Weak Immune System Symptoms and How to Recognize Them

If you answered yes to one (or several) of these questions, chances are that your immune health may be suboptimal. Let’s take a look at 6 weak immune system symptoms and what you might be able to do to help your body’s natural defences.

• Stress.⁴ You may notice that after a big project or a strong emotional experience you can sometimes become unwell. This happens because the body secretes cortisol (a stress hormone) which leads to immune system compromisation.⁵
• Frequent infections (cold and/or flu): Multiple bouts of cold/flu annually can be a sign of weakened immunity. When you get the flu, your immune system kicks into overdrive, heating up your body and causing a fever to fight off infection. If you go through multiple infections in a year, it is a major manifestation of primary immunodeficiency rate.⁶
• Tiredness and fatigue: If you are feeling tired no matter how much sleep you get, it could be one of the weak immune symptoms.⁷
• Drastic changes in bodyweight: If your weight is not healthy for your height (i.e. you are overweight/obese or underweight), you can have compromised immunity. Obesity negatively affects immunity, as evidenced by higher rates of vaccine failure and complications from infection.⁸ Several studies in children or adults suggest that both underweight and obesity are associated with increased infection risk.⁹
• Wounds take longer to heal:¹⁰ If you’ve noticed that minor injuries seem to be taking a long time to heal, your immune system might be weakened. The reason for this increased healing time, or even age as our immune system weakens after early adulthood.¹¹
• Tummy problems: If good and bad bacteria in your stomach become unbalanced, it can cause your immune system to go into overdrive.^{12 13}

What you can do to combat weakened immunity

Even if you’ve noticed any of the above weak immune system symptoms, it’s not all doom and gloom. If you are wondering how to increase immunity, there are some simple steps you can take to help your weakened immune system. Start forming good immune health habits now by following a few simple rules below!

• To avoid infections, wash your hands regularly with soap and warm water, or using an alcohol-based gel. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.¹⁴
• Eat a healthy, balanced diet containing lots of fresh fruit and vegetables. This will help provide your body with vitamins and minerals needed for healthy immune function.¹⁵ You can also take a supplement like Redoxon® that can help you restore healthy micronutrient levels in your body.^{16 17 18}
• Exercise regularly to reduce stress and improve circulation, both important factors for a healthy immune function.¹⁹
• Get quality sleep. Sleep has a strong regulatory influence on immune functions

• Reduce stress. If you find that regular exercise and a healthy sleep routine aren’t enough to reduce your stress levels, you can try relaxation methods like meditation or yoga.²⁰

References:

1. Andersen CJ, Murphy KE, Fernandez ML, Impact of Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome on Immunity, ADVANCES IN NUTRITION, Volume 7, Issue 1, January 2016, Pages 66–75, https://doi.org/10.3945/an.115.010207
2. https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-weight/advice-for-underweight-adults/
3. Ellis S, Lin EJ, Tartar D, Immunology of Wound Healing, Current Dermatology Reports 7(6), September 2018
4.  Morey JN, Boggero IA, Scott AB, Segerstrom SC, Current Directions in stress and Human Immune Function, Curr Opin Psychol. 2015 Oct 1; 5: 13–17.
5.  Natelson BH, Haghighi MH, Ponzio NM, Evidence for the Presence of Immune Dysfunction in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Clin Diagn Lab Immunol. 2002 Jul; 9(4): 747–752.
6.  How to prevent infections. Harvard Medical School, 2016. (Accessed 10/02/2020, at https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/how-to-prevent-infections.)
7.  Gombart AF, Pierre A, Maggini S. A Review of Micronutrients and the Immune System-Working in Harmony to Reduce the Risk of Infection. Nutrients 2020;12.