Immunity

     There are a lot of ways to ruin your immune system.  Some people never get sick.  Some people get sick all the time.  Although genetics has a big role in immunity, there are a lot of environmental factors that contribute to your immunity.  Here are some tips and tricks to grow your immunity.
Hang out with friends! Friendship may be Miracle-Grow for your immune system.  Research shows that the fewer human connections we have at home, at work, and in the community, the likelier we are to get sick, flood our brains with anxiety-causing chemicals, and live shorter lives than our more sociable peers.  In one study, researchers who monitored 276 people between the ages of 18 and 55 found that those who had 6 or more connections were four times better at fighting off the viruses that cause colds than those with fewer friends.
     Don’t be stressed!  The stress effect on immunity makes physiological sense.  It takes energy to fight infections and maintain fevers.  When diseased, our bodies reduce muscular energy output by sleeping.  Stress creates an energy battle because it requires energy to be stressed.  Stress triggers an aroused flight or fight response, diverting energy from the sickness.  This prevents your body from fighting sickness off while you are sick and before you’re sick.  A recent study correlated the more stressed you are, the more likely you are to get an illness.
     Sleep! Most adults need between 7 and 9 hours of uninterrupted rest every night, but how you feel in the morning and throughout the day may be a better gauge. If you're tired when you wake up in the morning, you're not getting enough—sleep, or maybe not enough quality sleep.  Here is a perfect example for not sleeping: college students who get sick after pulling all-nighters cramming for exams. Poor sleep is associated with lower immune system function and reduced numbers of killer cells that fight germs. In fact, University of Chicago researchers found that men who had slept only four hours a night for one week produced half the amount of flu-fighting antibodies in their blood (jump-started by a flu shot) compared with those who slept 7½ to 8½ hours.
     Don’t take antibiotics for everything. Researchers found that certain patients taking antibiotics had reduced levels of cytokines, the hormone messengers of the immune system. When your immune system is suppressed, you're more likely to develop resistant bacteria or become sick in the future.  Take antibiotics only for bacterial infections, use them right away, and take the entire course. Don't use antibiotics preventively unless prescribed by your doctor, and don't save or share unfinished courses.
These changes in lifestyle can make the world of difference for your immune system.  Socially interacting, sleep, less stress, and appropriate medicine habits can make a dramatic difference on how many times you get sick a year.  My dad taught me these skills when I was ten.  I used to get sick four times a year average.  Now, I barely get sick yearly.  I hope these tips help you as much as they helped me.
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