These lifestyle habits are stealing your immunity

There are many things that weaken the immune system without knowing it all day, from how much sleep you sleep to how much sugar you eat to things you touch in the office.

　　 endure loneliness

Loneliness can cause chronic stress and weaken the function of the immune system. Pharmacologists at the University of Mainz in Germany found that loneliness affects body functions at the genetic level. It leads to an increase in pro-inflammatory genes and a decrease in genes that produce antibodies and immunity. The resulting long-term inflammation is a key mechanism for the development of chronic diseases associated with loneliness, such as atherosclerosis, cancer, and neurodegeneration.

　　Solution: Maintain social contact and communicate with others frequently, even if it is just embracing others. Psychologists at Carnegie Mellon University in the United States have found that the simple act of hugging someone can reduce stress and enhance immunity.

　　 don't like washing hands

　　The most basic advice for disease prevention is to wash hands frequently, but too many people fail to do so. A study conducted by the American Society for Microbiology found that 83% of women wash their hands after using public toilets, but only 74% of men do so. Another study conducted by Michigan State University found that 95% of people wash their hands insufficiently to kill bacteria.

　 Solution: Wash hands thoroughly after going to the toilet and before preparing food.

　　Continuously "stressed"

　　 When you continue to cope with stress, the brain will increase the production of the stress hormone cortisol, which can damage T cells, which is the component of the blood that fights infection. According to the American Cancer Society, people who experience chronic stress are more likely to get the common cold and infections with viruses, such as the flu.

　　 Solution: In contemporary society, although reducing stress is easier said than done, it is essential for mental and physical health. Regular physical exercise is a good way to relieve stress. Learning to relax, such as practicing yoga, deep breathing, and meditation, can also help.

　　I didn’t use hand sanitizer after shopping at the grocery store

　　 In an ordinary grocery store, more than half of the shopping carts carry pathogenic bacteria, such as E. coli, which can cause diarrhea, nausea and fever. Supermarket freezer handles have 33,340 colonies per square inch, which is more than 1,000 times the number of bacteria on ordinary mobile phones.

　　 Solution: Bring your own antibacterial wipes, wipe the handle of the shopping cart clean, and dry it for 20 seconds before using it.

　 alcoholism

　　A hangover is not the only way to get sick from excessive drinking. Alcohol is broken down into acetaldehyde, which is a powerful toxin. Excessive acetaldehyde hinders the lung's ability to remove microorganisms from the body and reduces the ability of white blood cells to kill bacteria and viruses. Intensive medicine scientists at the University of Maryland School of Medicine found that drinking alcohol for just one night is enough to severely damage the immune system.

　　 Solution: Men drink no more than two drinks a day, and women no more than one drink.

lack of training

　　 Preventive medicine scientists at the University of California, San Diego found that sitting for a long time can damage the body’s ability to fight infections.

　　 Solution: If you need to work at your desk often, get up and move around as much as possible. Get up and exercise every 30 minutes, such as doing stretching or taking a walk in the office.

　　Washing hands is not long enough

　　 A Michigan State University study found that only 5% of people wash their hands long enough, and 1/3 of them use soap. Not washing your hands long enough will expose you to all kinds of pathogenic bacteria and viruses, from the common cold to norovirus, to streptococcus and staphylococcus.

　　 Solution: The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people wash their hands vigorously with soap and water for 15 to 20 seconds, which is about singing "Happy Birthday" twice.

　　 Did not get the flu vaccine

　　The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all adults get the flu vaccine every year. Doing so can reduce the chance of catching the flu, which can cause serious or fatal complications, such as pneumonia.

　　The solution: get vaccinated in time before the flu season comes every year.

　　 Do not wash your hands with hand sanitizer at work

　　 The office (keyboard, telephone and desk) is a hotbed of bacteria. However, the surface with the most germs may be the drinking fountain, because every employee uses it to collect water.

　　 Solution: Put the hand sanitizer next to the desk and use it to wash your hands every time you use the water dispenser. Develop a good habit of regularly wiping desks, phones, and door handles with disinfectant wipes.

　　Abuse of antibiotics

　　 Antibiotics are used to treat infections caused by bacteria. They cannot treat viral diseases like the common cold or flu. If you often take antibiotics unnecessarily to treat viral infections, you will develop resistance.

　　 Solution: Only in the case of bacterial infection, take antibiotics under the guidance of a doctor.

　　 Touch your face after touching the doorknob

　　 Common cold and flu viruses can stay on hard surfaces indoors for 7 days. Touching your face after touching the doorknob is an exact way to get germs.

　　 Solution: When you are in public, wash your hands thoroughly or use hand sanitizer before eating, drinking, or touching your eyes, nose or mouth.

　　 overweight

　　 Obesity seriously affects the function of the immune system. Being overweight prevents white blood cells from producing antibodies that fight inflammation. In an animal study conducted by the University of North Carolina in the United States, researchers found that obese mice are 10 times more likely to die when infected with influenza virus than normal-weight mice.

　　Solution: Maintain a healthy weight by eating a healthy, balanced diet and exercising more.

　　Exercise too much

　　 This is called the overtraining syndrome: continuous exercise and no chance for the body to rest. This not only hinders the achievement of fitness goals, but also damages the function of the immune system.

　　 Solution: According to the physical condition, it is better not to feel excessive fatigue the next day.

lack of sleep

　　 When people sleep, the body goes through several processes to repair and recharge the body, one of which is to ensure the normal functioning of the immune system. During sleep, the body produces inflammatory proteins called cytokines, while supplementing various anti-disease cells and antibodies. Insufficient sleep time is the reason that some people often get colds or flu.

　　 Solution: Experts including the National Sleep Foundation recommend that adults ensure 7 to 9 hours of high-quality sleep every night. Not getting enough sleep can damage your overall health.

　　 lack of vitamin D

　　 Sufficient vitamin D content can prevent some cancers. This vitamin can also help prevent colds and flu. Immunologists at the Feinstein Institute of Medicine in New York found that people with low vitamin D levels are susceptible to infections and increase their risk of autoimmune diseases.

　　 Solution: Adults should consume 600 IU of vitamin D per day, and 800 IU for people over 70 years old. A simple blood test can determine if you are really deficient in vitamin D and to determine if you need to take nutritional supplements containing vitamin D.

　　 commuting by public transportation

　　 The rings on the bus may be harmful to health. Epidemiologists at the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom found that people who take a bus or subway to work are 6 times more likely to suffer from acute respiratory infections than people who walk or drive. Just because they met more people and got more bacteria.

　　 Solution: After leaving public transportation, use hand sanitizer or wash your hands with soap for at least 20 seconds.

　　 don't like drinking water

　　As people get older, people are more likely to become dehydrated, which puts stress on the immune system. Dehydration restricts the secretion of antibacterial proteins into saliva and cannot prevent infection. In addition, water can transport nutrients and oxygen to the cells, flush out bacteria in the bladder, normalize blood pressure, and perform other functions.

　　 Solution: Public health experts at Harvard Medical School recommend that people drink 6 to 8 glasses of water a day.

　　 ate too much sugar

　　Sugar can cause inflammation and reduce immunity by weakening the function of white blood cells (to fight infection). Most people eat too much sugar every day. The American Heart Association recommends that men's daily intake of added sugar does not exceed 36 grams, and women's intake is 24 grams.

　　The solution: reduce the intake of added sugars, such as sugary drinks, processed cereals, biscuits and cakes. Eat a variety of natural foods, fruits and vegetables, so you can get vitamins and nutrients that keep you healthy.

　　 do not clean the phone

　　 There are 10 times more bacteria hidden in mobile phones than on toilet seats. Charles Gerba, a microbiologist at the University of Arizona, tested the mobile phone and found that there were 100,000 bacteria on it. Due to the widespread use of mobile phones, viruses are now easier to move than ever before.

　　 Solution: wipe the surface and crevices of the phone with an alcohol cotton ball every day.