With the rise in the cases of COVID – 19, the world is shaken. And so have the health supplement store providing enumerable pills, drinks, and what not to up your immune system and keep you away from the virus infection. So today we shall do facts check of common myths about immunity and immune system so that we are well aware of what is right for us and what is just a myth.
Myth #1: Being cold will make your immune system weak.
Fact: Probably not! Being exposed to moderately cold temperatures doesn't increase your susceptibility to infection. Yes, there is a reason as to why winter is a "cold and flu season." That is because, during the winters, people spend more time indoors in close proximity with other people who might pass on their infection to others. Since many viruses stay airborne longer when air is cold and less humid, it is but natural for the person exposed to it to pick up and have a reaction when the immunity is low. A review study done by a group of Canadian researchers came across a lot of medical studies done on the subject and conclude that there's no need to worry about moderate cold exposure as it is not harmful to the human immune system. But should you be warm when the outside temperature drops? "YES" if that is what makes you feel comfortable. But don't worry about immunity.
Myth # 2: Exercise: the only thing that can save you right now?
Fact: Regular exercise is important for healthy living. It improves one’s body conditioning while helping the cardiovascular system to function well, lower the blood pressure, control body weight and fat, and protect against various diseases. But it does not work alone to boost your immune system. It is a combination of diet and exercise which helps in keeping a healthy immune system. It may contribute even more directly by promoting good circulation, which allows the cells and substances of the immune system to move through the body freely and do their job efficiently.
Myth #3: More active your immune system, the healthier you are.
Fact: It is an open fact that anything in excess is not good. So how can an overactive immune system be too much of a good thing?
A hyperactive immune response is going to give an allergic reaction to ordinary nontoxic substances. This also is a reason for a number of major diseases like diabetes, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis.
According to the doctors, it is not known why the immune system malfunctions in people with rheumatoid arthritis. But it can be due to a mix of factors such as infections, diet, and environmental toxins since there is no concrete answer available for the specific cause of rheumatoid arthritis.
Myth #4: Taking more multi-vitamin & multi-mineral will improve your immune system.
Fact:
Till now, there is no such evidence that says that taking extra amounts of a certain vitamin or mineral while not being deficient in them will protect you or improve your immune system.
Having said that, older people are more likely to have such deficiencies so in such a scenario they should discuss with their physician and appropriately take measures.
Myth #5: Vaccines pose health risks.
Fact: The risk of an alternate or detrimental reaction from a vaccine is small when compared to the risk of dying in a car accident, one in a million for diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis, or DTaP vaccine, for example. Almost everything that we do involves some degree of risk, yet most of us don't hesitate to take a bus or ride a car.
Six ways you can lend a helping hand to your immune system!
If you didn't have a working immune system, a simple act of brushing your teeth would introduce enough harmful bacteria into your bloodstream to kill you. That’s how intelligently your immune system protects you from these common, everyday bacterial killers. It is not visible to us but, your immune system cells are constantly fighting bacteria and blocking viruses from invading your cells. Just like your heartbeat or digestion process, the immune response involuntary – you do not control it’s functioning. But there are plenty of things that you can do to help. Such as:
Hygiene - The primary line of protection is to keep germs under control by following great individual cleanliness propensities. Stop disease before it starts and abstain from spreading it to others with these simple measures:
Wash your hands with cleanser and water before planning food and in the wake of utilizing the restroom.
Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you wheeze or hack, or hack into your elbow instead of your hand.
Wash and gauze all cuts. Any genuine cut, or creature or human chomp, ought to be inspected by a specialist.
Do not pick at recuperating wounds or imperfections or press pimples. Doing so permits germs to enter.
Immunization. Numerous genuine diseases can be forestalled by vaccination. While some basic symptoms, for example, an irritated arm or low fever, may happen, immunizations are commonly sheltered and powerful. Counsel your medicinal services supplier with respect to your inoculation status. As a rule:
Children ought to get the suggested youth immunizations.
Adults should ensure their immunizations are exceptional.
Travelers ought to get any vital extra inoculations.
Sanitation. Albeit most instances of food contamination are not perilous, a couple may prompt genuine ailments, including kidney disappointment and meningitis. You can forestall most instances of food contamination in your family unit by getting ready and putting away your nourishments securely. The accompanying safeguards will help eliminate germs that are available in the food you purchase and assist you with abstaining from bringing new bugs into your food at home:
Wash your hands with cleanser and water when each time you handle a crude food.
Rinse all meat, poultry, and fish under running water before cooking. Flush all products of the soil under running water before cooking or serving them.
Separate crude nourishments and cooked nourishments, and never utilize similar utensils or cutting sheets with cooked meat that were utilized with crude meat.
Cook nourishments altogether, utilizing a meat thermometer to guarantee that entire poultry is cooked to 180° F, meals and steaks to 145° F, and ground meats to 160° F. Cook fish until it is obscure.
Defrost nourishments just in the fridge or in the microwave.
Sound travel. In the event that you are arranging an outing, inquire as to whether you need any vaccinations. Talk about your itinerary items with your doctor, in any event, three months before you leave. What's more?
If you are heading out to a region where creepy-crawly borne illness is available, take and utilize a bug repellent containing DEET. In numerous tropical districts, mosquitoes can convey jungle fever, dengue, yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis, and numerous different genuine diseases. In numerous pieces of the United States, ticks in knolls and woods convey Lyme malady or different infections.
Avoid getting any pointless shots, vaccinations, or even tattoos abroad. Needles and syringes (even the dispensable ones) are reused in certain pieces of the world.
Clean water. A few nations don't keep rigid norms of water wellbeing. On the off chance that you have any uncertainty about the food or water while voyaging, avoid potential risk:
Do not expend ice while voyaging. Freezing doesn't execute every irresistible microorganism.
Drink just packaged beverages — soda pops or filtered water — that have secure tops. Know that some organic product juices contain polluted neighborhood water.
Boil all faucet water before drinking or drink just filtered water; use packaged or bubbled water to brush your teeth.
No matter where you are, abstain from drinking untreated water from lakes and streams, which can contain sickness causing living beings from human or creature to squander. In the event that you should drink the water, carry it to a moving bubble for one moment to decrease the opportunity of disease.
Safe sex. The main approach to forestall sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) is to not have sex or another sexual contact with multiple partners.