| Immune deficiency is the body's inability to fight off | | | | like when you're playing an organ recital, taking a final |
| germs that lead to disease and infection. Its ability to | | | | exam, or taking the behind the wheel test for your |
| ward off germs can vary from being slightly deficient | | | | driver's license, or giving a speech to a cast of |
| to totally ineffective. Having this condition means that | | | | thousands. Stress during these times has been shown |
| what may be a normal cold or infection for a healthy | | | | to boost the immune system. But prolonged stress |
| person becomes life threatening for a person who is | | | | without relief has been shown to eat away at the |
| immunodeficient. Here are 7 common reasons for the | | | | body's ability to protect itself. |
| occurrence of this condition. | | | | Steroids and Antibiotics-These types of medications |
| Heredity-Some people are born with an immune | | | | are very helpful to the body in some ways but |
| system that is compromised. This is called primary | | | | suppress the immune system by design or weaken it |
| immune deficiency. Their systems can lack one cell or | | | | by eliminating the problem without giving the body's |
| many cells that cause their body not to be able to | | | | defenses a chance to function naturally. Their uses |
| effectively protect itself from invasive disease and | | | | range from such benign reasons as skin infections to |
| infection. Primary deficiency may present as recurring | | | | major conditions such as organ transplants. And |
| infections, symptoms that never go away or | | | | though they are quite effective in their primary use, |
| frequent illnesses that require hospitalization. | | | | they cause the body to be a sitting duck for |
| Poor Diet and Malnutrition-Not enough food or eating | | | | infections. |
| the wrong types of food can seriously weaken the | | | | AIDS-Acquired immune deficiencies include all the |
| body's response to disease. Eating a balanced diet | | | | causes that are not heredity because you acquire |
| with fruits, vegetables, lean meat, and fish will | | | | the disease rather than being born with it. But AIDS |
| strengthen the body's natural ability to ward off | | | | has most recently thought to indicate HIV or human |
| infection. It is crucial to limit "junk" foods that are | | | | immunodeficiency virus. The AIDS virus causes the |
| over processed, high in sugar and/or fat as these | | | | body to be unable to produce antibodies that can |
| hinder the body's ability to be effective. | | | | fight off infection. |
| Lack of Sleep-Habitual lack of sleep can weaken | | | | Cancer-Certain types of cancers cause a drop in |
| immune response. Studies have shown that people | | | | white blood cell count which greatly reduces the |
| who consistently get 7 to 8 hours of sleep within a | | | | body's capability to fight off infection. Treatment for |
| 24 hour period have stronger immune systems than | | | | many types of cancer including radiation and |
| those who don't. | | | | chemotherapy kill off not only cancerous cells but |
| Stress-Acute stress happens as a normal part of life | | | | those that would normally fight off infection. |