How Do I Make My Immune System Stronger?

Questions like "how do I make my immune system stronger" are becoming easier to answer, because of growing scientific research. Sometimes discoveries are made by accident, when diseases or viruses are being studied. Some information comes to us because of studies involving the immune system and flu shot vaccines.

There is still much that is unknown about how the immune system functions. New research indicates that some diseases which had been blamed on an overactive immune system may actually be caused by bacterial infection. Thus, vaccines can help the immune system fight these diseases. Operating under the assumption that these diseases were caused by an overactive immune system, doctors have prescribed immune system suppressants. Those who have taken these drugs may often ask, "How do I make my immune system stronger?" These and other prescription drugs, including corticosteroids, can compromise the immune system, leading to frequent infections.

Research about the immune system and flu shot vaccines has taught us that injecting a weakened form of a virus into the blood stream causes anti-bodies to form, which allow white blood cells to identify and destroy bacteria and viruses more easily. Ordinarily, in healthy individuals, anytime that we are exposed to a virus and become ill, an anti-body specific to that virus forms in the immune system and flu shot vaccinations contain specific viruses believed to be prevalent for that particular season. When anti-bodies for that virus form, a process that takes about ten days, the immune system can more effectively fight those viruses. Flu shots decrease the likelihood that a person will become infected with those specific viruses, but contrary to popular belief, do not provide complete protection against all influenza viruses. In other words, you can still get sick.

Opinions vary about the safety and effectiveness of flu shot vaccines. While there is no evidence that a weakened immune system and flu shot vaccinations are related, there is evidence suggesting a link between flu shots and autism, Alzheimer's, Guillain-Barre syndrome and numerous other health problems. So, while some may believe that an annual flu shot makes the immune system stronger, others disagree.

The answer to "how do I make my immune system stronger" depends on who you ask.

Source: http://www.healthguidance.org/authors/472/Patsy-Hamilton

Patsy Hamilton

Patsy Hamilton was a health care professional for over twenty years before becoming a health writer. Currently she is writing a series of articles about type II diabetes, a subject of personal interest. Read more at http://www.diabetes-type-two-info-guide.com.

View all articles by Patsy Hamilton

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