Record how many illnesses you have each year to keep track of your immune health
Vicky Turner
As you hunker down under the covers with a runny nose from your third cold of the year, you might wonder if your immune system is doing its job. It’s a question we all want to answer: Is our immune system healthy? Now, an emerging field of immunology is trying to “assess” your immune system with tests, with the idea that it could help people prevent problems and motivate them to make lifestyle changes to avoid health issues.
To understand how healthy your immune system really is, let alone improve it, it’s important to first understand what it’s actually doing. Think of it as your internal army, with different units coordinating to eliminate enemy invaders while avoiding collateral damage to your own tissues and constantly adapting to new challenges.
Like a real army, your immune system can get confused, with some units underperforming and others going haywire. This can lead to serious illness.
So how do you tell if your troops are doing the best they can? Let’s start with the different components. The first line of defense comes from innate immune cells, such as macrophages, which engulf bacteria and release chemicals that trigger inflammation, making cells less resistant to pathogens.
Once a threat is detected, the second line of defense—the adaptive immune system—activates, armed with more specialized tools. B cells, for example, form antibodies that bind to the unwelcome newcomer, rendering it harmless. T cells, on the other hand, include killer cells…
