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S O M E T I M E S , I T ' S on red alert. O u r immune system is t h e b o d y ' s defence mechanism a n d when o u r health is threatened, it works non-stop at full power to fight off any invaders. These can be illness-causing o r g a n i s m s such as bacteria and viruses as well as cancer cells. The pressures of daily life can take their toll on our immune system. Not getting enough sleep, feel ing depressed, drinking too much alcohol or being under stress can all weaken it, leaving us vulnera ble to illness and disease. Dr Thomas Connor, a former research scientist at NUI Galway - who now works at Trinity College researching the effects of stress and depression on the immune system - explains our immune systems are mainly made up of white blood cells. These are produced in the bone marrow and are concentrated primarily in the bloodstream, lymph nodes, spleen and gastro-intestinal tract. "When the immune system functions effectively it protects the body from infection and cancers. However if it Jl ~~becomes suppressed
Giving your immune system a fighting chance
The worst stressors generally are those which suppress the immune system over a long period, he says. Of course, the impact of particular stressors on the immune system can vary from person to per son. A situation that one finds stressful may have little impact on another. In addition, people who cope better with stressful situations, thereby con trolling stress, are likely to show less immunosup pression. "Experimental studies conducted in the USA demonstrated that uncontrollable stress produces a profound suppression of the immune system. However, if the subject can control (or escape from) the stress it actually increased the activity of the immune system. In general, it is likely that long-lasting stressors such as the stress of bereave ment or of caring for a relative with Alzheimer's disease is likely to result in more illness due to immunosuppression than examination stress, which is a relatively short lived stressor." Any treatment which lessens the psychological impact of stress/depression should help alleviate any damaging effects on the immune system, he says. Treatment could take the form of antidepres sants drugs or psychotherapy/relaxation techniques. "However there are very few controlled studies that have comprehensively examined the ability of such interventions to block the effects of stress on the immune system." GOOD MENTAL HEALTH We can strengthen our immune systems in a number of ways, he says. Cultivating good mental health is important as is eating a balanced diet.
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effective, this leaves the body more sus ceptible to disease." If it becomes h y p e r a c t i v e , it can cause problems, too. T h i s can result in inflammatory and auto-immune dis eases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease and multiple sclerosis. Being stressed or d e p r e s s e d not only affects our quality of life, it a l s o plays havoc with our immune systems, says Connor. "In the same way that the nervous sys tem can alter heart rate or bowel function
in r e s p o n s e t o p s y
The worst stressors are those which suppress the i m m u n e s y s t e m o v e r a long p e r i o d , says Dr Thomas Connor a former research scientist at NUI Galway. immune cells and therefore have the ability to sup press their activity. This lowers our resistance to disease." Stress can also reduce the effectiveness of vacci nations, he says. "It has been demonstrated that in a population of college students, perceived stress and low levels of psychological well-being resulted in a diminished immune response to vaccination for meningitis C. "As well as suppressing the immune system, stress can increase the production of inflammatory chemicals known as cytokines. Overproduction of these can produce many of the s y m p t o m s of depression and can also worsen auto-immune dis eases, such as multiple sclerosis." CHRONIC STRESS While acute (once off) stress suppresses the immune system within minutes to hours, this is usually short lived and has little effect on our health. However, chronic (repeated or prolonged) stress produces a more severe suppression which persists longer. This increases the sufferer's risk of becoming prone to infectious disease. What stressors are the worst offenders? Connor says marriage break-ups, exams, bereavement and caring for a relative with Alzheimer's disease all have a negative effect on our immune system. It is not just adults who are adversely affected by stress. He says while few studies have been carried out on the effects of stress on children's immune systems, those that have indicate they too can be affected.
Certain vitamins and minerals are being studied for their beneficial effect on the immune system. Our bodies need vitamin C to make white blood cells. Vitamins A and E are also good and B vitamins help prevent stress. "Controlling diabetes is important too because elevated blood glucose and keone products pro duced in diabetes can suppress white blood cell (Tcell) responses and increase susceptibility to infec tious disease. Reducing consumption of alcohol and caffeine and eliminating smoking is advisable, as both alcohol and nicotine, and to a lesser extent caffeine, can suppress the immune system." Illicit substances like cannabis. Ecstasy, and opiod drugs, such as heroin, should be avoided for the same reason. Exercise is beneficial, according to Connor. "Recent experimental studies have demonstrated that exercise reduces the ability of psychological stress to suppress the immune sys tem." There is also evidence that good quality sleep is beneficial. It recharges your batteries and gives your body's repair system a chance to get working. Sleep deprivation on the other hand impairs the function of your immune cells. Do our immune systems change as we get older? Connor says they develop both pre-natally and throughout childhood, reaching maturity at puberty. "The immune system becomes weaker with age and this is particularly evident in subsets of white blood cells known as T-cells. This age-related impairment in these is thought to account for the increased incidence of infectious disease and possi bly cancers that occur in the elderly."
chological stress, it can also affect the immune system. This occurs because chem icals such as C o r t i s o l and adrenaline that ~~~-^by Ryans are produced by the 10-12 EGLINTON ST,| body d u r i n g stress Galway have binding sites' on ^ Tel: 091 5 6 1 8 9 8 ^