The immune system is an effective weapon in order to fight the various germs and diseases that can affect a person. The immune system consists of white blood cells, antibodies, the complement system, the lymphatic system, the spleen, the thymus gland, and the bone marrow. Find out how the immune system works in your body against All kinds of germs.

You have to be aware that germs live everywhere, in the air, water, food, and in various living things, including the human body. Humans can contract it through inhalation, drinking, eating, insect bites, contact and other practices. So your immune system works to protect you from infectious agents. Infectious diseases are the main cause of death in various countries of the world, so you should learn about the different types of germs, how the immune system works and ways to strengthen it in order to prevent diseases.

The main types of germs that the immune system may encounter

viruses

A virus is an infectious agent that contains genetic material in a protein layer. In order to reproduce, viruses invade and control the cells of the body. Among the most common diseases caused by viruses are influenza, AIDS, measles, chickenpox, and corona.

bacteria

They are single-celled microorganisms that grow in a variety of environments such as soil, water, air, and even inside the human intestine. Some types of bacteria are beneficial to humans, such as acidophilus bacteria that are present in the intestines and help in the process of digesting food. Among the types of infections resulting from harmful bacteria are streptococcal sore throat, tuberculosis, cholera, and urinary tract infections.

fungi

They are organisms, including unicellular and multicellular species that live in moist and warm places, and fungi get their food from plants, people, and animals. Not all fungi are harmful, as some of them are edible, such as mushrooms and yeast. Among the diseases caused by harmful fungi are athlete’s foot and alopecia areata.

protozoa

They are single-celled organisms, like bacteria, but they are larger than them, and some of these protozoa use other organisms as a source of food and a living environment, and they often spread through polluted water. Among the infectious intestinal diseases caused by amebiasis and giardiasis.

helminths

Helminths are among the larger parasites. These multicellular organisms inhabit the intestines, lungs, liver, skin, or brain, where they survive off nutrients in the body. Examples of parasitic worms are pinworms, schistosomiasis, hookworms, roundworms, and tapeworms.

How does the immune system work in its main parts

The immune system is a system of vital processes carried out by an army of organs, cells, and particles within the organism’s body with the aim of repelling the attack of germs and protecting the body from harmful substances and cell changes that may cause you to get sick.

As long as the immune system is working efficiently, you will not notice the presence of these harmful germs and substances, but if it stops working properly due to weak immunity or its inability to fight violent germs, you will feel sick.

To learn more about this amazing weapon, you should know that there are two main parts of the immune system that work together when germs or harmful substances provoke an immune response.

The innate immune system

Which provides a line of defense against harmful germs and is often fought using immune cells such as natural killer cells and macrophages.

The adaptive immune system

As for the adaptive immune system, it makes antibodies and uses them to fight certain germs that the body has previously infected with.

Fever is an indicator of the immune system’s response to germs

One of the indicators of the immune system’s response to germs is high body temperature or fever with some infections, as fever helps the body’s repair process.

Signs of a weakened immune system

The main indicator of a weakened immune system is susceptibility to infection, and a person with a weakened immune system has a higher chance of getting infections more frequently than a person with a strong immune system. Signs of weak immunity:

• Always catch a cold.
• Suffering from abdominal problems such as diarrhea, flatulence, or frequent constipation.
• Slowed wound healing.
• Feeling tired all the time.
• Frequent infections, such as pneumonia twice a year, or sinusitis more than 3 times a year, as well as recurrent tonsillitis.
• Pneumonia, meningitis, and skin infections are among the common diseases that people who may suffer from weak immunity suffer from.

The main causes of immune system disorders

When the immune system does not work as efficiently as it should, this is called an immune system disorder, and it may be caused by:

How efficiently does the immune system work? Important tips

• Maintaining personal hygiene habits in order to protect you and others from the spread of any possible infection, such as washing hands frequently with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing, or before and after preparing and eating food, and disinfecting and dressing wounds to avoid allowing germs to penetrate your body.
• Adopting healthy lifestyles such as getting enough sleep, maintaining a healthy weight, refraining from smoking, exercising regularly, and eating healthy foods that contain vitamin C such as citrus fruits and red peppers, vitamin E such as nuts and spinach, vitamin B6 such as chicken and cold water fish such as salmon and tuna.
• Ensure food safety by following the following tips that will help you protect your food from germs.
• Wash your hands with warm, soapy water before and after preparing food.
• Wash all meat, poultry and fish under running water before cooking.
• Wash all fruits and vegetables under running water before cooking or serving them.
• Keep raw and cooked foods separate, and never use the same utensils or cutting boards for raw foods to cut cooked food.
• Cook foods thoroughly, taking care that the cooking temperature is not less than 75°C.
• Consuming food within two hours of its preparation, and in the event that it is not consumed, it is placed in the refrigerator.
• Ensure the safety of canned products and the expiry date before using them.
• Do not handle food if a person is sick or tired.

Foods that boost the immune system

If you want to boost your immune system and prevent colds and flu, you should start from today by choosing your meals that include the following:

• Citrus fruits: Most people turn to vitamin C after they have a cold. This is because it helps build your immune system. Vitamin C is believed to increase the production of white blood cells. Examples of citrus fruits are oranges, tangerines, lemons, and grapefruits.
• Red pepper: Red pepper contains vitamin C and is a rich source of beta-carotene, which will help maintain healthy skin, eyes and skin.
• Garlic: Garlic helps lower blood pressure and slow down hardening of the arteries.
• Ginger: Ginger helps reduce chronic pain, reduce nausea, sore throat and other inflammatory diseases.
• Spinach: Spinach is rich in iron and is full of many antioxidants and beta-carotene, which helps boost the immune system’s ability to fight infection.
• Yogurt: Yogurt contains vitamin D, but beware of the types of yoghurt with sugar and replace it with plain yoghurt sweetened with natural fruits or honey.
• Kiwi: Kiwi contains large amounts of nutrients such as folic acid, potassium, vitamin K, and vitamin C.
• Shellfish: Some types of shellfish contain a large percentage of zinc, such as crabs, lobsters, and mussels.
• Fish: Fatty fish contain omega-3, such as salmon, albacore tuna, and herring. Its healthy fats also prevent infections that cause heart disease.
• Poultry: Poultry and turkey contain vitamin B6
• Animal meat: red meat and dairy products contain vitamin B12.

Hence, dear reader, if you are looking for a calm life and effective resistance against diseases that may negatively affect your life, you should take care of your immune system and work to strengthen it by avoiding various factors that may affect its functions.