What Is An Immune System, And How Does It Become “Compromised?”

We are living in unprecedented times, and making sure your immune system is fit and firing is more important than ever.

However, while we are hearing much regarding keeping your immune system strong, many of us don’t actually understand what an immune system is. Where it’s located, what it’s made of, etc.

We’re going back to square one, and explaining the basics of your immune system!

Our immune system isn’t just a single organ, but rather a huge network of cells, tissues, proteins, and organs that runs all over our body!

Even if you don’t yet understand what an immune system is, most are aware of how indispensable it is to our survival.

We are constantly coming into contact with foreign cells, and our immune system’s job is to correctly identify these foreign cells from our local ones, and remove them. When our system encounters a virus, bacteria, pathogen, or the like, it mounts an “immune-response.”

Your white blood cells lead the charge!

The job of the white blood cell is to be perpetually looking for those nasty pathogens within your body.

When they find an intruder, their first action is to sound the alarm by sending out signals to other white blood cells. Once this has occurred, your white blood cells then start to multiply.

Our white blood cells reside all over the body in what are known as lymphoid organs. These include bone marrow, the thymus, your spleen, and lymph nodes.

There are two distinct types of white blood cell, and they are known as lymphocytes and phagocytes.

One of the most amazing abilities our body has to fight intruders is the ability to remember viruses should they ever return to your body. This is all thanks to the lymphocytes.

Lymphocytes have two broad categories, “B” and “T.”

B Lymphocytes are responsible for alerting T lymphocytes to intruders and producing antibodies.

T Lymphocytes are the big guns that destroy compromised cells within the body.

Innate Immunity

Your innate immunity is exactly what it sounds like… the immunity with which you were born. The natural defense system of the body.

The shields that innate immunity offer us are the first line of defense we have against cellular intruders. This portion of the immune response includes: skin, stomach acid, cough reflex, mucus, and the enzymes in your tears.

Acquired Immunity

This is the level of resistance you develop against antigens once you have been exposed to them.

Because your body has won the fight against the intruder before, it understands how to fight it again.

Passive Immunity

Perhaps the most peculiar of our three immunities, passive immunity refers to antibodies that are acquired through a body other than our own!

For example, infants have antibodies that are transferred from the placenta of their mother.

These immunities are temporary, and often disappear within a space of 6-12 months.

How is an inflammatory response different from an immune response?

When your tissue is injured in any number of ways from bacteria, heat, toxins, trauma, etc, the damaged cells start to release chemicals like histamine, prostaglandins, and bradykinin. Why?

Well, these chemicals are going to cause your blood vessels to start leaking, soaking your bodily tissues, and causing swelling. This response is what helps isolate the intruder from other parts of your body, and keeps it under control!

Once this has occurred, the process known as phagocytosis begins.

Since the foreign substance has been isolated and has nowhere to run, the white blood cells known as phagocytes can move in and (for lack of a better term) “eat” the captured intruder.

Of course, this is how your immune system works in an optimal state.

Your immune system has a lot of responsibilities when it comes to keeping you safe and healthy.

Unfortunately, there’s a lot that we do to compromise our immune system and get in our own way.

Your immune system can be impacted by a number of self-destructive habits, such as excessive drinking, smoking, irregular sleep, and poor nutrition.

Perhaps the most common cause of a compromised immune system though, is stress.

Being stressed has become such a norm for most Americans, that often we don’t even realize that we are stressed!

Heavy schedules, looming deadlines, overworking… all of these bring on a degree of stress in our day-to-day routines.

All the while, we are slowly degrading our own body’s defenses and making us more susceptible to sickness. It’s no coincidence that we often get sick in the wake of an important deadline.

So how can I properly take care of my immune system?

Well, you can start by viewing our selection of immune-boosting products on our website!

Redd Remedies has always focussed on a whole-body perspective when it comes to wellness.

We don’t just address the symptoms of a problem, but the root causes themselves! That’s why we’ve made sure that our products don’t just supply immune support, but also carry various stress-relieving properties.

Click here to start fighting stress and saving your immune system today!