health Saski owns and runs Limelight Fitness and is a personal trainer and sports massage practitioner By Saski Ford
www.limelightfitness.wordpress.com email: saskiford@yahoo.com
LIFESTYLE CHOICES SO MANY PEOPLE ARE WORRIED ABOUT CONTRACTING COVID-19 THAT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT HOW EXACTLY THE IMMUNE SYSTEM WORKS
T
he data collected for confirmed cases are at approximately 22.72 million people* - of those confirmed cases 794,104 have died. My belief is that those who died, died ‘with’ covid and not necessarily ‘of’ it. Probably the hardest hit are those that are elderly or have underlying health conditions - cancer patients and people with suppressed immunity, people with respiratory problems etc. I don’t think the true numbers are known of how many people have actually died of covid alone. So I feel people should realise that all the hype in the media and the scaremongering tells a very different story to actual statistics and the probability that if you catch it you will have a 99.9% chance of survival. But let’s just get this clear; you can’t fully control whether you catch a cold, the flu, or COVID-19. *https://ourworldindata.org/mortality-risk-covid
You also can’t control how your body will react once it’s exposed to a pathogen. (A pathogen is a bacterium, virus, or other microorganism that can cause disease). So how does your immune system work? If our body senses foreign substances called antigens, the immune system works to recognise these antigens and get rid of them. What happens next is B Lymphocytes are triggered to make antibodies which are also called immunoglobulins. These are proteins that attach themselves to specific antigens. Once these antibodies are made we hold
onto them in case we have to fight the same germ again. The same way that vaccines prevent us from contracting some diseases, the antigen is administered into the body without making the person poorly, but it gives the body the required tools to make antibodies that protect the person should they catch the germ.
▪ Innate which we are all born with like skin that acts as a barrier, blocking germs. ▪ Adaptive as we go through our lives our immunity develops as we become exposed to germs and diseases and also when we get immunised.
There are many different factors that determine your body’s response. Some you can impact, like nutrient deficiencies of which the When it comes to your vast majority of us have, immune system, your and others you can’t do daily actions can make anything about, all the difference like your age.
An antibody can lock onto an antigen but it can’t destroy it without the help of the T cells. T cells destroy antigens tagged by antibodies or cells that are infected or changed somehow. T cells can also trigger other cells to do their jobs, cells called Phagocytes.
Antibodies are great at neutralising poisonous or damaging substances (toxins) and they also activate a part of the immune system called ‘complement’ or the ‘complement cascade’ which is a group of proteins that help to kill viruses, bacteria or infected cells. All of these things combined offer the body protection against disease. This protection is called immunity We have 3 types of immunity: ▪ Passive like a baby borrowing antibodies from the mothers breast milk for short term immunity.
Remember, no magical supplement, superfood, diet plan, or exercise routine can guarantee you’ll stay healthy. The scientific literature shows us that there is a lot of evidence that lifestyle interventions can contribute to an improved resistance against viral infections and a reduced risk of a serious course of disease. When it comes to your immune system, your daily actions can make all the difference. Focus on constructive behaviours that might help you feel just a little bit more in control. And that could help ease the anxiety and stress that come with all the uncertainty. On the following page, you will find the 6 areas you need to be concentrating on, allowing your immune system to work to its full potential.
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