What Weakens Your Immunity?

• Risk Factors That Weaken Immunity

• Medicines That Make You More at Risk for Illness

When I refer to risk factors here, I am referring to factors that can affect immunity; Many factors decrease immunity, which may increase your risk of developing an illness, disease or an untoward physical response. Our immune system is a GREAT thing that protects us - keeps our bodies like well-oiled machines, but sometimes it goes awry.

General Causes of a Weakened Immune System

Cases of autoimmune and allergic disease (also an immune response) are increasing every year. Andrew Wang, doctor and professor at Yale University calls it "epidemic".

There are many factors that can weaken and also "misdirect" our immune system. These include:

Biological factors - Genetics and DNA determine how the cells in your body learn to fight off foreign substances like cancer, viruses and bacteria. Sometimes, A person inherits “skewed” genes from apparent or the genes get skewed in the process of replication, and the body’s normal immune system is altered. The immune system goes “haywire” and may start to recognize good parts of your body as foreign and attack these parts (like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis), or it may start to erroneously recognize “normal” outside substances as foreign and begin to react to “wage war” against those normal substances, in turn, problems (like asthma and allergies).

Medications used to treat a physical problem can, at the same time, notably weaken the immune system. Many of these medications are meant to decrease flares set off by an overactive immune system but, while treating these, most reduce immunity to other things as well (great example: prednisone for inflammation in asthma cuts down lung inflammation and helps a person breathe but can lower a person's immune response to other things). More and more targeted medications are being developed every day to help these problems ($$$$).

While some vaccines, including the COVID vaccine, are designed to protect against severe illness, hospitalization, and long COVID symptoms, they can, in rare cases, contribute to immune suppression. On the other hand, COVID itself poses a significant risk of long-term immune-suppressing conditions. It's essential to weigh the risks and benefits to make an informed decision.

The environment: Doctor Andrew Wang, MD, PhD, a professor of immunobiology at Yale University, suggests that the uptick in immune disorders might also be related to substances in our environment. Our bodies are exposed to more adulterated foods/additives, chemicals, and pollutants, which may be altering the immune response. Great example: Since the 1950's our foods have been riddled with pesticides and/or are processed with preservatives.. He suggests that our immune system may initially react to the adulterant in food  – take the adulterant away, and the immune system may still associate the adulterant with the food and set off an immune response (even though the adulterant is gone) – It would do this by memory or association. Research is ongoing.

Psychosocial factors that weaken physical and mental vigor play a role in autoimmunity. Malnutrition, lack of hydration, lack of sleep, and lack of exercise can all contribute to a poorer immune response. As practitioners, we all know that stress is a major contributor to immune failure – it clearly contributes to “flares” by the immune system – especially notable in autoimmune diseases and in dormant viruses that suddenly become active (like shingles or herpes virus-that cold sore on your face!).

Illness and long-term medical conditions can create risk factors. Long-term inflammation due to illness can erroneously set off the immune system which, being overactive, can cause the immune system to attack healthy cells. Some bacteria and viruses, for example HIV or the Epstein-Barre virus often trigger autoimmune diseases. And some of these bacteria and viruses "trick" our immune system into misidentifying and attacking the healthy cells.

Why Am I Always Feeling Sick and Tired?

COMMON RISK FACTORS

If you have certain risk factors, you may have to avoid and do certain things (that others do not have to do) to stay optimally well. 

Do you have any of these risk factors?

Medications and Treatments that Cause Immune Compromise

• Immune-suppressant drugs, like biologics (common: Humira, Enbrel and others) and other types of immunosuppressants (methotrexate) have been used for autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and others are used to control the overactive immune system - While they help with the disease state, they also decrease the body's ability to fight other infections.

• Corticosteroids (i.e., prednisone, dexamethasone)

• Cancer medications (chemotherapy drugs, immunotherapy, targeted cancer drugs) and radiation therapy

• COVID

• Transplant anti-rejection medications

• Low dose long term aspirin therapy (possibly)

Medical Conditions that are Often Accompanied by or Caused by Immune Compromise

• Chronic inflammation (i.e., psoriasis, chronic illness)

• HIV/AIDS 

• Lupus

• Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

• COPD/asthma/emphysema/cystic fibrosis, other lung diseases

• Chronic kidney disease

• Diabetes Type I

• Congestive heart failure and cardiomyopathies

• Physical trauma

• Chronic liver disease

• Certain congenital immunodeficiencies (Immunocompromise at birth)/Genes and heredity cause primary immune deficiency diseases

• Some cancers

• Multiple sclerosis

• Sjogren's

• Psoriatic arthritis

• Vasculitis​

• Blood disorders (such as sickle cell disease)​

• High blood pressure

• COVID-19 and other viral illnesses

• Untreated hypothyroidism

  Some of these are autoimmune problems where the body mistakenly identifies certain parts of the body as foreign substances and "attacks" it. Those above like - Lupus which genetics, illness, tissue damage is ...Research is ongoing.

​Social/Psychosocial factors can cause immune compromise

• Stress, anxiety

• Alcoholism

• Obesity - Especially with a BMI of 40 or higher

• Sedentary behavior

• Cigarette smoking

• Malnutrition

• Economic issues

• Environmental factors 

• Health practices

• Older Age - Typically 65 years and over

• People in long-term care facilities

Many of the above chronic illnesses make you more susceptible to other illnesses. You want to:

1. Take optimal care of yourself - sleep, nutrition, hydration and be sure to get a physical exam every year (and sick visits as needed).

2. Speak to your healthcare provider to determine what medications would help you and how much treatment you may need for specific illnesses.

3. Help you and your primary care provider decide if you should or should not have certain      vaccinations. Risks versus benefits.

4. Have your provider help you figure out how weak your immune system might be and your predisposition to catching other illnesses ("Just how careful do I have to be?")

5. Certain lab tests can tell you where you stand in terms of immunity and help you monitor most chronic conditions. Ask your healthcare provider.

​​​​​​​​​​Please remind your healthcare provider and pharmacy if you have any of these illnesses or potential problems.

Note: People with serious immune-suppressing diseases, those on certain immune-suppressing drugs should speak to their healthcare provider before using certain probiotics.