Before you learn how you can defend your immune system from foreign invaders, you must first understand how your immune system works. When you do this you can use several tools, including visualization and meditation techniques to improve your body’s health and ability to fight disease, no matter its origin.
Our immune systems are central to our livelihood. When we care for them properly, they do exactly as we want them to. Even if we fall ill, when we are healthy most of the time, our bodies respond by fighting diseases and bacterial agents much harder.
Since most people probably haven’t taken a biology or anatomy class for some time, let’s stop for a moment to find out how the immune system works.
It is really quite easy, easier than most people think.
Your Internal Bio-Powered Immune Fighting Machine
If we took perfect care of our bodies we would soon realize our bodies are bio-powered immune fighting machines, stronger than any antioxidant or antibiotic out there. We are made to instinctively gather food, care for our loved ones and offspring, and combat or fight against any invaders, whether visible or invisible to the human eye.
Our bodies were built to fight off infection and disease.
How do our bodies do this? It’s easy.
Let’s find out how your body works to find any type of bacterial or viral agent that may enter.
Bacterial and viral agents can enter the body many different ways. Don’t think you are safe just because you wash your hands a few times a day.
Look at the following example which illustrates in a few simple steps what happens when disease enters your body.
- Bacteria or viral organisms enter your body through touch, sneezes, physical contact or through other mechanisms. Keep in mind if someone coughs, their phlegm may spread 500 feet, meaning whatever illness they have will shower the people around them unless they cover their mouths. That is why it is so important to close your mouth and cover your mouth if you have to cough or sneeze
- Your body’s immune system receives a signal from your brain that shouts out “Time to make white blood cells!” White blood cells are the types of cells in your body that react to infection. Their job is to help create cells that fight diseases whether they are viral or bacterial in nature.
- Your body also starts producing antibodies, which are specific types of white blood cells that fight off infection. Antibodies, including IgE help fight allergies and other disorders. IgA is a type of antibody that commonly helps fight against infection.
- If your immune system is as strong as it can be, your body will send enough antibodies and white blood cells to fight any attack, no matter how severe. This doesn’t mean you won’t get sick, it means your body will do everything it can to keep you healthy. If you get sick, the chances are high you will recover much faster if your immune system is working wonders.
- It may take you a few days to recover, but most people recover from minor infections or viruses relatively easily. It may take from 7 to 10 days for the average cold or bacterial infection. Immuno-compromised patients may find it takes their body much longer to overcome something as simple as the common cold.
Now, most people do not have a fine-tuned immune system. If you had one you probably wouldn’t need to read this guide, now would you? This guide will help you “fine tune” your immune system so you have the best chances of reducing the length of an illness or preventing an illness all at the same time.
Now that you understand how the immune system works, you should learn about the many factors that influence your immune system. These are elements that may make your immune system function less optimally than you would like.
