People are taking extra precautions these days to try and stay healthy. We all know how important it is to have a strong immune system, but how can you tell if you have a weakened immune system?

One sign would be if you are constantly tired. When you immune system struggles, so does your energy level because your body is trying to conserve it’s energy to fuel your immune system so that it can try to fight off germs. 

If you always have a cold, that could be another sign. It is perfectly normal for adults to have occasional colds a couple times a year and bounce back in a week or so, as it usually takes your immune system 3-4 days to develop antibodies to fight off cold germs. But if you are constantly catching colds or have a cold that just won’t run it’s course, it could be a sign that your immune system is struggling to keep up. 

Having frequent gas, diarrhea, or constipation could be signs that you have a compromised and weakened immune system. With low amounts of helpful gut bacteria, you can be at risk for viruses, chronic inflammation and autoimmune disorders. 

Wounds that are slow to heal, could be another sign that you have low immunity. If your immune system is sluggish, your skin can’t regenerate and your wound can linger and have a hard time healing. This is because it takes longer for your body to send nutrient-rich blood to the injury to regenerate new skin. 

If you have frequent infections, this is also a sign that your immune system is low. Frequent ear infections, chronic sinusitis, pneumonia more than once in 12 months, or needing more than 2 courses of antibiotics are all signs of a weakened immune system.

And lastly, a big red flag of low immunity is the level of stress in your life. Long-term stress weakens the responses of your immune system because it decreases the body’s white blood cells that fight off infection. 

You can boost your immune system by getting enough sleep, exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy weight, eating a balanced diet which includes both probiotics and probiotics, minimizing your stress levels and not smoking.

Reference:

https://www.pennmedicine.org/updates/blogs/health-and-wellness/2020/march/weakened-immune-system

Judy is the Business Manager at Body Elite. She has been a dedicated client of Body Elite since March 12, 2015. She studied Criminal Justice in college and has a background in customer service. In addition to Body Elite, she oversees the business end of her husband’s contracting business and runs a preschool. In her spare time, Judy has stayed active with volunteer work and community service. She has 6 children, and 4 grandchildren.