Everyday habits and how you spend your free time can have a negative effect on immunity.
It should come as no surprise that washing your hands often, being fully vaccinated, getting enough sleep, and eating a healthy diet are effective ways of protecting yourself against viruses and other germs. What you may not realize is that other factors in your life could be compromising your body’s ability to protect itself.
How you spend your free time, your level of stress, how often you drink, how much physical activity you get, and even the air you breathe can take a toll on your immune system.
Stress
Prolonged periods of intense stress can affect the immune system, according to the National Cancer Institute. Stress makes the brain boost production of the hormone cortisol, which impairs the function of infection-fighting T cells, explains John Spangler, MD, a professor of family and community medicine at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in North Carolina.
Getting support from friends, setting priorities, exercising regularly, and practicing relaxation techniques like yoga and tai chi can help ease stress, says the National Institute of Mental Health.
Loneliness
Feeling lonely could impair your immune system, according to a study published in the Journal of Neuroimmunology in December 2014. The research, done on rats, found that increased anxiety associated with loneliness leads to greater suppression of the immune system and more oxidative stress, or damage caused by free radicals. Research published in Psychological Science in February 2015 suggests that simply hugging someone can have a stress-buffering effect and reduce susceptibility to illness.
Sedentary Lifestyle
Over time, too much sitting and avoiding exercise can affect your body’s ability to fight infection, according to a January 2012 study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Regardless of age, gender, and other harmful habits like smoking and drinking, a sedentary lifestyle is tied to an increased risk for premature death. Eventually, inactivity can lead to an impaired immune system, inflammation, and other chronic diseases, the study warns. Scheduling 30 minutes of regular exercise into your daily routine can help, the NIMH advises.
Too Much Exercise
Being a couch potato impairs your immune system, but the opposite extreme can also take a toll. Too much strenuous exercise, called an overtraining syndrome, can be debilitating for the body and make it more vulnerable to infection, according to a December 2012 review in Acta Clinica Croatica. But a 2014 study suggests that regular, moderate physical activity can make you less susceptible to viruses.
Nicotine
Whether you’re smoking traditional cigarettes or e-cigarettes, you’re still being exposed to nicotine, which can have harmful effects on your immune system. Nicotine increases cortisol levels while reducing B cell antibody formation and T cells’ response to antigens, explains Dr. Spangler. Vapor from e-cigarettes could damage the lungs and make them more susceptible to infection, according to the results of a study on mice published in PLOS One in February 2015. The researchers cautioned that e-cigarettes are unsafe because their vapor contains free radicals that can cause airway inflammation and impaired responses to bacteria and viruses.
Ultraviolet Radiation
Rising levels of certain air pollutants are depleting the ozone layer, increasing the level of harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun. This could lead to higher rates of skin cancer, cataracts, and weakened immune systems, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Exposure to environmental UV rays could also affect the cells responsible for triggering immune responses, increasing the risk of infection, and possibly lowering defenses against skin cancer, the World Health Organization cautions. Wearing sunglasses, protective clothing, and sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher can help, the EPA advises.
Diet
A diet high in saturated fat impairs the immune system, and salt and sugar might also have negative effects, according to a June 2014 review published in Nutrition Journal. Obesity affects the immune system by reducing the number and function of white blood cells needed to fight infection, according to a May 2012 review in Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. The American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics stresses that good nutrition is essential for a healthy immune system.
Alcohol
Even one bout of excessive drinking can reduce the immune system’s response to invading pathogens, Spangler says. “Alcohol’s major metabolite, acetaldehyde, likely impairs ciliary function in the lungs, making them more prone to bacterial and viral invasion,” he explains. Alcohol also impairs the process of attacking and breaking down bacteria and viruses, he says, and that puts people who abuse alcohol at higher risk for infection.
Grief
A sudden or tragic event can weaken your body’s immune response, according to the NIMH. Losing a loved one, for example, can boost the production of nerve chemicals and hormones that increase your risk for more frequent and severe viral infections, such as the flu, the agency says. Bereavement is associated with increased cortisol response and immune imbalance, according to a June 2012 review published in Dialogues in Clinical Neurosciences. Certain vaccines, including the flu shot, may be less effective for those coping with profound loss, according to the NIMH.
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