we can resist and recover from an infection, depends on how well our immune system is functioning. We utilize a range of tests in our clinic to support the immune system and ensure it’s working at its best.
Adrenal Stress Profile
Stress is detrimental to the immune system. It suppresses the body’s natural ability to fight off infection and can reactivate latent viruses. Stress increases secretion of cortisol, the adrenal stress profile is used to measure cortisol levels in the body.
Food Sensitivity Testing
Food intolerance can manifest itself in many different ways, such as skin or respiratory conditions for example. Suspected food sensitivities may be contributing or worsening symptoms associated with the immune system, but they can be hard to detect specific foods due to symptoms taking hours or days to appear. With a quick finger prick, we can test for food antibodies (IgG) for 60 different foods in clinic, results ready within 40minutes.
For more information please contact us on 1300 855 008.