Your immune system includes organs, lymph nodes, bone marrow, white blood cells, proteins and other hormones. Its job is to fight off bacteria, fungi, parasites and viruses that could make you sick.
However, sometimes your immune system can't do its job well enough to stop or prevent a disease or infection. If you're always getting sick or end up getting one infection after one other, here's what you need to know.
Sometimes recurring infections are obvious. For example, when you keep getting urinary tract infections, you realize your body is attempting to fight the infection. But sometimes recurring infections should not so obvious.
You could also be coping with this if the next applies to you:
- A chilly or flu that seems to go away, only to return per week or several weeks later.
- More than one bout of shingles, a painful rash brought on by the varicella-zoster virus, which also causes chickenpox. When you've got chickenpox, the virus stays in your body. Shingles could cause rashes within the areas of your body where the virus flares up because your immune system isn't as strong.
- Recurrent pneumonia. This occurs when you've got had pneumonia – a serious lower respiratory infection – and recovered, but then get it again a month or more after the infection cleared up.
- Regular fungal or yeast infections. If you've gotten rid of vaginal yeast infections or fungal infections in your nails or feet with medication, but they've returned several weeks or months later, your immune system might be unable to clear the infection out of your system.
Various circumstances or conditions can result in repeated infections, including:
lack of sleep. While you sleep, your immune system releases proteins called cytokines that help fight infection and inflammation. When you don't get enough sleep or sleep well, your body produces fewer infection-fighting cells and antibodies. This increases the possibility that you simply'll get sick from a virus. It also makes it harder to recuperate again when you're sick.
Smoke. Smoking cigarettes suppresses your immune system. It also causes changes to your lungs and airways that make you more prone to get sick and make that illness more severe.
alcohol Abuse. Too much alcohol can weaken your defenses. Your immune cells is not going to work as well they usually may turn out to be fewer. Even a single binge can temporarily weaken your immune system.
Not washing your hands. Failure to clean after using the bathroom or before touching your nose and mouth can result in repeated infections. This is very true when you get frequent colds or flu. It may seem to be you've got the identical infection, but you may be infected with different viruses. That's why it's necessary to clean your hands with soap and water for no less than 20 seconds several times a day, especially before eating or touching your face.
Hereditary aspects. Some recurrent infections, reminiscent of pneumonia and bladder infections, may occur resulting from a genetic predisposition. This is an inherited tendency to get more infections than most individuals.
Structural problems. Recurrent infections can be brought on by the makeup of your body. For example, an unusually shaped urinary tract could make you more liable to infections.
Antibiotics. Taking antibiotics could cause bacteria to turn out to be more resistant, especially if used excessively or improperly.
diabetes. This could make things like vaginal yeast infections more likely. This is because high blood sugar makes it easier for yeast to connect to your vaginal cells. High blood sugar also causes other changes in your body. For example, it slows down your blood flow and prevents your nerves from working in addition to they may. This could make you more liable to recurring infections, especially in your feet and elsewhere.
Immune diseases (Doctors may call them immunodeficiency diseases) and autoimmune diseases. There are greater than 300 immune disorders. The most typical include B-cell and T-cell deficiencies. Autoimmune disorders cause your body to mistakenly attack its own tissues, making it harder in your body to fight infections. Some of probably the most common autoimmune disorders include type 1 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis, amongst others.
Multiple myeloma. This is a kind of cancer that affects the plasma cells in your bone marrow. Plasma cells make antibodies that help your body fight infections. If you've got multiple myeloma, your body makes abnormal plasma cells that make it harder in your body to fight infections.
Multiple myeloma is rare and doesn't normally cause recurrent infections.
If you've had a couple of infection up to now few months, consult with your doctor to seek out out what might help improve it.