The Immune System of a Champion

How strong is your secret weapon? Do you have the immune system of a warrior?!
I wanted to write a little tidbit about immune function, not just for those heading back to school, but because a robust immune system is absolutely essential for each and every one of us! Not only to keep us healthy and functioning but also because it helps our bodies to fight against some really rough things - like cancer and autoimmune conditions.

How do we know if our immune system is functioning well?

• We are not catching every bug that we come into contact with. However, we do catch some colds. 
• When we do get sick, symptoms are intense (such as a high fever) and the infection doesn’t linger.

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How do we know our immune system may need some work?

• Frequently sick OR do not ever catch a cold.
• Symptoms are mild and linger.
• Suffer from frequent viral eruptions (e.g. cold sores, herpes, warts).
• Suffer from fungal infections or yeast overgrowth. 
• Lymph nodes are frequently swollen or tender.
• Frequent skin eruptions.
• Chronic runny nose.
• Poorly controlled asthma.
• Gut complaints.
• Allergies.
• Chronic fatigue.
• Suffer from depression.
• Have been on an immunosuppressive drug long term (such as a steroid) or taken several rounds of antibiotics.

The importance of a strong immune system cannot be stressed enough when it comes to just about all aspects of our health. And as a naturopathic doctor, what I want to see is our immune function restored so that our bodies are once again able to regulate properly and take care of unwanted invaders such as pathogens or even our own cells if they start to misbehave, such as an aberrant cancer cell. The way to go about this is different depending on the individual, but I would search for the root cause of the low immunity and work at that level – often this means starting at the gut level – I would not just work at the level of the presenting symptoms. To use an analogy, it would be unwise to put out the smoke signals of a cry for help without assisting the ones who started the signal. Make sense? In the same way, it would be foolish to throw lifesavers at random into the dark if you didn’t know where the person was who was in need of assistance. 
Allow your Naturopathic Doctor to build your specific immune function back up to where it needs to be. Call for your appointment today: 604-534-9121.