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Immunity is our body’s intelligent way of fighting a toxin which could either be bacteria, virus, fungal, parasite, any foreign matter or even a heavy metal. A strong immunity not only safeguards us from colds and coughs but also keeps us away from diseases like hepatitis, lung infection, kidney infection, bowel infection, autoimmune conditions.
All of us are surrounded with pathogens. We live, drink, eat and breathe pathogens without our knowledge. But not everyone falls sick. The ones with a strong immune system cope better. Thus a strong immunity is really the first and last line of defence of all that ails us. While a blood report can reveal a lot about low immunity, our body also tries to give certain symptoms and biofeedbacks.
Here are some:
Frequent infections/ allergies
If you find yourself falling sick more often than others, complain of recurrent cold, sniffles (which may be allergy driven like pollen allergy), persistent cough, sore throat, skin rashes, then it’s highly likely that your immune system is compromised. A positive Candida test, frequent UTI, diarrhoea, inflamed gums, mouth sores, swollen lymphnodes could also reveal low immunity.
Many people fall sick with the slightest change in the weather. This could be due to low body temperature. A normal oral body temperature that supports strong immune system should not read below 36.3°C, because common cold viruses like Rhinovirus are more likely to thrive at temperatures like 33 degrees. Regular exercise is a great way to boost body temperature and defence mechanism. Even warming spices like garlic, ginger, cinnamon, clove work brilliantly.
Lacking fever
A cardinal sign of low immune system is its inability to create fever when needed. Fever is our body’s way of fighting a disease, but most of us try medications to suppress the fever and not allowing it to work for us. If you haven’t experienced a fever for many years despite infections, then it’s a good sign of low immunity.
Poor gut health
Around 80% of our immunity lies in our gut. Chronic constipation, indigestion, acidity, bloating, flatulence, are signs of a poor gut health, which speak volumes about our immunity. Bad gut health also means an imbalance between good and bad gut bacteria. Hence probiotics make an important part of any healthy diet.
Low Vitamin D3
Vitamin D is a precursor to immunity and a majority of us are deficient in it. If your vitamin D reads low on the blood report, you must make every effort to boost its levels to the highest, within the range. Apart from this, signs like constant fatigue, tiredness, lethargy, injuries that take longer to heal, insomnia, depression and even dark circles under the eyes all point towards low immunity.
Too much mucous production can lower immunity. Avoiding excessive sugar, salt, processed foods and dairy can help.
- Luke Coutinho
Integrative and Lifestyle Medicine – Holistic Nutrition
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