The immune system is a lifesaver that helps shield your body from harmful pathogens and other environmental toxins. It averts the risk of several debilitating health conditions and infections. But if a person’s immune system is weak, then they are at a higher risk of serious life-threatening illnesses.
The immune system may be weakened by unhealthy lifestyle habits like smoking, drinking too much alcohol, poor dietary pattern, stress, obesity, ageing, certain medical conditions like HIV, diabetes, cancer, or infections, or medications such as steroids, and chemotherapy drugs.
If it wrecks too often, you may get allergies, asthma, or eczema. Or if the immune start to attack the body’s own cells instead of shielding them, you may develop autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis or type 1 diabetes. More than 80% of illnesses are caused by issues with the immune system, which can cause inflammation.
Well, there are certain warning signals that your body sends on a regular basis, all you need to do is watch them before it is too late and get immediate medical help.
Warning Signs Of A Weak Immune System
Cold Hands
If the blood vessels are inflamed, it can be difficult for your fingers, toes, ears, and nose to keep them warm. The skin in these regions may turn white, then blue when subjected to the cold and once the blood flow returns, the skin may then turn red.
This condition is medically termed Raynaud’s phenomenon an immune system problem. But other factors can also make your hands cold such as smoking, certain prescription drugs, and health conditions that affect arteries.
Dry Eyes
If you suffer from an autoimmune disorder, it means your immune system is targeting the body instead of defending it. Rheumatoid arthritis and lupus are some of the autoimmune conditions.
People with the autoimmune disorder find that they have dry eyes and may feel sandy, gritty things in the eyes. Some may observe pain, redness, or blurred vision and can’t even cry when they are upset, as the eyes are totally dry.
Also Read: Autoimmune Disease: Learn What It Is About And Why It’s Hard To Detect
Fatigue
Feeling extremely exhausted, as if you have the flu could suggest that something is not going well with the body’s defences. Even a sound sleep is less likely to help and you may also have severe joint or, muscles ache.
Mild Temperature
Well, if your temperature is shooting higher than normal, it could indicate that your immune system is starting to overwork. This can happen due to an infection or flare-up of an autoimmune condition.
Headaches
In a few cases, headaches can be linked to the immune system weakening like vasculitis, which is inflammation of blood vessels caused by an infection or autoimmune disease.
Also Read: Five Common Types Of Headaches: Causes, Symptoms And Treatment
Rashes
The skin is the body’s first barrier against foreign invaders. So, how it looks and feels can reflect how well your immune system is doing its job. Itchy, dry, red skin is a common symptom of inflammation.
Joint Ache
The lining inside the joints can be inflamed and the region around it can become very tender to touch. It may also be stiff or swollen and it can happen with more than one joint and the pain worsens in the morning.
Patchy Hair Loss
At times, the immune system damages hair follicles and if you lose hair on the scalp, face, or other regions, you could have a condition called alopecia areata. Strands of hair falling out are a symptom of the autoimmune disease lupus.
Digestive Problems
The root cause of most diseases is weak gut health. Signs of a weak immune system include frequent diarrhoea, constipation, and bloating.
Also Read: 5 Best Foods To Boost Your Immune System
Delayed Wound Healing
If the immune system is weak, wounds take much longer time to heal after an inflammation, trauma, or surgery or increase the risk of infection. The body works to guard the wound by supplying nutrient-rich blood to regenerate new skin cells and the healing process depends on healthy immune cells. If the immune system is weak and sluggish, then the skin cannot regenerate thus delaying the healing process.
Frequent Infections
If you seem to get frequent infections, your immune system may be sending you warning flags.
According to the American Academy of Allergy & Immunology, signs of possible immune deficiency in adults include:
- Getting more than four ear infections in a year
- Developing pneumonia twice during a year
- Suffering from chronic sinusitis or more than 3 attacks of bacterial sinusitis in a year
- Requiring more than two courses of antibiotics a year
