Like many of you, we have been reading reports of the spread of COVID-19 (Corona Virus Infectious Disease 2019) with increasing concern.
At our internal and functional medicine practice in Hood River, we’ve been thinking about how to help our community be as prepared as possible with strategies beyond hand washing and worrying. Basic public health prevention measures like hand washing, covering sneezes and coughs, staying home when sick, and frequently cleaning surfaces are all crucial and proven to be helpful in preventing spread of infections. But there is more we can do to make our bodies less hospitable to infections such as COVID-19. How we eat and live each day can boost our immune response to this or any virus.
So, what can we do? First, let’s review some basic immunology to understand how our body’s brilliant design regularly defends us from all sorts of assaults in our world.
Broadly speaking, there are two branches of our immune system to fight infections: The Innate Immune System and the Adaptive Immune System.
The Innate Immune System evolved over time and is our older defense strategy. Its purpose is to identify and remove foreign substances present in our body. This system acts quickly to target malignant cells and viruses. It also will activate our second system, the Adaptive Immune System, by presenting antigens (small pieces of a pathogen) to start the production of antibodies. These antibodies provide a short-term immune response to remove infections while also providing long-term memory to the Adaptive Immune System. This gives our bodies the knowledge to potentially fight infections in the future.
Our Adaptive Immune System helps our bodies remember a pathogen after initial exposure and helps us fight subsequent exposures to that specific pathogen. This is why vaccines work. This is one of the major problems with COVID 19: As a new virus, most people do not have this acquired, or adaptive, immunity, and therefore are more prone to getting the infection. In the estimated 80 percent of mild cases, those individuals’ bodies have mounted an adequate response to the virus and will likely have an acquired immune response to this virus should they encounter it again. Antibodies that are produced in response to an infection can be helpful in countering an infection, but it takes weeks for this system to become fully activated.
Several problems arise for people with compromised immune function — not just the elderly or frail. Other common conditions tax the immune system on a daily basis, including: Dysbiosis (bacterial imbalances within the body, most commonly, our gut), chronic inflammation, autoimmunity, diabetes and (particularly for COVID 19) lung diseases, such as COPD. For these people, the adaptive response is likely not have enough “oomph” to overcome the foreign infection.
When we age, our ability to fight infection starts to decline. The body can compensate for this decline if there are adequate numbers of white blood cells that can directly kill infected cells. These killer cells can keep a virus from replicating in our bodies. So, what can we do to help our immune system function as well as possible in the face of a pandemic?
To boost our innate immune system, including our killer cells, the following lifestyle approaches can bring great benefit to our bodies. When we feel like so much is out of our control, these are things we can do that will really make a difference during this uncertain time.
At our internal and functional medicine practice in Hood River, we’ve been thinking about how to help our community be as prepared as possible with strategies beyond hand washing and worrying. Basic public health prevention measures like hand washing, covering sneezes and coughs, staying home when sick, and frequently cleaning surfaces are all crucial and proven to be helpful in preventing spread of infections. But there is more we can do to make our bodies less hospitable to infections such as COVID-19. How we eat and live each day can boost our immune response to this or any virus.
So, what can we do? First, let’s review some basic immunology to understand how our body’s brilliant design regularly defends us from all sorts of assaults in our world.
Broadly speaking, there are two branches of our immune system to fight infections: The Innate Immune System and the Adaptive Immune System.
The Innate Immune System evolved over time and is our older defense strategy. Its purpose is to identify and remove foreign substances present in our body. This system acts quickly to target malignant cells and viruses. It also will activate our second system, the Adaptive Immune System, by presenting antigens (small pieces of a pathogen) to start the production of antibodies. These antibodies provide a short-term immune response to remove infections while also providing long-term memory to the Adaptive Immune System. This gives our bodies the knowledge to potentially fight infections in the future.
Our Adaptive Immune System helps our bodies remember a pathogen after initial exposure and helps us fight subsequent exposures to that specific pathogen. This is why vaccines work. This is one of the major problems with COVID 19: As a new virus, most people do not have this acquired, or adaptive, immunity, and therefore are more prone to getting the infection. In the estimated 80 percent of mild cases, those individuals’ bodies have mounted an adequate response to the virus and will likely have an acquired immune response to this virus should they encounter it again. Antibodies that are produced in response to an infection can be helpful in countering an infection, but it takes weeks for this system to become fully activated.
Several problems arise for people with compromised immune function — not just the elderly or frail. Other common conditions tax the immune system on a daily basis, including: Dysbiosis (bacterial imbalances within the body, most commonly, our gut), chronic inflammation, autoimmunity, diabetes and (particularly for COVID 19) lung diseases, such as COPD. For these people, the adaptive response is likely not have enough “oomph” to overcome the foreign infection.
When we age, our ability to fight infection starts to decline. The body can compensate for this decline if there are adequate numbers of white blood cells that can directly kill infected cells. These killer cells can keep a virus from replicating in our bodies. So, what can we do to help our immune system function as well as possible in the face of a pandemic?
To boost our innate immune system, including our killer cells, the following lifestyle approaches can bring great benefit to our bodies. When we feel like so much is out of our control, these are things we can do that will really make a difference during this uncertain time.
- Consider tobacco cessation, especially with this virus targeting the lungs and respiratory system.
- Get adequate sleep. Our bodies repair and replenish during sleep.
- Limit sugar, processed foods and alcohol.
- Eat real food such as fruits and vegetables rich in phytonutrients.Â
- Find the “Goldilocks” activity for yourself. Too much exercise is a stress on the body and a challenge to the immune system. Mild to moderate exercise — especially if it reduces stress — helps increase resilience and immunity.
- Manage stress skillfully. Find time to be still, or at least to check in with your worries and fears.
- Limit your extracurricular activities to those that bring the most emotional nourishment to your life. Constant busy-ness is a stress itself.
- Consider specific immune-boosting supplements if approved by your physician or health care provider.
Jeff Horacek MD, is an internal and functional medicine physician and Heather Nielsen Horacek, LPC, is a counselor and wellness coach of Healthy Connections, Hood River.
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