Strengthening your body’s immune response against viruses
By Dr. Kayathri Periasamy
With World Health Day 2020 falling on the 7th of April, a conversation about our immune system has never been timelier. As the entire world remains deeply affected and confounded by Covid19′, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the immune system plays a critical role in whether you recover from the virus or if you succumb to it’s symptoms. What exactly is happening in your body when you get the virus, how can you help your body stand its ground and who is at risk for a more severe infection?
People infected with the Covid19′ are shown to have extremely different experiences. Some report nothing more than symptoms of a cold while others end up being hospitalized and even dying as their lungs inflame and fill up with fluid due to Pneumonia. How can the same virus result in such different outcomes? While we can’t say with certainity, varying experiences in different countries seem to point towards the immune system as the primary cause.
Role of the immune system
As you go about life, your body is constantly blitzed by bacteria, fungi or viruses that can make you ill. A human body is an ideal environment place for these organisms to grow and thrive, offering a warm environment with plenty of essential nutrients. That’s where your immune system comes in to defend your body against these kinds of invaders. It is made up of white blood cells (lymphocytes, leucocytes), lymph glands, bone marrow and the spleen.
Changes that occur with age
With age, our immuno-response may change. There is a reduction in the production of lymphocytes and their effectiveness with it. This leads to elderly individuals not responding as robustly as the young. As we get older, our body has experienced an accumulated level of insults over time, and some of this may weaken the immune system mostly due to poor dietary practices, smoking, or excessive alcohol. Illnesses that are more common as we get older can also contribute to a deteriorating immune system such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, chronic bronchitis, cancer, myelodysplasia, auto immune disorders etc. This is why the elderly need to take extra precaution in the battle against Covid19′.
Viruses vs the immune system
Viruses are genetically simple and are everywhere. They get into our bodies by air (thanks to coughing and sneezing), via carrier insects like mosquitoes, or by transmission of body fluids such as saliva, blood or semen. The many diseases caused by viruses include the common cold, influenza, chicken pox, dengue and AIDs. On its own it cannot do anything, but when it enters the human body, it attaches itself to certain cells in the body, and uses these cell as factories to produce more its kind.
Our body responds to invasion by viruses, by prompting the lymphocytes to produce antibodies. Our body contains more types of antibodies than there are people in this world! So when a virus enters our body, it is recognised by an antibody.
During the process where antibodies help in destroying the virulents, many immune cells are activated and there is great production of certain proteins which help in the fight. This immune response storm in our body is responsible for some of the symptoms we see such as fever and chills, flushed face etc.
In some cases when the virus is completely new to the system, such as the COVID 19 which has come from animals, our immune system is overwhelmed. It does not have an antibody that quickly recognises the virus. Therefore the virus can quickly replicate and create havoc in our system (in the case of COVID 19, it attacks the lungs). But the general immune system still mounts a Cytokine storm which is now out of hand as the viruses are not dying and the inflammatory response continues. This unrelenting inflammatory response can also create complications in the body with a multi-system failure which includes the lungs, heart and kidneys.
Changing our lifestyle to combat disease
There is nothing really that can suddenly improve or increase our immune system, other than adapting a generally healthy lifestyle, which includes a diet high in fruits & vegetables, adequate water, minimal intake of oil and saturated fats in processed or junk food, regular exercise, a healthy weight, moderate alcohol consumption, adequate sleep, minimal stress, and avoiding smoking.
Bad lifestyle choices affect our body in various ways that indirectly creates opportunities for infection. For example, smoking damages the linings of our breathing track, making it easier for bacteria and viruses to get into the lungs and cause infection. Excessive alcohol and a poor diet causes deficiencies in micronutrients such as zinc, selenium, copper, iron, folic acid, vitamins C, A, B and E, and thiamine (which are all critical components in the fight against infections). Alcohol too damages our liver, a vital source of protein production to help the immune system. Stress and bad sleeping habits in turn promote other behaviours which stresses our body as equally as a poor diet, alcohol intake and smoking.
This is a time of stress but sticking to routines, taking one day at a time, and also consciously try to spend a limited time of the day thinking of the problems you need to deal with, and organise the rest of the day doing productive, and family oriented activities. This helps to make sure stress doesn’t overwhelm you and your immune system.
Particularly in combatting Covid19′, taking steps always to avoid infection is the most important survival mechanism. Washing your hands frequently with soap and water, or even sanitiser; adequate social distancing; getting into the use of masks particularly if you are a healthcare worker or are sick; thoroughly cooking meats and washing vegetables and fruits even if the virus is not transmittable this way; and disposing of used gloves & masks in a hygienic manner in a closed dustbin.
Help in the form of nutritional supplements
Vitamin C has been traditionally thought to be protective against infections such as colds and flus. However, it is a balanced diet, which contains Vitamin C, that will make the body’s immune system stronger. Suddenly increasing Vitamin C to prevent an infection has not been scientifically proven to have a positive effect. That being said, taking vitamin C during a cold or flu seems to shorten the duration of the illness. Recent reports from China have shown that very high doses of vitamin C seemed to improve the conditions of severely sick patients with CoVid19′ infections, but this fact too is yet to be backed up with extensive research. In any case, it is always advisable to take a general multivitamin with multi-minerals to fill the gaps in your regular diet.
A final note
CoVid19′ is a virus that our immune system is not familiar with, so we won’t have antibodies to fight it, and therefore we will fall sick if we catch it. So to greatly reduce our probability of falling sick with this virus, we have to prevent the virus from getting into our body by being very strict with proper hand hygiene, keeping your distance from all people, and not touching your mouth, nose, and eyes while outside just in case your hand is contaminated. It is important to note that this strict behavioural change has to continue with or without curfew, and for some time until a cure or vaccine can be found.
Eating healthy and following a generally healthier lifestyle habit, and ensuring that chronic illnesses are controlled well and thoroughly is absolutely important at this vital juncture. For example, ensure that your diabetes, high blood pressure asthma are well controlled. This is not the time to cut down on your medicines. Engage with your doctors early for regular supply of medicines.
This is a global pandemic causing a lot of anxiety, and it will no doubt cause pandemonium in the health of the people as well as the economy, the country and the world. Therefore anxiety is a normal emotion and reaction to have, but it is important that it doesn’t cripple your spirit.
(Dr. Kayathri Periasamy is a consultant physician MBBS (UK), MRCP(UK), Board Certified in Int. Medicine (U.S.A). She is the founder of Healthy Life Clinic, Colombo 03.)
