StemCell Therapy

Animals, like people, need love, security, consistency and fulfillment in living a purpose. Without those needs being met, all of us will experience sadness, disconnect and depression emotionally and physically.

Several years ago, a man visited my office with a large, 4-year-old, male Doberman. Magnum appeared healthy, but suffered from a skin condition that caused hair loss and itching.

He had previously been diagnosed with allergies and was put on prednisone, but when he didn't improve, the veterinarian advised stopping the steroids and referred his owner to my office.

At his first visit, all of Magnums blood tests, urinalysis and heart function tests were perfect. We checked his heart, because young male Doberman's are prone to a condition called cardiomyopathy, which can decrease blood flow to other organs.

Magnum was diagnosed with demodectic mites or mange. This condition is not contagious to people or other dogs. All dogs have a limited number of mites around the eye, but when the immune system is suppressed, microscopic mites can spread to other areas and become a chronic problem, causing hair loss, inflamed skin and itching, even after they've moved to a new area of skin.

Most dogs that have the problem are affected as puppies, and then, when they are through rapid growth, eating a good diet and in a stable home situation, they typically stop having mite spread.

Many veterinarians manage mites with drug therapy, but often, changing the diet, avoiding allergens and excessive vaccines (vaccinations are meant for the healthy body, so they should be given after the dog is back to normal skin/immune function), and supplementing with immune health herbs, will bring about skin healing without limited drug usage.

My staff and I treated Magnum's immune and nutritional health, and when he showed only mild improvement over three weeks, we added traditional Western drug therapy.

Unfortunately, after four months of treatment, Magnum had only improved about 50 percent. I could not find a medical reason for his lack of return to complete health.

I started to consider other reasons for poor response to treatment: an autoimmune or immune dysfunction, either acquired or genetic; environmental toxins; or chronic emotional distress/abuse.

On the fourth visit, I gained insight into the home dynamics. I happened to be outside when the owner parked his car and witnessed his verbal and emotional harshness toward both the dog and his wife. It went beyond being short tempered and having a bad day, and I suspected, but didn't witness, actual physical abuse.

The wife's and the dog's reaction to the owner were very typical of those who are in unpredictable and abusive situations.

The owner did not know that I witnessed his actions, but when he asked me why the dog wasn't improving, I suggested that among other reasons, stress at home can be reason for family members and pets to have weakened immune function.

Magnum's owner thought my idea was ridiculous. He felt that Magnum could not possibly be stressed, because he got food, water, walks and grooming. What else could he need, besides medicine to treat his problem?

Magnum, like each person and animal on this planet, needed love, security, consistency and fulfillment in living his purpose. Without those needs being met, all of us will experience sadness, disconnect and depression emotionally and physically.

If you are looking for ways to maintain your pets health, prevent cancer, allergies and other chronic immune disorders, creating a loving and consistent home life is the best foundation.

Try these tips for creating emotional wellness:

1. Create independence early in life by giving your pet a home within your home (crate), and instead of carrying new pets constantly, give them independent times in their enclosure.

2. Avoid separating puppies from the litter and their mothers too early. How early is too early? It varies with each pet, but by eight weeks most pets can adjust to their new home.

3. For pets who suffer from separation anxiety, work with a veterinarian to establish a good diet and either supplements or medications to keep the condition from escalating. At the same time, consult with a behaviorist to recondition your pet's anxiety.

4. Create a harmonious home with soothing music and limited stress. If you or other family members suffer from high anxiety, exercise, do yoga or meditation to bring your stress down a level.

5. Like children, pets need physical play time daily to keep them from getting into trouble.

6. Create exercise and stimulation for pets surrounding feeding times. Rather than putting food in a single bowl, use multiples and allow pets to sniff out their food throughout the home and yard.

In addition to creating a harmonious home, pets need to fulfill their purpose. For cats that may be hunting. For a herding dog, the purpose is to round up or herd animals or kids.

Owners should observe the natural drive an animal has and either create a job or playtime activities that allow fulfillment of that desire.

Dr. Cynthia Maro is a veterinarian at the Ellwood Animal Hospital in Ellwood City and the Chippewa Animal Hospital in Chippewa Township. She writes a biweekly column on pet care and health issues. If you have a topic youd like addressed, please email ellwoodvet@msn.com.

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Create emotional health for pets - Lifestyle - The Times - The Times

ATLANTAA protein that is critical in controlling replication of West Nile and Zika viruses and could be important for developing therapies to prevent and treat those viruses has been identified by a Georgia State University biologist and his research group.

The researchers found Z-DNA binding protein 1 (ZBP1) is a sensor that plays a significant role in triggering a robust immune response when it detects a viral infection within cells. The Georgia State study, published in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology, found ZBP1 is essential for restricting both West Nile and Zika virus replication, and that it prevents West Nile-associated encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) in mice. The absence of ZBP1 in mice leads to 100 percent mortality when infected with even a non-disease-producing strain of West Nile Virus, the study found.

Its significant because you take a virus that has never been shown to kill anything and if you block this protein the virus will just kill everything, said Mukesh Kumar, assistant professor of biology and senior author of the study. We discovered that when cells are infected with viruses such as Zika and West Nile, they respond by triggering necroptosis, a form of programmed cell death, via ZBP1 signaling. This inhibits viral replication and spread, allowing the immune system to clear the virus.

Kumar said the findings could present new treatment strategies for viruses that can infect the central nervous system by modulating ZBP1 expression. Subsequent research by Kumars team will explore effectiveness against similar viruses such as Eastern Equine Encephalitis and Powassan virus.

West Nile Virus is the leading mosquito-born disease and cause of viral encephalitis in the United States, with more than 50,000 people affected, including 480 cases reported in Georgia, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There have been 2,330 associated deaths since it first reached the country in 1999. The Culex species of mosquito responsible for spreading it is common throughout the world.

Zika, which is spread by the Aedes mosquito that has been found as far north as Florida and Texas, can cause serious neurological diseases such as Guillain-Barre syndrome, which causes the bodys immune system to attack the nervous system. Birth defects such as microcephaly, an abnormally small head and brain can result. Most people who get Zika or West Nile dont get sick thanks to the bodys natural immune response and may not know theyve been infected, meaning their cases probably dont get reported.

Of the West Nile cases reported in the U.S., nearly 50 percent invade the nervous system leading to life-threatening or -altering consequences such as encephalitis. Drug treatments are often ineffective once a virus reaches the brain, but Kumar hopes enhancing host ZBP1 expression within the central nervous system could clear the virus from the brain and prevent severe disease associated with neuroinvasive viral infections such as West Nile and Zika.

If you try to open barriers to the brain you may be making it worse, Kumar said. Thats why we try to modulate some part of the host immune response. Manipulating a host protein already inside the genome to trigger the bodys natural immune response is a better way of fighting viruses already in the brain.

Co-authors of the study included Georgia State postdoctoral research associates Hussin A. Rothan and Komal Arora. For the full text of the article Z-DNA-Binding Protein 1 Is Critical for Controlling Virus Replication and Survival in West Nile Virus Encephalitis, go to: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2019.02089/full

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Critical Protein That Could Unlock West Nile/Zika Virus Treatments Identified by Researchers - Georgia State University News

Summary

A study reports on a new way to determine who is most likely to benefit from immunotherapy. It may help explain why immunotherapy works differently in people around the world.

Since 2011, the immunotherapy drugs called checkpoint inhibitors have become an increasingly important treatment for certain cancers. This is especially true for people with melanoma and lung cancer.

Early on, investigators observed that these drugs are extremely effective for some people, even eliminating their cancer entirely. Unfortunately, they dont work at all for many others. Considerable research has tried to understand why this is the case and exactly how these drugs work.

Checkpoint inhibitors work by releasing a natural brake on your immune system so that immune cells called T cells recognize and attack tumors.

Memorial Sloan Kettering physician-scientist Timothy Chan has focused on these efforts. He is one of the corresponding authors of a study published November 7, in Nature Medicine that reports a new way to determine who is most likely to benefit from immunotherapy. The findings may help explain why immunotherapy works differently in people around the world.

Our results help solve part of the mystery of why there is such a large variation in the effectiveness of immune checkpoint drugs, says Dr. Chan, who leads the Immunogenomics and Precision Oncology Platform at MSK. Its important that future clinical trials of immune checkpoint drugs take our discovery into account. This is especially important for international phase III trials.

For decades, the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes have been known to govern how the immune system responds to foreign substances in the body. Over thousands of generations, as early humans migrated out of Africa and around the planet, they evolved variations in their HLA genes. These changes protected them from infectious organisms that were found in different parts of the world.

The classic battle between pathogens and the human immune system plays out in the HLA genes, Dr. Chan says. A 2017 study from Dr. Chan was the first to show that HLA genes are important for the bodys ability to see cancer after immunotherapy as well. That study reported that people who had a greater number of different copies, or alleles, in their HLA-1 genes responded better to immunotherapy compared with those whose HLA-1 genes had fewer alleles. The new study builds on this previous work.

To quantify how efficient the immune system is at detecting cancer, the researchers looked at the HLA genes from more than 1,500 people who had received immune checkpoint drugs as part of clinical trials at MSK and other hospitals. Most of those included in the study had melanoma or non-small cell lung cancer, but other kinds of cancer were also represented.

Study Uncovers Genetic Reasons Why Some People Respond to Immunotherapy Better than Others

Immunotherapy drugs called checkpoint inhibitors have been a game changer for some people with cancer. But for most patients, these drugs have been disappointing. Researchers are trying to figure out why.

People inherit one copy of HLA-1 from each parent. For each person analyzed, the team found that the more molecularly diverse, or different from each other, the two copies of each of their HLA-1 genes were, the more likely someone was to respond to treatment and survive their cancer. The investigators developed a novel way to measure this difference, which they call HLA evolutionary diversity (HED).

Dr. Chans co-corresponding author on the Nature Medicine paper, Tobias Lenz of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology in Germany, is an expert in the evolution of the human immune system and the HLA genes. Research fellow Diego Chowell and graduate student Chirag Krishna from Dr. Chans lab and graduate student Federica Pierini from Dr. Lenzs lab were the co-first authors.

Dr. Chan has also looked at other factors that make immune checkpoint drugs more effective. In 2014, he led the first studies finding that patients who responded to these drugs tended to have a large number of gene mutations in their tumors. This is known as having a high tumor mutational burden (TMB). When tumors have a greater number of mutations, it is more likely that they will produce proteins that the immune system hasnt seen before.

For checkpoint inhibitor drugs to be effective, the immune system needs to be able to recognize cancer cells as foreign, Dr. Chan says. High TMB and diverse HLA genes are two sides of the same coin. Both make it more likely that the immune system will see the cancer.

The researchers note in their study that high TMB and high HED are independent of each other, but the combined outcome of the two led to benefits from immunotherapy drugs that were greater than either of these effects on their own. These are the yin and yang of T cellbased immune checkpoint treatment, Dr. Chan says. High TMB is less useful if a person is unable to present the mutations to the immune system. Having a high HED allows that to happen.

Our results help solve part of the mystery of why there is such a large variation in the effectiveness of immune checkpoint drugs.

Recent immunotherapy clinical trials have begun to include TMB in their evaluation of how effective checkpoint inhibitors are, Dr. Chan notes. But among different trials, there is great variation in the role that TMB plays. No one has been able to figure out whats going on, he says. It turns out, we should also be looking at HLA diversity. This finding may account for the unexplained variation thats seen in the role of TMB in immunotherapy trials.

He adds that it may also account for the different response rates that have been observed in different parts of the world. HED can vary dramatically depending on where someone lives.

The investigators are now working to develop a standardized way to report HED, so that it can be incorporated into future clinical studies. Dr. Chans team is in the process of evaluating HED with industry partners using global phase III trial data. They hope that this measure can eventually become a regular part of cancer diagnosis and be used to match people with cancer with the most personalized treatments.

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Genetic Variations Help Explain Why Immunotherapy Works Differently in Different People - On Cancer - Memorial Sloan Kettering

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When you're feeling icky, getting your grub on might be the last thing you feel like doing but you have to. Certain foods are particularly high in vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that help support a healthy immune system or will ease some of your nastiest symptoms. Take a look at the best foods to eat when you have the flu or even just a bad cold.

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1Yogurt

Fun fact: 70% of your immune system is housed in your gut. Thats why keeping yourself healthy or getting yourself back there when youre sick is partially reliant on what you feed it, says Elizabeth Shaw, M.S., R.D.N, nutrition expert and founder of ShawSimpleSwaps.com. The good bacteria (translation: probiotics) found in foods like yogurt can help keep your gut bugs in balance, one key to a healthy immune system and you!

2Salmon

Loading up on omega-3 rich salmon can help you battle the cold and flu in two ways. For one, omega-3 fatty acids are ant-inflammatory, meaning they help fight the inflammation thats rampant in our bodies whenever were hurt or sick. And, research also suggests that the compound may help ease anxiety, says Shaw, a stressor that can hamper your immune system.

RELATED: Do You Have a Cold or the Flu? Here's How to Find Out

3Strawberries

Oranges get all the vitamin C glory and while they do contain a good amount of that immune-boosting antioxidant strawberries actually contain more. Just one cup delivers nearly 99% of your daily value. Since winter isnt their season, look for them in the freezer section of your supermarket.

5Pomegranate

These ruby red arils are packed with more antioxidants than what youll find in antioxidant superstar green tea. The juice (try POM Wonderful) has them too just be mindful of how much youre swilling, since youre getting lots of sugar without the beneficial fiber you get when you eat the whole seeds.

6Red Bell Peppers

Heres another produce pick that outshines the already antioxidant robust orange. A medium red bell peppers contains nearly double your daily value of vitamin C, says Shaw. Despite being called a vitamin, vitamin C actually behaves like an antioxidant and supports the production of infection-fighting white blood cells.

7Bone Broth

No, this isnt just a foodie fad. Bone broth is made using more bones and cartilage than regular stock is made from, so you get a concentrated dose of all the essential vitamins, minerals, and amino acids that help nourish and heal, says Shaw. If you need some flavor, simmer it with anti-inflammatory and infection-fighting ingredients like ginger, garlic, or cayenne for an extra immune boost. Try two quality brands: Osso Good and Bare Bones.

8Hot Tea

A cup of steaming tea can help soothe a scratchy throat and warm you right up. Look for a tea blend with spices like cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger, which can all help loosen congestion that comes with a cold or the flu. Green tea is another smart choice its high in polyphenols, a powerful type of antioxidant.

RELATED: What to Eat When You Have a Cold, According to a Nutritionist

9Garlic

This flavor enhancer has anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties, meaning it may help fight off the infection thats making you sick, and quell the resulting inflammation. Add it to salad dressing, soup, pasta, stir fries, or roasted veggies for a tasty immune boost.

10Wild Blueberries

Just like the name suggests, wild blueberries arent cultivated, which means theyre higher in anthocyanins, a potent antioxidant that gives them their striking color. Since blueberries arent in season during the height of cold and flu time, head to your grocery stores freezer aisle.

11Citrus

Winter is citrus season, so take advantage of the bounty by enjoying vitamin C-filled picks like oranges and grapefruit. To get the most benefit, eat the whole fruit, which also contains gut-regulating fiber.

12Honey

This sweet syrup contains antioxidants to bolster your immune system, and it can also help tame a stubborn cough by soothing the back of the throat and breaking up hack-inducing mucus.

13Ginger

If the flu has your stomach feeling queasy, incorporate ginger into your diet. Its known to help ease nausea and calm inflammation, says Shaw.

14Broccoli

These little green trees are known for their fiber content, but one cup of raw broccoli delivers nearly 100% of your daily value of vitamin C. The nutritional benefits are far more superior if eaten raw or minimally cooked (such as steaming), says Shaw. Add them raw to a salad, use them as a dipper for hummus, or toss raw florets in a flavorful dressing for a standalone side.

15Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Not only does olive oil pack anti-inflammatory properties, some studies show it may also have anti-microbial ones, too, says Shaw. Drizzle it everywhere on eggs, salads, meat, fish, veggies, or a slab of fresh whole grain bread.

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Best Food for Flu - What to Eat When You Have the Flu - GoodHousekeeping.com

Ageing is inevitable at least for now. As we get older, we become increasingly aware of the importance of healthy life choices to prevent disease and promote wellbeing.

We can do this through good eating and exercise, but we can also enhance our wellbeing with the use of herbs.

HERBS TO HELP DIGESTION

Bitter herbs are useful for digestion. The bitter taste stimulates receptors in our mouth, which increases the production of saliva, gastric juices and bile, all of which contain digestive enzymes to break down our food.

Gentian and yarrow are well known bitter herbs, but those that are more easily accessible to the home gardener are rocket, dandelion greens, endive and radicchio. Eat them in a salad before your meal to aid digestion.

READ MORE:* 5 healing native herbs and how to grow them*The science behind super-herb,mnuka*Kawakawa: herbal healing from the bush*Herbs to help you combat stress & anxiety* 10 reasons to grow sage

ACHIM, DEIMLING-OSTRINSKY/STOCKF

Dandelion, sorrel, rock and watercress.

Hepatic herbs are herbs that aid the liver. Oneof particular value is milk thistle (Silybummarianum), its active constituent beingsilymarin.

Silymarin acts as an antioxidant. Studies have also shown thatsilymarinhas significantly increased the life expectancy of individuals with liver cirrhosis and liver cancer. Silybum marianum is a pest plant in New Zealand, so supplements are necessary, but this herb may be very useful for healthy ageing, as our liver function declines.

To help soothe the stomach, demulcent herbs those rich in mucilage are effective. When infused in cold water, the mucilaginous gel lines the gut and formsa protective film, cushioning it from irritants, reducing muscle spasms, and helping to soothe inflamed tissues. Demulcents are useful for inflammatory conditions such as gastritis, enteritis, ileitis and colitis.

How to make the perfect cup of herbal tea.

Slippery elm, marshmallow root and liquorice are excellent demulcents that soothe the gastrointestinal tract if inflammation is present.

Hoheria, a New Zealand native plant, also acts as a demulcent.

To lower inflammation further, herbs such as chamomile (my favourite) and lemon balm are helpful. These can be made into a tea to be sipped on throughout the day. Slippery elm may decrease the absorption of medications, so take it at least two hours before or after taking medications.

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Thyme has an essential oil, thymol, an antiseptic that can help ward off colds and flu, and soothe sore throats. It's also used in commercial mouthwashes. Try thyme for relieving colds, sore throats and coughs as well as to help clear mucus in the upper respiratory tract. It has also long been used to relieve tonsillitis and inflammation of the mouth. Combine it with sage to make a gargle at the first sign of a sore throat or to alleviate coughs. Use 3-12g of dried thyme each day; infuse in freshly boiled water and drink during the day, or use to gargle. In the garden, thyme likes a sunny spot in free-draining soil.

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German chamomile is well known for its healing properties. Its gentle nature makes it useful for treating a wide range of childhood complaints, including restlessness, teething and colic. Adults, too, can enjoy a cup of chamomile tea to ease stress, anxiety and irritability. Chamomile has sedative properties, but it's also antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic. It can be used in salves or compresses to soothe sores, rashes and other skin conditions, or in steam baths to calm nerves, clear congestion, alleviate bronchitis, sinusitis and hayfever. Just steep a handful of dried chamomile in a bowl with boiling water, put your head over the bowl and cover with a towel. In the garden, chamomile prefers an open, sunny area but will grow in part shade. Harvest flowers when just or very nearly opened. If left on the plant too long, they will taste bitter.

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Peppermint has a wide variety of medicinal uses, but it's especially good for gut and bowel problems as it helps expel gas and stop gas build-up. It's also used to treat headaches, nausea, morning sickness, diarrhoea, and anxiety associated with depression. Make a herbal steam inhalation to help clear congestion and soothe sinus inflammation, or sup on peppermint tea for upset stomach, to aid digestion and ease anxiety. Carry sprigs of peppermint with you when travelling for sniffing, to prevent motion sickness. In the garden, peppermint is a hardy perennial that grows 30-60cm. It spreads by sending out runners, so keep it contained in large pots. Soil should be moist but free-draining. Excess moisture around the root zone can lead to fungal diseases.

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Lemon balm has mild sedative and mood enhancing properties, and is a common home remedy to treat insomnia, stress, anxiety and depression. It is also traditionally used to ease nausea, settle an upset stomach and relieve gas. Its antiviral properties speed up the healing of cold sores. To make a relaxing tea, loosely pack a teapot with fresh leaves, add boiled water and steep for 10-15 minutes. Drink up to 3 cups a day. Or make a salve as per the instructions above. You can also make a poultice from the fresh leaves to soothe sores, minor cuts and insect bites. In the garden, lemon balm is a perennial that grows 60-80cm, dying down in winter. Plant in moist, free-draining soil in sun or part shade.

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Comfrey has been used for centuries to reduce swelling and bruising, and heal superficial wounds. Also known as knitbone, it was once thought to mend broken bones. It also has anti-inflammatory properties. To make a comfrey poultice for bruises and sprains, pick 6-7 leaves and roughly chop. Use a mortar and pestle to grind the leaves. Add enough boiling water to make a thick paste. Apply directly to the skin or spread the mixture between two layers of cotton or gauze in the size that you want your poultice to be. Apply to the skin. Wrap with cloth. Replace with a fresh poultice after a few hours. In the garden, comfrey will grow in sun or part shade, and any cut or damaged piece of root will regrow. Confine it to one area and dig in plenty of compost or aged manure.

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Calendula is known for its skin-healing properties. It is said to hasten cell growth, so it's seen as ideal for treating infections, abrasions, cuts, rashes, scalds and small wounds. Calendula is also anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and inhibits bleeding. Make a tea from the fresh or dried flowers, then soak a clean cloth in the infusion. Wring it out and place over rashes, scalds or wounds. Or make a salve. Fill a glass jar with calendula flowers (leave them to wilt for 12 hours before using), screw on the lid and put the jar in a warm room out of sunlight for 4-6 weeks. Turn the jar upside down once a day. After 6 weeks, strain. Put 100ml calendula oil and 15g beeswax in the top of a double boiler, and heat gently until the beeswax has melted. Remove from the heat and add 10-20 drops of essential oil (chamomile essential oil is a powerful anti-inflammatory; lavender is antimicrobial and soothes the skin). Pour into small, clean pots. In the garden, calendula likes a sunny spot in free-draining soil.

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Sage has antifungal and antibacterial properties that have contributed to its reputation as a healing herb. It is used in tonics for sore throats, infected gums and mouth ulcers. To make a gargle, combine sage with a little cider vinegar, or honey and lemon, and steep in boiling water. Historically, sage has also been used as a tonic for the brain, and studies today show it may well be beneficial. British scientists found that sage improved the mood and memory of healthy adults, and adults with mild to moderate Alzheimer's showed significant improvement in cognitive functions after using sage for four months. Sip on sage tea throughout the day to calm the nerves and stimulate the brain -- ideal for those studying for exams. Sage tea is excellent for women suffering from night sweats and hot flushes too. Combine it with alfalfa (Medicago sativa) for a potent remedy. Studies have shown the two herbs are extremely effective together. In the garden, sage likes a sunny spot in free-draining soil. Water young plants frequently until established.

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Mullein is said to be antibacterial, anodyne (relieves pain) and anti-inflammatory. Mullein leaves can be used to treat coughs. They contain mucilage, which acts as an expectorant and soothes irritated mucous membranes. Harvest leaves before the flower stems appear, bruise slightly and steep in boiled water for 10 minutes. You can also try a steam bath and inhale the steam to relieve congestion. In the garden, mullein is a biennial. It produces flowers in its second year.

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Yarrow has antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antispasmodic properties. It has traditionally been used to staunch bleeding, reduce fevers (it opens your pores and induces perspiration) as well as ease tight muscles and spasms. To help stop bleeding, grab a handful of leaves, rub them to release their juice and pack onto minor cuts. Or make a tea from the fresh or dried plant, soak a clean cloth in the infusion, wring it out, and put over the wound. To stop a bleeding nose, insert a bruised leaf into the nostril. When ingested, yarrow is said to help alleviate indigestion as well as stimulate bile flow and liver function. Take it at the first sign of a cold. Yarrow has astringent properties, and may help dry up and expel mucus from the respiratory system, as well as reduce inflammation in the nose and throat. To keep yarrow on hand all year round, dry leaves and flowers, and grind to a powder. In the garden, yarrow loves a sunny spot in well-drained soil.

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Aloe vera is used in its raw form to treat burns, bites, blisters, cuts, ulcers, inflammation, rashes, eczema and psoriasis. The gel within the plant contains bradykinase, salicylic acid and magnesium lactate, which help reduce inflammation, pain and itching. The gel is also said to speed up wound healing, promote cell and tissue regeneration. The easiest way to use it at home is to slice open a leaf and rub the gel onto minor burns, sunburn and cuts. However, when exposed to oxygen for prolonged periods, the gel oxidises (much like an apple browns when the flesh is exposed to air) and loses its potency. Use the gel within 2-4 hours after cutting. If you only require a small amount of gel, just cut off what you need. If you've cut a whole leaf from the plant but only use a small amount, snip off what you need from the leaf and wrap the rest in clingfilm and store in the refrigerator. When it comes to using it again, cut the used end back to the undamaged tissue, then cut off another piece to use. Harvest leaves from plant that are at least three years old as the active constituents are higher in mature plants. In the garden, grow aloe in sun and protect from frosts.

CARDIO-FRIENDLY HERBS

The risk of heart disease rises with age. While herbs cannot replace fast-acting, life-saving pharmaceuticals, they may be beneficial for many of the chronic degenerative conditions that are associated with ageing.

Cardiotonic herbs are helpful. In herbal medicine, hawthorn is the number one herb for cardiovascular ailments, with the leaves, flowers and fruit all being used. Hawthorn contains powerful antioxidants, and these antioxidants may help dilate blood vessels, improve blood flow and protect coronary arteries from damage.

Studies suggest that hawthorn may help sufferersof angina, which is caused by reduced blood flow to the heart. Most studied are Crataegus oxyacantha, Crataegus monogyna and Crataegus laevigata. Crataegus oxyacantha is one of the two species medicinally recognised in European Pharmacopoeia (which provides reference standards for medicines in the continent) and is used in the treatment of numerous heart conditions, including hypertension, atherosclerosis, angina and abnormal cardiac rhythms.

If you can find a hawthorn plant with berries (they fruit in late summer to autumn), pick and dry them and use them to make a simple tea. Alternatively, use the leaves and flowers.

To make a tea, infuse up to a 1.5 to 3.5gof dried berry, leaf or flower a day (people with heart conditions who are taking medication should consult their doctor first).

HERBS TO BOOST YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM

The older we get, the more susceptible we become to disease and infection. This is because the immune system, a network of cells, tissues and organs that work together to shield the body from attacks from a hostof organisms, declines in function as we age. This has the potential to generate several problems.

One such problem is the clearing away of senescent cells in the body. Senescent cells are cells that have stopped dividing but refuse to die despite programmed cell death. A function of the immune system is to hoover up these cells; if they remain behind, they cause chronic inflammation and accelerated ageing. As we get older,this process is compromised.

Enter Astragalus membranaceus. One of the mostpopular herbs in traditional Chinese medicine, it's used for a variety of purposes, including immunoregulation the control of immune responses between lymphocytes and macrophages (macrophages clean up senescent cells). But it also has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antihyperglycemic, anticancer and hepatoprotective (protects the liver from damage) properties, and can increase telomerase, an enzyme that extends the telomeres of chromosomes (longer telomeres are good; shorter telomeres are associated with ageing).

So as far as beneficial herbs for ageing go, astragalusis a superstar. You can make a tincture of the dried roots or use it in teas.

And the great news is, Kings Seeds now sell astragalus seeds. This hardy plant grows best in well-drained soilin full sun. Harvest the roots in autumn after three years.

There are many herbs that support healthy ageing.Take the opportunity to explore their usefulness, and then, if you can, grow them in your own backyard so you can make use of them easily.

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Herbs to aid digestion, heart health & immune system - Stuff.co.nz

Abstract

Changes in the gut microbiome caused by antibiotics can impair immune responses to influenza vaccination.

Many facets of the immune system have been shown to be affected by the bacteria that live on us and within us. However, the mechanisms of these effects remain unclear, especially in human immunology. Prior investigations highlighted the potential impact of commensal microorganisms on vaccine responses but have left many questions. Hagan et al. recruited a cohort of healthy adults (n = 22) and vaccinated for influenza (on day 0). Half of the participants were pretreated with antibiotics (day -3day 1). Hagan et al. measured the effect of antibiotics on gut microbiome with a stool 16S rRNA sequencing time course. Antibiotics led to a significant decrease in stool 16S rRNA and lipopolysaccharide stool (proxies for microbiome content in the stool) and altered microbiome community members; these recovered slowly. There was not a significant impact of antibiotics on influenza responses. This cohort had high baseline influenza titers, so Hagan et al. recruited a second group with 11 additional participants with low baseline influenza titers. This cohorts antibiotic-treated group again showed a decrease in microbial quantity and diversity but also showed a decrease in immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) and IgA against one of three influenza strains. There was no clear impact on proportions of B cell subsets or T follicular helper cells. Antibiotic treatment alone yielded increases in inflammatory pathways and decreased serum secondary bile acids. Systems analysis of the entire dataset highlighted connections among the microbiome, levels of related metabolites (i.e., secondary bile acids decreased with antibiotic treatment), the subsequently increased inflammatory response (e.g., AP-1), and impact on vaccine responses. H1N1-specific IgG1 titers and secondary bile acids were both affected by the altered gut microbial community post-antibiotics, although seemingly by separate mechanisms. Continuing to delineate connections among the microbiome, metabolome, and immune response in additional, larger cohorts is fundamental to moving toward a mechanistic understanding of the impact of the microbiome on the immune system. Beyond that, given the durable impact of initial influenza exposure on subsequent influenza immune responses, it will be fascinating to study these questions in children, especially in infants before initial influenza vaccination.

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Antibiotics bug the immune response - Science

JERUSALEM, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) Israeli researchers found differences between females and males immune systems, which may explain why women are less ill than men, the Ben Gurion University (BGU) in southern Israel reported Thursday

The findings, published in the journal Nature Communications, may lead to accurate prevention, diagnosis and treatment of illnesses, with personalisation and reference to the patients gender. Men and women differ in many genetic, physiological, and social traits, but most body systems, except the reproductive system, function quite similarly.

In the study, the BGU researchers used gene expression data from 11 types of immune cells from male and female mice. Surprisingly, in one of the cell types, called macrophage, significant differences between males and females were found.

The main difference was in genes associated with interferon protein response in females, compared with males. This finding indicates some immune activity in these cells, only in females. The results suggest that the activity of the female immune system defends faster and more strongly against infectious agents.

While men tend to have infectious diseases more frequently and severely, womens immune response is stronger, and they recover better from injuries and live longer. On the other hand, this pre-activity also increases the likelihood of an over-reaction that may lead to autoimmune diseases, where immune system failure causes immune cells to attack cells in different body systems.

While All4Women endeavours to ensure health articles are based on scientific research, health articles should not be considered as a replacement for professional medical advice. Should you have concerns related to this content, it is advised that you discuss them with your personal healthcare provider.

Author: ANA Newswire

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Women have a more effective immune system than men - Research - All4Women

Flu vaccination prevents millions of flu-related illnesses and deaths annually, but vaccination rates are low for many reasons.

During the 2018-2019 flu season, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that about 45% of U.S. adults received the flu vaccine. While this is an increase of 8 percentage points from 2017-2018, it falls way below the national goal of 70% of American adults receiving a flu shot.

One of the common myths that leads people to avoid the flu shot is that they think the shot will give them the flu. But that is simply not true. The virus in the vaccine is not active, and an inactive virus cannot transmit disease. What is true is that you may feel the effects of your body mounting an immune response, but that does not mean you have the flu.

I am a nursing professor with experience in public health promotion, and I hear this and other myths often. Here are the facts and the explanations behind them.

Influenza, or the flu, is a common but serious infectious respiratory disease that can result in hospitalization or even death. The CDC estimates that during a good flu season, approximately 8% of the U.S. population could get the flu. That is roughly 26 million people.

Each year the flu season is different, and the flu virus also affects people differently. One dangerous complication of the flu is pneumonia, which can result when your body is working hard to fight the flu. This is particularly dangerous in older adults, young children and those whose immune systems arent working well, such as those receiving chemotherapy or transplant recipients.

Historically millions of Americans get the flu each year, hundreds of thousands are hospitalized and tens of thousands of people die from flu-related complications. During the 1918 flu pandemic, one-third of the worlds population, or about 500 million people, were infected with the flu. Since that time, vaccine science has dramatically changed the impact of infectious diseases.

The cornerstone of flu prevention is vaccination. The CDC recommends that everyone 6 months of age and older who does not have contraindications to the vaccine, receive the flu shot.

And just as the polio vaccine wont give a child polio, the flu vaccine will not cause the flu. Thats because the flu vaccine is made with inactive strains of the flu virus, which are not capable of causing the flu.

That said, some people may feel sick after they receive the flu shot which can lead to thinking they got sick from the shot.

However, feeling under the weather after a flu shot is actually a positive. It can be a sign that your bodys immune response is working. What happens is this: When you receive the flu shot, your body recognizes the inactive flu virus as a foreign invader. This is not dangerous; it causes your immune system to develop antibodies to attack the flu virus when exposed in the future. This natural immune response may cause some people to develop a low-grade fever, headache or overall muscle aches. These side effects can be mistaken for the flu but in reality are likely the bodys normal response to vaccination.

And the good news is these natural symptoms are short-term side effects compared to the flu, which can last much longer and is more severe. It is estimated that less than 2% of people who get a flu shot will develop a fever.

Also, people often confuse being sick with a bad cold or stomach flu with having influenza. Influenza symptoms can include a fever, chills, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, fatigue and headaches. Cold symptoms can be similar to the flu but are typically milder. The stomach flu, or gastroenteritis, can be caused by several different bacteria or viruses. Symptoms of gastroenteritis involve nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

Some people do get the flu after they have received a flu shot, but that is not from the shot. It can happen for a couple of reasons.

First, they could have been exposed to the flu before they had the shot. It can take up to two weeks after receiving the flu shot to develop full immunity. Therefore, if you do get the flu within this period, it is likely that you were exposed to the flu either prior to being vaccinated or before your full immunity developed.

Second, depending on the strain of the flu virus that you are exposed to, you could still get the flu even if you received the vaccine. Every year, the flu vaccine is created to best match the strain of the flu virus circulating. Therefore, the effectiveness of the flu vaccine depends on the similarity between the virus circulating in the community and the killed viruses used to make the vaccine.

If there is a close match between the two, then the effectiveness of the flu vaccine will be high. However, if there is not a close match, vaccine effectiveness could be reduced. Still, it is imperative to note that even when there is not a close match between the circulating virus and the virus used to make the vaccine, the vaccine will still lessen the severity of flu symptoms and also help prevent flu-related complications.

Bottom line: You cannot get influenza from getting the flu vaccine. As someone who has treated many people who do get the flu, I strongly urge you to get the shot.

Now read: Flu season 2019 looks bad so fight it with these 10 proven treatments

Libby Richards is an associate professor of nursing at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind. This was first published by The Conversation Why the flu shot cannot give you the flu (and why you should get one now)

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This claim about the flu shot is all wrong - MarketWatch

A protein associated with pregnancy is linked to disease severity and frequent exacerbations in people with bronchiectasis and chronic chest infections (that are mostly caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa), a study suggests.

Bacteria could be hijacking a bodys natural process to shield themselves from the immune system, and persist in the airways, according to researchers at the University of Dundee. Therefore, approaches that boost the immune system could be successful against chronic respiratory infections, the team said.

The data were presented at the recent European Respiratory Society (ERS) 2019 International Congress, in Madrid, and described in the study Pregnancy Zone Protein is Associated with Airway Infection, Neutrophil Extracellular Trap Formation and Disease Severity in Bronchiectasis, which was published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

Pregnancy zone protein (PZP) is a powerful inhibitor of the immune system. It is produced by men and women but its blood levels are higher during pregnancy, when it is believed to suppress the immune system to protect the fetus from being rejected.

Although work in mice suggested that PZP increases susceptibility to viral infections, the protein has not been reported in the airways or studied in chronic respiratory disease.

People with chronic lung diseases are far more likely to get regular chest infections. Despite this fact, we find that the bodys normal mechanisms for dealing with infection doesnt work properly in those situations, which leaves patients trapped in a vicious cycle of coughing and spluttering from frequent chest infections, James Chalmers, PhD, professor at the University of Dundee and lead author of the study, said in a university news release, written by Grant Hill.

To investigate whether PZP could be associated with airway infections in bronchiectasis and other lung diseases, the researchers took samples from 124 people with bronchiectasis and 40 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and analyzed the concentrations of PZP in their sputum (coughed-up mucus) and blood.

They found that PZP was present in sputum samples from people with COPD or bronchiectasis and those with chest infections, but not in healthy people.

Also, higher levels of PZP in the sputum were correlated with bacterial infections, mainly caused by P. aeruginosa.

Higher sputum PZP levels also correlated with greater disease severity, more frequent infections, reduced lung function, and quality of life as assessed by the Quality of Life Bronchiectasis Respiratory Symptom Score and with a higher amount of bacteria in the airways.

Consistent with these observations, treatment withantibiotics reduced PZP production in the airways of patients with bronchiectasis and chest infections.

A more detailed analysis revealed that a type of white blood cell, called neutrophils, was responsible for the release of PZP in the airways of patients.

In response to infections and other triggers, neutrophils launch a defense system called neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), which can immobilize invading microorganisms. In vitro experiments showed that neutrophils alsorelease high concentrations of PZP, and confirmed the presence of this protein within NETs.

We report a novel link between airway infection, NET formation, and disease severity in bronchiectasis during chronic airway inflammation, the researchers wrote.

We were surprised to find PZP in the lungs, but this might explain why people with chronic lung disease cannot clear these infections easily. We believe that the bacteria are hijacking the bodys natural processes during pregnancy, activating the production of PZP, and shielding themselves from the immune system, Chalmers said.

These findings present a new opportunity to treat those people with the most severe types of chest infection, by kickstarting the bodys natural defense mechanisms, and helping break the vicious cycle of chest infections, he added.

Ana is a molecular biologist enthusiastic about innovation and communication. In her role as a science writer she wishes to bring the advances in medical science and technology closer to the public, particularly to those most in need of them. Ana holds a PhD in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Lisbon, Portugal, where she focused her research on molecular biology, epigenetics and infectious diseases.

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Patrcia holds her PhD in Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases from the Leiden University Medical Center in Leiden, The Netherlands. She has studied Applied Biology at Universidade do Minho and was a postdoctoral research fellow at Instituto de Medicina Molecular in Lisbon, Portugal. Her work has been focused on molecular genetic traits of infectious agents such as viruses and parasites.

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Bronchiectasis Severity Linked to Pregnancy-related Protein, Study Finds - Bronchiectasis News Today

Shana Tatum

By Shana Tatumstatum@wellness-collaborative.com

As we begin the fall season, pumpkin spice flavors are not the only thoughts that fill our mind. Cold and flu season may preoccupy our attention as well.

Most know the dread we feel when that scratchy throat or the drippy nose symptoms appear. It can slow us down and put a kink in our day-to-day activities. However, just as most of the points shared here in this column, there are many preventive measures to take to avoid having a season filled with colds or the flu.

If you are a regular reader of The Leader, you know I put great weight on good sleep hygiene. Practicing this nightly sets you up for a stronger immune response. In fact, recent research shows that during sleep, certain parts of the immune system are activated. One study demonstrated that people sleeping seven hours per night were shown to be 200 percent more likely to catch a cold than those who slept eight hours per night. Good, long sleep is of high importance, especially if a cold has already begun.

In addition to good rest, there are some foods that are beneficial to include in the diet to enhance the immune system.

Old-fashioned chicken soup

Its the kind our grandmothers made. Hydrating broth made with chicken bones contain amino acids rich in glycine, proline, lysine, alanine, arginine and valine. Soups like this provide needed protein and hydration during times of healing. Minerals and vitamins found in carrots, celery and onion further support the immune system in intervals of illness. Old-fashioned chicken soup also is an easily digestible soup.

Garlic

Long known for its antimicrobial properties, garlic (allicin) can help fight against infection, reduce inflammation and even may be a guard against tumor formation. Its use dates back to 400 BC and has been used by many cultures worldwide. It is a common ingredient in much of todays cooking.

It can be used minced or roasted whole in recipes for added flavor. If using garlic in your cooking is new for you or you fear the dreaded garlic breath, start slow. Add whole cloves to soups or stew-like meals. You may also find garlic in the refrigerated produce section pre-minced and in a jar.

As a health remedy, add the juice of one lime, a cup chopped onion, 1-2 cloves of minced garlic and cup water in a blender. Mix well and drink daily when cold-like symptoms appear.

Foods rich in Vitamin C

Vitamin C, also known as L-ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin. Foods high in Vitamin C act as an antioxidant to combat stress in the body. It is an immune booster and a key ingredient to include in your medicine pantry. It serves as a main structural protein of skin, cartilage and blood vessels and is rapidly depleted with physical and emotional stress.

If taken regularly before a cold strikes, it has been shown to reduce the duration of the virus.

Examples of foods rich in Vitamin C include orange and tomato juice, red bell peppers and strawberries.

Ginger

Ginger belongs to the family Zingiberaceae. Through a recent boating adventure in Kauai, I saw firsthand how ginger helps ease motion sickness. Sailors for generations have praised its properties and distant cultures have employed the root for the immune-boosting benefits. With much of the immune system housed in the digestive tract, it is no mystery that gut and immune health may both see improvements with the powerful flavorings of ginger.

An easy ginger tea can be made with boiled water, ginger root, lemons and raw honey.

Thankfully, Mother Nature provides much of the immune system support we need every day. Whether it is the powerful phytonutrients and antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables or the inflammation-reducing compounds found in herbs and spices, we can look to our daily meals to fully nourish us.

By getting good nightly sleep, avoiding excess alcohol and managing daily stress, be it physical or emotional, we can strike a balance that supports optimal wellness and keeps illness at bay. My hope is that you try some of these tips to stay well this cold and flu season.

To your health!

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The writers husband with their baby girl.Creditvia Jancee Dunn

When I was pregnant, my husband and I made a habit of fondly addressing my growing belly. As obsessive first-time parents, we had read the research that bonding with your baby is linked to everything from a more robust immune system to deeper infant sleep to better cognitive and emotional development. We reasoned that it couldnt hurt to start the process while she was still in the womb. As she grew bigger, I fancied that when I talked to her, she moved around more enthusiastically. Were communicating! Already, we have a mystical connection!

I longed to meet her. I counted the days.

As is so often the case, things didnt go as planned during delivery starting with the doctors discovery that the umbilical cord had snaked around the babys neck, requiring an emergency C-section.

[Read our guide on what to expect from a Cesarean section.]

I wasnt at all prepared for the intensity of the operation the tugging, the cutting, the jets of blood onto the protective sheet. In a daze, I heard my daughter cry for the first time.

A smiling nurse materialized. Do you want to hold her? she asked.

I blinked at her. Not really, I thought. My adrenaline was surging. The brightly lit operating room was jammed with people. My body was shaking uncontrollably (a common occurrence, although researchers dont yet know the precise cause).

All I wanted to do was lurch off the operating table and hide somewhere.

I cant do it, I croaked.

The nurse nodded, and put Sylvie into the eager arms of Tom, who fell swooningly in love.

As I recovered in the hospital and then returned home, I expected that at any minute, my maternal feelings would flow, and wed resemble the enraptured moms and babies I saw in diaper cream ads.

Instead, for the first few weeks, I felt the same fuzzy disconnect as I held and fed her. When I brought this up with our pediatrician, she ran through the symptoms of postpartum depression constant crying, feelings of dark dread and hopelessness that impede your ability to care for the baby and determined I didnt have it. Still, I felt steeped in shame and guilt.

[How to recognize and seek treatment for postpartum depression]

Its time for moms to let that go, said Dr. Susan Lareau, M.D., assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Magee-Womens Hospital at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Some people feel an amazing, instant connection, and some think, Huh, theres a baby, she said. And thats O.K., too. We see this a lot in the hospital. Many women just need the first few hours, or days, to recover, be it a C-section or a difficult vaginal delivery. Theyre too tired to think of anything other than I want to go to sleep.

However one arrives at parenthood, from adoption to surrogacy, those feelings are normal, said Dr. Alexandra Sacks, M.D., a New York City reproductive psychiatrist. The process of becoming a mother, she said, is profound and exhilarating and triggering and a million different things that are nuanced for people.

A small but notable 2014 study published in the journal BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth revealed that distress states among new mothers feelings of detachment and the shock of the new were less severe than postpartum depression but were nonetheless difficult. In a 2018 meta-analysis, Norwegian researchers found it was common for mothers to have a gap between expectations and reality, and the sense of detachment from the child, and ensuing guilt and shame.

But the societal pressure to instantly adore your offspring is intense. Dr. Sacks ticked off a few factors that shaped my delivery room experience, among them how you relate to pain, how you relate to attachment and beginning relationships, how you experience feeling out of control, how you experience something youve never done before. Its incredibly personal.

Dr. Sacks frequently refers to the concept of matrescence, a term coined by medical anthropologist Dana Raphael in the 70s to describe the seismic shift a woman undergoes from womanhood to motherhood. Its body, mind and hormonal, with all these subcategories like sociocultural, financial, interpersonal, she said.

Katie Shea, a 32-year-old venture capitalist in Manhattan, felt this transition acutely when she had her first baby in January and didnt experience an immediate connection. I just felt very disconnected from my old me, and like I was mourning a really fun chapter of my old life, she said. My husband and I were coming from this awesome, newly married independence where we would meet each other for a drink after work to managing a new chapter in our lives that was very tactical and regimented. I felt like I was in the same room with my husband, missing my husband.

It didnt help matters that Shea was being bombarded with texts and calls from well-meaning friends, saying, Isnt this the happiest youve ever been? Theres nothing that compares to this type of love! Shea wasnt there yet: I was like, I guess, she said.

Elle Wang, 33, a partnership adviser at the United Nations in New York who lives in Long Island City, Queens, was surprised by her adjustment period when her son George was born in March, five weeks early.

Not only were she and her husband physically separated from their son in the newborn intensive care unit, which caused her tremendous anxiety, but she felt emotionally unprepared for the suddenness of his arrival.

Everything happened so quickly that I was thrown into this role immediately, said Wang, who was on maternity leave when we spoke. And it took me quite a few days to kind of come to my senses and think, This is my baby. You think its going to be this magical thing, but I think it takes people longer to really connect to the level that movies and TV shows actually project. Its not often immediate, but people dont want to admit that.

Meredith F. Small, Ph.D., a professor of anthropology at Cornell University, said that bonding is not instantaneous, but a process. Most women have a long labor, and theyre exhausted and overwhelmed, she said.

Attachment takes time, Dr. Small said, and there are many parents who do it much more slowly. You know, we believe in love at first sight but thats between two adults, and that doesnt happen very often. Attraction happens instantly, but real, deep, connected, forever love in an instant? Extraordinarily rare, she said with a laugh. And human infants are not necessarily very attractive when theyre first born.

Dr. Small added that deeper parental instincts are still at work. Chances are that the evolutionary push to protect that baby would still be there, she said. Even if you dont feel that close and youre wondering, Why is this baby here? if someone came in and tried to hurt that baby, youd have a different response.

During those first few weeks, on the advice of my pediatrician, I made skin-to-skin contact with my baby as often as possible, and I constantly carried her close to me in a sling. I gave Sylvie massages on the recommendation of a neonatal nurse, which several studies show can strengthen your connection.

Finally, while feeding her one morning, a feeling of warmth so intense it almost knocked me over engulfed me as we gazed into each others eyes.

Shea had a similar experience. A newborn might not seem to recognize us immediately, but when her daughter Lillie started smiling at four weeks, that feedback loop, that reciprocation, was my total light switch moment when I fell in love, she said.

Wang said connection wasnt instantaneous for the whole family. It took me some time. It took my husband some time. It took the baby himself some time! The baby needs a moment, too. And I think if we have an honest conversation about it, it can save some people heartache.

So, ditch the guilt. A heartening new Lehigh University study found that when caregivers respond to their babys need for attention, they need only to get it right half the time to provide a secure base for baby. As study author Susan S. Woodhouse, an infant researcher, put it, You dont have to be perfect, you just have to be good enough.

Theres no lost time, said Dr. Sacks. Those first few moments, or days, are not paramount in your relationship with your child. Your relationship is about a much larger story than a few days.

Jancee Dunn is the author of How Not To Hate Your Husband After Kids.

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I Didn't Bond With My Baby Right Away - NYT Parenting

Cancer myths irritate me. Not only because they fly in the face of scientific research, but also because they prey upon people who are just trying to do their best to live a healthy life.

These myths start to get especially dangerous when they might affect someones response to a cancer diagnosis, so I reached out to some researchers at the ICR to find out which myths bug them the most. Here are the top 13:

There are many types of cancer which you are more likely to develop if someone in your family has had them, but a very small number of cancers are inherited. There is lots of research looking into genes which might identify those at higher risk of developing cancer, and whether this risk affects other people in the family.

But the overwhelming majority of cancers are caused by changes to your DNA that happen over the course of your lifetime, in response to changes in your environment or the ageing process.

Cancer is easy to kill. If you put some cancer cells in a dish and pour some bleach on them, they wont survive for very long. Pouring bleach on some bacteria growing in a petri dish would have much the same effect, but we dont take bleach when we have an infection, for the same reason we dont take it when we have cancer.

The reason finding cancer treatments is so hard is because cancer cells are just normal cells which have turned malignant. Anything that kills a cancer cell is therefore likely to kill your own healthy cells as well. The ideal cancer drug is selectively toxic it will only harm the cancer cells and leave your own cells unscathed.

While older chemotherapy treatments are famously difficult for patients and come with a whole host of nasty side effects, modern research is focused on developing smarter, kinder treatments.

Many of these treatments focus on training your immune system to spot cancer cells and fight them, or therapies which target the genesthat have caused the cancer in the first place.

While some older cancer treatments may not be as kind as more modern therapies, they dont make cancer worse.

Cancer is very much a real disease. Theres not a whole lot else to say on this one. Watch this video of a patient affected by the ICR's research:

The theory behind this myth is that excessive exposure to radiofrequency energy from cellular phones causes cancer. The basic cause of cancer is damage to your DNA, a discovery that was made at the ICR.

But there is no evidence that radiofrequency waves cause DNA damage, which is what leads to cells becoming cancerous, so the pylons/mobile phone myth simply doesnt add up. Radiofrequency waves are nowhere near as strong as other types of radiation like x-rays or UV, which can break the chemical bonds in DNA.

If youve ever heard someone suggest that childhood leukaemia is caused by radiowaves or pollution, Professor Mel Greaveshas published research which shows that there is a clear, biological cause of the disease.

You can read more from Professor Greavesin this blog post which tackles more myths about the causes of leukaemia.

Not dissimilar to the mobile phones myth above, this one stems from a belief that the radiofrequency waves in microwaves can somehow increase the incidence of cancer.

But just like mobile phones, the radiofrequency waves are much too low in energy to cause the damage to DNA which leads to cancer.

Vaccines prevent disease by exposing the immune system to small, often inactive, amounts of infectious material that help it recognise the real disease when it comes along.

There is no link between vaccines and an increased risk of cancer. Cancer patients cant receive vaccines when undergoing treatment, since their immune systems are usually weakened by these therapies and vaccines require someone to have a functioning immune system in order to work properly.

There are actually two vaccines which can protect against cancer the HPV and HBV vaccines. The HPV vaccines prevents against the Human Papilloma Virus, which is linked to cervical, anal, throat and other cancers. The HBV vaccines protects against the hepatitis B virus, which can cause longterm damage to the liver and increase the risk of liver cancer.

Some people think that its possible for an injury to cause cancer you may have heard anecdotes about someone being involved in a car accident who later goes on to be diagnosed with cancer.

Injuries often require thorough medical examinations including imaging like x-rays and MRIs, and these scans can reveal cancers which were already present before the accident happened.

So while it might seem like the two are related, they usually arent. Some types of cancer, like myeloma, can also cause weaknesses in bones, making them more likely to break, or increase your likelihood of severe bruising, which may lead you to see your doctor who then go on to spot the cancer.

This myth is incredibly pervasive, to the point that some people have 'alkylisers' installed on their kitchen sinks in the hope that drinking alkaline water will reduce their risk of developing cancer.

The story goes that cancer can only grow in an acidic environment, so by eating alkaline foods, you can change your bodys pH and thereby eliminate your risk of cancer.

Except that you cant.

The tumour microenvironment which is the area of cells and tissues that directly surrounds a tumour tends to be acidic. Each organ and tissue in your body has its own optimum pH range in which it functions best, and your body has incredibly tightly regulated systems to make sure the pH never goes outside of this range.

You cannot change the pH of your body by eating alkaline foods. The first place anything you consume goes is your stomach, which is a nice big bath of pH 2 hydrochloric acid.

Yes they do. Sharks get cancer at a rate much lower than humans, but they do still get the disease.

This myth is one of those pervasive ones that is repeated by all kinds of people and the general idea seems to be that if sharks dont get cancer, there might be something about them which holds the key to curing or preventing the disease in humans.

There is some evidence that cartilage is antiangiogenic this means that it prevents the development of blood vessels. Cancer needs blood vessels to be able to grow and thrive, so the theory goes that if sharks are made of mostly cartilage, they wont have the kinds of bodies that can support the growth of tumours.

Its an oversimplification, and sharks do get cancer.

We can learn lots about cancer by studying which animals get it and how it develops you can read more about that in this blog post.

No, you dont need to clean your glasses, you did read that correctly. You may not have heard about vitamin B17 and thats becauseit doesnt exist.

Vitamin B17, also called laetrile, is touted as an alternative therapy for cancer, but there is no evidence that it works. Its a manmade version of a chemical found in lots of different plants, and it contains cyanide.

There is no reliable evidence that it works as a cancer treatment or as a treatment for anything else. Its not available for sale in the UK or Europe, due to lack of evidence of its effectiveness.

If there is, wed love to hear about it! The big issue with this myth is of course the notion that cancer is one disease, and it can be cured by any one drug or treatment. The reality is that cancer is an incredibly complex and varied disease. It always has its basis in genetics, but there is a world of a difference between rhabdomyoscaroma and neuroblastoma.

Categorising cancers into groups which have common characteristics helps researchers know where to focus, and helps clinicians know which treatments are likely to be most effective.

So there is no one cure for cancer, because cancer is not one disease.

While eating a healthy, balanced diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables is important to maintain good overall healthand has been linked with reduced cancer risk, no particular food item can be singled out as having a significant impact in either preventing or treating cancer.

News headlines occasionally report that 'X food fights cancer' but these are usually extrapolations of the real research.

While I do love the idea of scientists shooting blueberries out of a cannon at cancer cells growing in a dish, the reality is usually that one single chemical compound from one type of plant is methodically tested to assess its ability to selectively kill cancer cells, and the research is then published in the academic literature.

Not as jazzy, but still very important work!

Sadly, there is still a long way to go when it comes to improving cancer treatments, and its a myth that we wont still lose people to the disease. Scientists and clinicians are making leaps and bounds when it comes to researching cancer, its causes and potential solutions to fight it.

The ICRs new Centre for Cancer Drug Discoverywill focus on trying to outsmart cancer as the disease evolves to adapt to the latest treatments, and the pace of developments in artificial intelligence means were always taking steps forward in beating the disease.

Ill be taking about 30,000 steps forward on 13 October in the Royal Parks Half Marathonto raise funds for the ICR and Ill be keeping the devastating truths of cancer in my mind every step of the way.

To support Joanne and donate to the ICR, please visit her fundraising page:

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Science Talk - Debunking 13 common cancer myths - The Institute of Cancer Research, London - The Institute of Cancer Research

At the British Neuroscience Association (BNA)s Festival of Neuroscience in April 2019, we were lucky enough to sit down with some influential neuroscientists to discuss their work. Weve assembled these transcripts into our BNA Interview Series. Here, in our final interview of the series, we talk to Professor Ed Bullmore, who splits his time between academic research at the University of Cambridge and industry research with GSK. Professor Bullmore was at the conference outlining some of the evidence that connects inflammation and depression, and the possibility that the immune system could be targeted as part of future antidepressant treatments.Ruairi Mackenzie (RM): Could you outline the link between inflammation and depression?

Ed Bullmore (EB):Well I think the first thing to say is that inflammation and depression go together, so they co-occur; theyre correlated with each other. That, I would say, is beyond reasonable doubt. You can look at two kinds of evidence for that association. You can look at people who have an inflamed body, who have a major medical inflammatory disorder like arthritis or psoriasis or inflammatory bowel disease and ask the question, is that associated with an increased risk of depression? And it is, very robustly. You can also go to people who have depression but dont have an obvious medical inflammatory disease, you can take a blood test and you can measure the inflammatory state of the immune system in a more sensitive way and you can show a very consistent trend and people have shown this over multiple years and multiple studies that on average, people with depression have slightly but significantly increased levels of inflammatory proteins in circulation compared to healthy controls. So, those two bits of evidence I think put it beyond reasonable doubt that there is an association. The question then is about causation. What drives that association and what is the evidence that inflammation and depression are not just kind of going together but one is driving the other, particularly inflammation driving depression.RM: Whatisthe evidence that inflammation is the driving factor behind depression?

EB:There is a lot of evidence from animal studies. If you make an animal inflamed, you will change its behavior so that it looks as if it might be depressed. You can change their social behavior, their interaction with other animals, they are less likely to drink sweetened water, more likely to drink plain water as if they have lost the capacity for pleasure. There are various other sleep and behavioral changes that you can see in animals that look depressed but perhaps the most convincing evidence comes from studies in humans and one thing that you would predict, if inflammation caused depression, then you might expect to find examples of inflammation preceding or anticipating depression because cause precedes effect. If you look, there is evidence for that too.So if you look at long term follow up studies, epidemiological studies, it has been shown that if you are inflamed but not depressed at one point in time then over follow up you are more likely to be depressed than the people that were not inflamed originally. So theres that kind of evidence. You can see in patients, for example, that have got hepatitis, a viral infection of the liver, if you give them an inflammatory treatment to cure their hepatitis, about a third of them will become depressed.RM: Really? Thats really fascinating, that last piece of evidence. Do you see that over time that if their inflammation goes away for whatever reason, they are less likely to become depressed?

EB:Im not sure that thats been so certainly studied, but what I think is pretty clear is that inflammation can precede depression and that, I would say, is a necessary condition for inflammation to be causal.RM: Depression is an immensely complex condition so different risk factors will have different contributions. Are there any firm numbers on what is the significance of this contribution to depression versus other factors?

EB:Well I think its very important, as your questions is suggesting, were not talking about inflammation explaining every case or experience of depression, but based on blood test measurements, it looks like about a third of people with major depressive disorder might also be inflamed and then you think about all the people with so-called comorbid depression, people with arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease. In rheumatoid arthritis, for example, about 25% of those patients are significantly depressed. So, its quite a big chunk of people. Its not everybody, but its a lot of people, I think.RM: Rheumatoid arthritis and some other conditions which involve chronic inflammation, they dont just impact our bodies but also our social lives. It might make it harder for people to leave the house and socialize with friends and obviously social isolation is also a risk factor of depression. Are there studies or have there been observations made that isolate the two?

EB:No, is the short answer. I mean, I think particularly depression, fatigue and other psychological symptoms have been woefully under investigated, in my opinion, in arthritis and other medical conditions. We need to do much more. The traditional explanation is more what you might call a sociological explanation. Youre depressed because youre thinking about arthritis, because of the impact that it has on your life. It might make it more difficult for you to interact with friends, you may feel gloomy about what the future holds. Are you going to end up in a wheelchair? How is it going to impact on your mobility in the long term? Thats the traditional explanation, and I wouldnt claim that those psychological mechanisms are not at all relevant to the link between depression, arthritis or other inflammatory diseases but I think its important that we allow the possibility that there could be other explanations. There could be a more direct mechanistic link between the autoimmune disease, the inflammatory disease and the body in these patients and their altered mental state.RM: Have there been studies into immunocompromised populations; are they less likely to become depressed?

EB:Its an interesting idea. No, Im not aware that there have been studies looking at immunodeficiencies. I would say there is an opportunity for a lot more work to be done at the interface between mind and body, particularly in what you might traditionally regard as non-psychiatric disorders, and that could include immunodeficiency syndromes as well as autoimmune disorders like arthritis.RM: Are these inflammatory effects isolated to just depression or are there other conditions that are associated?

EB:I think the existing evidence is strongest for depression but if you delve into the literature there is quite a strong story about psychosis in some cases, psychosis being associated with a different kind of abnormality of the immune system. There is a small percentage of patients with a first episode of psychosis who have high levels of autoantibodies. Antibodies that are directed against the bodys own proteins, particularly the glutamate receptor. The anti-NMDA antibody is associated with psychosis and thats an interesting story that people are exploring. I think the other area where there is a lot of interest is neurodegeneration, Alzheimers disease, for example. People are increasingly interested in the idea that when the plaques and tangles of amyloid and tau protein form in the brain, maybe the immune system sees those abnormal proteins as if they were germs, as if they were antigens, and that stimulates an immune response, an inflammatory reaction in the brain which could be damaging to nerve cells and could contribute to neuronal loss and psychological deterioration. So, a lot of companies are interested, I think, in developing new anti-inflammatory treatments to arrest the rate of progression in neurodegenerative disorders.RM: Do these studies look at immune populations specifically within the brain or in the rest of the body as well?

EB:Well its much, much easier to look at the immune system in the rest of the body than the brain. You can get a pretty good read on the immune system from a blood sample but that doesnt tell you anything about the microglial (immune cells resident within the brain) status, for example. I think its one of the key challenges for the field is to develop better biomarkers of brain inflammation. We have very limited options now. You can take a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sample and you can measure inflammatory proteins and a few immune cells in a CSF sample but a lot of patients with depression arent going to go along with that. What else have we got? Well you can use various imaging techniques, structural MRI, functional MRI. There are changes in those markers associated with altered levels of peripheral inflammation but the signal itself is not very specific to the immune system. The most promising approach I think, is going to be developments using positron emotional tomography (PET) where you can get a tracer into the blood that will bind to a specific target in the brain and there has been quite a lot of work looking at PET markers that allegedly are specific to microglial activation which have shown increases in Alzheimers disease and also in depression. If you talk to people in the field, I think everybody agrees that the existing PET traces of brain inflammation are better than nothing, but theyre not as specific or sensitive as we want them to be. So I think thats an area where I will hope to see progress over the next few years, is development of better neuroimaging tools for central inflammation.RM: Thinking about the next few years, as a final question, what do you think the future of depression treatment looks like?

EB:Well, what I really hope is that we get away from this idea that depression is just one thing, that everybody is depressed for the same reason and that one day there will be a panacea. That there will be a drug or a psychological intervention thats going to make everybody happy, cure depression for everybody. I think thats been the mindset for a lot of drug development in the past and I think we need to move on from that. Psychiatry, I hope, will catch up with the rest of medicine. The rest of medicine doesnt treat symptoms as if they are all the same, the rest of medicine looks for the causes of symptoms and it tries to treat those causes. So my hope for the future of depression is that we will get to a place where we are beginning to identify causes, we are beginning to get cleverer about identifying which patients are depressed for which particular reason and more precisely targeting treatments to the individuals most likely to respond because their depression is caused by some factor that is responsive to the treatment in question. That kind of more personalized, precise approach is, I hope, where we will get to.RM: Will this strategy involve just pharmacological interventions or also other therapies?

EB: Absolutely, I think thats a very important point. You know, as you have mentioned I work also at GSK and come at this really from the point of view of wondering whether, by focusing on the immune system, could we find the next generation of antidepressant drugs, but the science of neuroimmunology, the interaction between the brain and the immune system, I dont think means that the treatments have to be pharmacological. I think there is a lot of interest in vagal nerve stimulation as a treatment for depression. We know that vagal nerve stimulation often has anti-inflammatory effects. There is a little bit of work in the literature there could be more showing that, for example, meditation has anti-inflammatory effects and so there are a lot of ways in which the immune system could be dampened down or controlled. Diet is another obvious example a lot of inflammation might have its origin in the microbiome could you be effective with a dietary regime change that might alter the microbiome, make it less provocative to the immune system? I think these are all hopes for the future.

Professor Ed Bullmore was speaking to Ruairi J Mackenzie, Science Writer for Technology Networks. Interviews have been edited for length and clarity.

Excerpt from:
BNA Interview Series: Exploring the Inflamed Mind With Professor Ed Bullmore - Technology Networks

Kaitlin A. Davis and Andrew Mehle discuss the research and context behind the new PLOS Pathogens Pearls article, Does rotavirus turn on type 1 diabetes?.

There is a growing appreciation that viral infections can have long lasting impacts, well after the original infection has been cleared. One example is the proposed connection between childhood infections with rotavirus and the subsequent development of type 1 diabetes. As highlighted in a PLOS Pathogens Pearls article this month, new evidence supports this correlation and suggests that vaccination against rotavirus may contribute to a global decrease in type 1 diabetes prevalence among young children. This surprising effect of vaccination could be the first example of primary prevention of type 1 diabetes, something not currently possible.

Rotavirus, a member of the Reoviridae family, is a major cause of infantile diarrheal disease worldwide, accounting for over 215,000 deaths annually. In a powerful demonstration of the positive effects of public health campaigns, mortality associated with rotavirus infection has substantially decreased since the introduction of rotavirus vaccines. Now, multiple studies have described an associated decrease in type 1 diabetes incidence following vaccination.

How might rotavirus infection be tied to the development of type 1 diabetes? Type 1 diabetesis an autoimmune condition characterized by the destruction of beta cells in the pancreas by the bodys own immune system, leading to the functional absence of insulin While there are some genetic determinants of type 1 diabetes, the precise triggers of this autoimmune disease are not fully understood. Interestingly, portions of proteins on the surface of beta cells that are recognized by T cells the killers of the immune system are strikingly similar to a rotavirus capsid protein called VP7. Both the beta cell protein and its viral doppelganger VP7 are able to stimulate similar T cell responses, and this response can be observed in both humans and animals following infection and vaccination. Previous studies have directly linked rotavirus infection to the production of antibodies associated with diabetes in young children, and similarly, infections in mice have been linked to pancreatic cell death and hyperglycemia. Perhaps rotavirus infection trains the immune system to accidentally target beta cells.

Rotarix [GSK] and RotaTeq [Merck] are the most routinely used rotavirus vaccines, administered in the first six months of life. These vaccines include HLA-mimic VP7 sequences and were fully introduced to communities worldwide from 2006-2008. In studies from both Australia and the United States spanning this time period, type 1 diabetes prevalence decreased coincident with vaccine introduction. In Australia, reported by Perrett, et al., the number of new cases of type 1 diabetes among children 0-4 years of age decreased by 15% following the introduction of rotavirus vaccines. Excitingly, this finding was recapitulated in an American cohort, where a 33-37% reduction in the risk of type 1 diabetes was observed following completion of a rotavirus vaccine series. Thus, if rotavirus infection is a trigger for the development of type 1 diabetes, preventing infections by vaccination would not only reduce viral disease, but have the added benefit of reducing type 1 diabetes. This is exactly what is reported in these new studies and summarized in the PLOS Pathogens Pearls article.

While trends are common between these two diverse studies, there are likely additional factors that contribute to protection. An analysis of a Finnish cohort reports that associations between rotavirus vaccination and type 1 diabetes incidence were inconclusive. This may in part be due to sample size variability between the studies, but also highlights the role of geographical and environmental differences in immunity. Rotavirus mortality and vaccine efficacy are known to vary significantly by country and environment, and similarly, factors promoting type 1 diabetes incidence are likely to be diverse. If the associations outlined in these studies hold true for multiple groups and persist as children age, these findings could outline at least one ubiquitous factor that affects type 1 diabetes development worldwide.

About the Authors

Kaitlin A. Davis received her PhD in Biology from Johns Hopkins University, under the mentorship of Dr. John T. Patton, where she studied mechanisms of rotavirus immune evasion and antagonism. She is currently a postdoctoral research associate with Andrew Mehle at the University of Wisconsin Madison studying how ADP-ribosylation of influenza virus proteins regulates viral replication processes. She also serves on the American Society for Virology executive council.

Andrew Mehle received his PhD in Virology at Harvard University training with Dr. Dana Gabuzda to study virus:host interactions during HIV infection. He continued with postdoctoral training at the University of California Berkeley in the lab of Dr. Jennifer Doudna where his focus shifted to influenza virus. He established his own lab at the University of Wisconsin Madison in 2011 (mehlelab.com), where he is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology and holds an Investigators in the Pathogenesis of Infectious Disease Award from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund.

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More benefits to vaccination: rotavirus vaccines reduce the incidence of type-1 diabetes | Speaking of Medicine - PLoS Blogs

What is the immune system?

The immune system protects your child's body from outside invaders. These include germs (such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi) andtoxins (chemicals made by microbes). The immune system is made up of different organs, cells, and proteins that work together.

There are 2 main parts of the immune system:

The innate immune system. You are born with this.

The adaptive immune system. You develop this when your body is exposed to microbes or chemicals released by microbes.

These 2 immune systems work together.

This is your child's rapid response system. It is the first to respond when it finds an invader. It is made up of the skin, the eye's cornea, and the mucous membrane that lines the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and genitourinary tracts. These all create physical barriers to help protect your child's body. They protect against harmful germs, parasites (such as worms), or cells (such as cancer). The innate immune system is inherited. It is active from the moment your child is born. When this system recognizes an invader, it goes into action right away. The cells of this immune system surround and cover the invader. The invader is killed inside the immune system cells (called phagocytes).

The acquired immune system, with help from the innate system, makes cells (antibodies) to protect your body from a specific invader. These antibodies are developed by cells called B lymphocytes after the body has been exposed to the invader. The antibodies stay in your child's body.It can take several days for antibodies to form. But after the first exposure, the immune system will recognize the invader and defend against it. The acquired immune system changes during your child's life. Immunizationstrain your child's immune system to make antibodies to protect him or her from harmful diseases.

The cells of both parts of the immune system are made in different organs of the body, including:

Adenoids. Two glands located at the back of the nasal passage.

Bone marrow. The soft, spongy tissue found in bone cavities.

Lymph nodes. Small organs shaped like beans, which are located all over the body and connect via the lymphatic vessels.

Lymphatic vessels. A network of channels all over the body that carries lymphocytes to the lymphoid organs and bloodstream.

Peyer's patches. Lymphoid tissue in the small intestine.

Spleen. A fist-sized organ located in the belly (abdominal) cavity.

Thymus. Two lobes that join in front of the windpipe (trachea) behind the breastbone.

Tonsils. Two oval masses in the back of the throat.

Antibiotics can be used to help your child's immune system fight infections by bacteria. But antibiotics dont work for infections caused by viruses. Antibiotics were developed to kill or disable certain bacteria. That means that an antibiotic that works for a skin infection may not work to cure diarrhea caused by bacteria. Using antibiotics for viral infections or using the wrong antibiotic to treat a bacterial infection can help bacteria become resistant to the antibiotic so it won't work as well in the future.It's important to take antibiotics as prescribed and for the right amount of time.If antibiotics are stopped early, the bacteria may develop a resistance to the antibiotics. Then the infection may come back again.

Most colds and acute bronchitis infections won't respond to antibiotics.You can help decrease the spread of more aggressive bacteria by not asking your childs healthcare provider for antibiotics in these cases.

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The Immune System - stanfordchildrens.org

Your immune system defends the body from infection. It is made up of a complex network of cells, tissues and organs in your body. An underactive or overactive immune system can cause health issues.

The immune system is found in:

The lymphatic system allows immune cells to travel between tissues and the bloodstream. The lymphatic system contains lymphocytes (white blood cells; mostly T cells and B cells), which try to recognise any bacteria, viruses or other foreign substances in your body and fight them.

Lymph nodes are found in certain areas such as the base of the neck and the armpit. They become swollen or enlarged in response to an infection.

The skin and mucous membranes are the first line of defence against bacteria, viruses and other foreign substances. They act as a physical barrier, and they also contain immune cells.

When your skin has a cut, harmful microbes (tiny particles) can enter and invade your body. The cut triggers certain immune cells in the bloodstream that try to destroy the invaders.

In an infection, white blood cells identify the microbe, produce antibodies to fight the infection, and help other immune responses to occur. They also 'remember' the attack.

This is how vaccinations work vaccines expose your immune system to a dead or weakened microbe or to proteins from a microbe, so that your body is able to recognise and respond very quickly to any future exposure to the same microbe.

Overactivity of the immune system is related to disorders such as allergies and autoimmune diseases.

Allergies involve an immune response to something considered harmless in most people, such as pollen or a certain food.

Autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis, occur when your immune system attacks normal components of the body.

Underactivity of the immune system, or immunodeficiency, can increase your risk of infection. You may be born with an immunodeficiency, or acquire it due to medical treatment or another disease.

See more here:
Immune system | healthdirect

We are continually exposed to organisms that are inhaled, swallowed or inhabit our skin and mucous membranes. Whether or not these organisms lead to disease is decided by the integrity of our bodys defense mechanisms, or immune system. When our immune system is working properly, we dont even notice it. But when we have an under- or over-active immune system, we are at a greater risk of developing infections and other health conditions.

If you are wondering how to boost your immune system, look no further these 10 antimicrobial, immune-stimulating and antiviral supplements and essential oils can be used at home to improve your health.

The immune system is an interactive network oforgans, cells and proteins that protect the body from viruses and bacteria or any foreign substances. The immune system works to neutralize and remove pathogens like bacteria, viruses, parasites or fungi that enter the body, recognize and neutralize harmful substances from the environment, and fight against the bodys own cells that have changes due to an illness. (1)

The cells of the immune system originate in the bone marrow, then migrate to guard the peripheral tissues, circulating in the blood and in the specialized system of vessels called the lymphatic system.

When our immune system is working properly, we dont even notice it. Its when the performance of our immune system is compromised that we face illness. Underactivity of the immune system results in severe infections and tumors of immunodeficiency, while overactivity results in allergic and autoimmune diseases. (2)

For our bodys natural defenses to run smoothly, the immune system must be able to differentiate between self and non-self cells, organisms and substances. Non-self substances are called antigens, which includes the proteins on the surfaces of bacteria, fungi and viruses. When the cells of the immune system detect the presence of an antigen, the immune system recalls stored memories in order to quickly defend itself against known pathogens.

However, our own cells also have surface proteins, and its important that the immune system does not work against them. Normally, the immune system has already learned at an earlier stage to identify these cells proteins as self, but when it identifies its own body as non-self, this is called an autoimmune reaction. (3)

The amazing thing about the immune system is that its constantly adapting and learning so that the body can fight against bacteria or viruses that change over time. There are two parts of the immune system our innate immune system works as a general defense against pathogens and our adaptive immune system targets very specific pathogens that the body has already has contact with. These two immune systemscomplement each other in any reaction to a pathogen or harmful substance. (4)

Before learning exactly how to boost your immune system, first understand that most immune disorders result from either an excessive immune response or an autoimmune attack. Disorders of the immune system include:

Allergiesare a immune-mediated inflammatory response to normally harmless environmental substances known as allergens, which results in one or more allergic diseases such as asthma, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis and food allergies. When the body overreacts to an allergen, such as dust, mold or pollen, it causes an immune reaction that leads to the development of allergy symptoms.

Allergies and asthma is a growing epidemic, affecting people of all ages, races, genders and socioeconomic statuses. In the U.S., it is estimated that more than 35 million people, mostly children, suffer from asthma symptoms. (5)An immune response to an allergic can be mild, from coughing and a runny nose, to a life-threatening reaction known as anaphylaxis. A person becomes allergic to a substance when the body develops antigens against it and has a reaction upon repeated exposure to that substance.

An immune deficiency disease is when the immune system is missing one or more of its parts, and it reacts too slowly to a threat. Immune deficiency diseases can be caused by medications or illness, or it may be a genetic disorder, which is called primary immunodeficiency. (6)

Some immune deficiency diseases include severe combined immune deficiency, common variable immune deficiency, human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficient syndrome (HIV/AIDS), drug-induced immune deficiency and graft versus host syndrome. All of these conditions are due to a severe impairment of the immune system, which leads to infections that are sometimes life-threatening.

Autoimmune diseases cause your immune system to attack your own bodys cells and tissues in response to an unknown trigger. Autoimmune diseases have registered an alarming increase worldwide since the end of the Second World War, with more than 80 autoimmune disorders and increases in both the incidence and prevalence of these conditions. (7)

Fiftymillion Americans are living with an autoimmune disease today, and for many of them, its hard to get an accurate diagnosis right away. In fact, it often takes about five years to receive a diagnosis because autoimmune disease symptoms are so disparate and vague. Examples of autoimmune diseases include rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, psoriasis, Graves disease (overactive thyroid), Hashimotos disease (underactive thyroid) and vasculitis.

Treatment for autoimmune diseases typically focus on reducing the immune systems activity, but your first line of defense should be addressing leaky gut and removing foods and factors that damage the gut. Several studies have shown that increased intestinal permeability is associated with several autoimmune diseases, and it appears to be involved in disease pathogenesis. (8)

When searching for how to boost your immune system, look to these 10 herbs, supplements and essential oils.

Many of echinaceas chemical constituents are powerful immune system stimulants that can provide significant therapeutic value. Research shows that one of the most significant echinacea benefits is its effects when used on recurring infections. A 2012 study published in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine found that echinacea showed maximal effects on recurrent infections, and preventive effects increased when participants used echinacea to prevent the common cold. (9)

A 2003 study conducted at the University of Wisconsin Medical School found that echinacea demonstrates significant immunomodulatory activities. After reviewing several dozen human experiments, including a number of blind randomized trials, researchers indicate that echinacea has several benefits, including immunostimulation, especially in the treatment of acute upper respiratory infection. (10)

The berries and flowers of the elder plant have been used as medicine for thousands of years. Even Hippocrates, the father of medicine, understood that this plant was key for how to boost your immune system. He used elderberry because of its wide array of health benefits, including its ability to fight colds, the flu, allergies and inflammation. Several studies indicate that elderberry has the power to boost the immune system, especially because it has proven to help treat the symptoms of the common cold and flu.

A study published in the Journal of International Medical Research found that when elderberry was used within the first 48 hours of onset of symptoms, the extract reduced the duration of the flu, with symptoms being relieved on an average of four days earlier. Plus, the use of rescue medication was significantly less in those receiving elderberry extract compared with placebo. (11)

Dating back to ancient times, silver was a popular remedy to stop the spread of diseases. Silver has historically and extensively been used as a broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent. Research published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine suggests that colloidal silver wasable to significantly inhibit the growth the bacteria grown under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. (12)

To experience colloidal silver benefits, it can be used in several ways. How toboost your immune system with this supplement? Simply take one drop of true colloidal silver with internally. It can also be applied to the skin to help heal wounds, sores and infections. Always keep in mind that it should not be used for more than 14 days in a row.

You may come across many warnings about colloidal silver causing an irreversible condition called argyria (when people turn blue); however, this is caused by the misuse of products that are not true colloidal silver, like ionic or silver protein. (13)

Because leaky gut is a major cause of food sensitivities, autoimmune disease and immune imbalance or a weakened immune system, its important to consume probiotic foods and supplements. Probiotics are good bacteria that help you digest nutrients that boost the detoxification of your colon and support your immune system.

Research published in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition suggests that probiotic organisms may induce different cytokine responses. Supplementation of probiotics in infancy could help prevent immune-mediated diseases in childhood by improving the gut mucosal immune system and increasing the number of immunoglobulin cells and cytokine-producing cells in the intestines. (14)

Astragalusis a plant within the bean and legumes family that has a very long history as an immune system booster and disease fighter. Its root has been used as an adaptogen inTraditional Chinese Medicine for thousands of years. Although astragalus is one of the least studied immune-boosting herbs, there are some preclinical trials that show intriguing immune activity. (15)

A recent review published in the American Journal of Chinese Medicine found that astragalus-based treatments have demonstrated significant improvementof the toxicity induced by drugs such as immunosuppressants and cancer chemotherapeutics. Researchers concluded that astragalus extract has a beneficial effect on the immune system, and it protects the body from gastrointestinal inflammation and cancers. (16)

Ayurvedic medicine has relied ongingers ability for how toboost yourimmune system before recorded history. Its believed that ginger helps to break down the accumulation of toxins in our organs due to its warming effects. Its also known to cleanse the lymphatic system, our network of tissues and organs that help rid the body of toxins, waste and other unwanted materials.

Ginger root and ginger essential oil can treat a wide range of diseases with its immunonutrition and anti-inflammatory responses. Research shows that ginger has antimicrobial potential, which helps in treating infectious diseases. Its also known for its ability to treat inflammatory disorders that are caused by infectious agents such as viruses, bacteria and parasites, as well as physical and chemical agents like heat, acid and cigarette smoke. (17)

7. Ginseng

The ginseng plant, belonging to the Panax genus, can help you to boost your immune system and fight infections. The roots, stems and leaves of ginseng have been used for maintaining immune homeostasis and enhancing resistance to illness or infection. Ginseng improves the performance of your immune system by regulating each type of immune cell, including macrophages, natural killer cells, dendritic cells, T cells and B cells. It also has antimicrobial compounds that work as a defense mechanism against bacterial and viral infections. (18)

A study published in the American Journal of Chinese Medicine found that ginseng extract successfully induced antigenspecific antibody responses when it was administered orally. Antibodies bind to antigens, such as toxins or viruses, and keep them from contacting and harming normal cells of the body. Because of ginsengs ability to play a role in antibody production, it helps the body to fight invading microorganisms or pathogenic antigens. (19)

Vitamin D can modulate the innate and adaptive immune responses and a vitamin D deficiency is associated with increased autoimmunity as well as an increased susceptibility to infection. Research shows that vitamin D works to maintain tolerance and promote protective immunity. There have been multiple cross-sectional studies that associate lower levels of vitamin D with increased infection. (20)

One study conducted at Massachusetts General Hospital included 19,000 participants, and it showed that individuals with lower vitamin D levels were more likely to report a recent upper respiratory tract infection than those with sufficient levels, even after adjusting for variables such as season, age, gender, body mass and race. (21) Sometimes addressing a nutritional deficiency is how to boost your immune system.

Myrrh is a resin, or sap-like substance, that is one of the most widely used essential oils in the world. Historically, myrrh was used to treat hay fever, clean and heal wounds and stop bleeding. Myrrh strengthens the immune system with its antiseptic, antibacterial and antifungal properties. (22)

A 2012 study validated myrrhs enhanced antimicrobial efficacy when used in combination with frankincense oil against a selection of pathogens. Researchers concluded that myrrh oil has anti-infective properties and can help to boost your immune system. (23)

Oregano essential oil is known for its healing and immune-boosting properties. It fights infections naturally due to its antifungal, antibacterial, antiviral and anti-parasite compounds. A 2016 study published in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition found that the main compounds in oregano that are responsible for its antimicrobial activity include carvacrol and thymol. (24)

Several scientific studies found that oregano oil exhibited antibacterial activity againsta number of bacterial isolates and species, includingB. laterosporus andS. saprophyticus. (25)

I should also stress the importance of incorporating physical activity into your daily and weekly regimen to strengthen your immune system. A 2018 human study published in Aging Cell revealed that high levels of physical activity and exercise improve the immunosenescence (gradual deterioration of the immune system) in older adults aged 55 through 79, compared to those in the same age group who were physically inactive. The study also highlights that physical activity doesnt protect against all of the immunosenescence that occurs. However, the decrease in a persons immune system function and activity can be influenced by decreased physical activity in addition to age. (26)

In the quest for how to boost your immune system, proceed with some caution. If you are using these immune-boosting herbs and essential oils, remember that the products are extremely potent and should not be taken for more than two weeks at a time. Giving yourself a break in between long doses is important.

Also, if you are pregnant, be cautious when using essential oils and reach out to your health care provider before doing so. Any time you are using natural remedies like plant supplements, its a good idea to do it under the care of your doctor or nutritionist.

From the sound of it, you might think leaky gut only affects the digestive system,but in reality it can affect more. Because Leaky Gut is so common, and such an enigma,Im offering a free webinar on all things leaky gut.Click here to learn more about the webinar.

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How to Boost Your Immune System - draxe.com

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Whether you're stomping through the showers in your bare feet after gym class or touching the bathroom doorknob, you're being exposed to germs. Fortunately for most of us, the immune system is constantly on call to do battle with bugs that could put us out of commission.

The immune (pronounced: ih-MYOON) system, which is made up of special cells, proteins, tissues, and organs, defends people against germs and microorganisms every day. In most cases, the immune system does a great job of keeping people healthy and preventing infections. But sometimes, problems with the immune system can lead to illness and infection.

The immune system is the body's defense against infectious organisms and other invaders. Through a series of steps called the immune response, the immune system attacks organisms and substances that invade our systems and cause disease. The immune system is made up of a network of cells, tissues, and organs that work together to protect the body.

The cells that are part of this defense system include white blood cells, also called leukocytes (pronounced: LOO-kuh-sytes). They come in two basic types (more on these below), which combine to seek out and destroy the organisms or substances that cause disease.

Leukocytes are produced and stored in many locations throughout the body, including the thymus, spleen, and bone marrow. For this reason, they are called the lymphoid (pronounced: LIM-foyd) organs. There are also clumps of lymphoid tissue throughout the body, primarily in the form of lymph nodes, that house the leukocytes.

The leukocytes circulate through the body between the organs and nodes by means of the lymphatic (pronounced: lim-FAT-ik) vessels. (You can think of the lymphatic vessels as a type of highway between the rest stops that are the lymphoid organs and lymph nodes.) Leukocytes can also circulate through the blood vessels. In this way, the immune system works in a coordinated manner to monitor the body for germs or substances that might cause problems.

There are two basic types of leukocytes:

A number of different cells are considered phagocytes. The most common type is the neutrophil (pronounced: NOO-truh-fil), which primarily fights bacteria. So when doctors are worried about a bacterial infection, sometimes they order a blood test to see if a patient has an increased number of neutrophils triggered by the infection. Other types of phagocytes have their own jobs to make sure that the body responds appropriately to a specific type of invader.

There are two kinds of lymphocytes: the B lymphocytes and the T lymphocytes. Lymphocytes start out in the bone marrow and either stay and mature there to become B cells or leave for the thymus gland, where they mature to become T cells.

B lymphocytes and T lymphocytes have separate jobs to do: B lymphocytes are like the body's military intelligence system, seeking out their targets and sending defenses to lock onto them. T cells are like the soldiers, destroying the invaders that the intelligence system has identified. Here's how it works.

A foreign substance that invades the body is called an antigen (pronounced: AN-tih-jun). When an antigen is detected, several types of cells work together to recognize and respond to it. These cells trigger the B lymphocytes to produce antibodies (pronounced: AN-tye-bah-deez). Antibodies are specialized proteins that lock onto specific antigens. Antibodies and antigens fit together like a key and a lock.

Once the B lymphocytes recognize specific antigens, they develop a memory for the antigen and will produce antibodies the next time the antigen enters a person's body. That's why if someone gets sick with a certain disease, like chickenpox, that person typically doesn't get sick from it again.

This is also why we use immunizations to prevent certain diseases. The immunization introduces the body to the antigen in a way that doesn't make a person sick, but it does allow the body to produce antibodies that will then protect that person from future attack by the germ or substance that produces that particular disease.

Although antibodies can recognize an antigen and lock onto it, they are not capable of destroying it without help. That is the job of the T cells. The T cells are part of the system that destroys antigens that have been tagged by antibodies or cells that have been infected or somehow changed. (There are actually T cells that are called "killer cells.") T cells are also involved in helping signal other cells (like phagocytes) to do their jobs.

Antibodies can also neutralize toxins (poisonous or damaging substances) produced by different organisms. Lastly, antibodies can activate a group of proteins called complement that are also part of the immune system. Complement assists in killing bacteria, viruses, or infected cells.

All of these specialized cells and parts of the immune system offer the body protection against disease. This protection is called immunity.

Humans have three types of immunity innate, adaptive, and passive:

Everyone is born with innate (or natural) immunity, a type of general protection that humans have. Many of the germs that affect other species don't harm us. For example, the viruses that cause leukemia in cats or distemper in dogs don't affect humans. Innate immunity works both ways because some viruses that make humans ill such as the virus that causes HIV/AIDS don't make cats or dogs sick either.

Innate immunity also includes the external barriers of the body, like the skin and mucous membranes (like those that line the nose, throat, and gastrointestinal tract), which are our first line of defense in preventing diseases from entering the body. If this outer defensive wall is broken (like if you get a cut), the skin attempts to heal the break quickly and special immune cells on the skin attack invading germs.

We also have a second kind of protection called adaptive (or active) immunity. This type of immunity develops throughout our lives. Adaptive immunity involves the lymphocytes (as in the process described above) and develops as children and adults are exposed to diseases or immunized against diseases through vaccination.

Passive immunity is "borrowed" from another source and it lasts for a short time. For example, antibodies in a mother's breast milk provide an infant with temporary immunity to diseases that the mother has been exposed to. This can help protect the infant against infection during the early years of childhood.

Everyone's immune system is different. Some people never seem to get infections, whereas others seem to be sick all the time. As people get older, they usually become immune to more germs as the immune system comes into contact with more and more of them. That's why adults and teens tend to get fewer colds than kids their bodies have learned to recognize and immediately attack many of the viruses that cause colds.

Disorders of the immune system can be broken down into four main categories:

Immunodeficiencies (pronounced: ih-myoon-o-dih-FIH-shun-seez) happen when a part of the immune system is not present or is not working properly.

Sometimes a person is born with an immunodeficiency these are called primary immunodeficiencies. (Although primary immunodeficiencies are conditions that a person is born with, symptoms of the disorder sometimes may not show up until later in life.)

Immunodeficiencies also can be acquired through infection or produced by drugs. These are sometimes called secondary immunodeficiencies.

Immunodeficiencies can affect B lymphocytes, T lymphocytes, or phagocytes.The most common immunodeficiency disorder is IgA deficiency, in which the body doesn't produce enough of the antibody IgA, an immunoglobulin found primarily in the saliva and other body fluids that help guard the entrances to the body. People with IgA deficiency tend to have allergies or get more colds and other respiratory infections, but the condition is usually not severe.

Acquired (or secondary) immunodeficiencies usually develop after a person has a disease, although they can also be the result of malnutrition, burns, or other medical problems. Certain medicines also can cause problems with the functioning of the immune system.

Acquired (secondary) immunodeficiencies include:

Newborns can get HIV infection from their mothers while in the uterus, during the birth process, or during breastfeeding. Teens and adults can get HIV infection by having unprotected sexual intercourse with an infected person or from sharing contaminated needles for drugs, steroids, or tattoos.

In addition, people with autoimmune disorders or who have had organ transplants may need to take immunosuppressant medications. These medicines can also reduce the immune system's ability to fight infections and can cause secondary immunodeficiency.

In autoimmune disorders, the immune system mistakenly attacks the body's healthy organs and tissues as though they were foreign invaders.

Some autoimmune diseases include:

Allergic disorders happen when the immune system overreacts when exposued to antigens in the environment. The substances that provoke such attacks are called allergens. The immune response can cause symptoms such as swelling, watery eyes, and sneezing, and even a life-threatening reaction called anaphylaxis. Taking medications called antihistamines can relieve most symptoms.

Allergic disorders include:

Cancer happens when cells grow out of control. This can also happen with the cells of the immune system. Leukemia, which involves abnormal overgrowth of leukocytes, is the most common childhood cancer. Lymphoma involves the lymphoid tissues and is also one of the more common childhood cancers. With current medications most cases of both types of cancer in kids and teens are curable.

Although immune system disorders usually can't be prevented, you can help your immune system stay stronger and fight illnesses by staying informed about your condition and working closely with the doctor.

And if you're lucky enough to be healthy, you can help your immune system keep you that way by washing your hands often to avoid infection, eating right, getting plenty of exercise,and getting regular medical checkups.

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Immune System (for Teens) - KidsHealth

The immune system (or immunity) can be divided into two types - innate and adaptive immunity. This video has an immune system animation. The innate immune system consists of defenses against infection that are activated instantly as a pathogen attacks. Adaptive immunity (or acquired immunity) is a subsystem of the immune system that contains highly specialised systemic cells and processes that kill pathogens and prevent their growth in the body. Innate vs adaptive immunity: its important to realize that innate and adaptive immunity are different. Their differences are explained in the video in layman terms.

Our immune system is a fascinating entity, that functions in quite a unique and efficient manner. Comprising of various types of cells, it is prepared for any kind of breach in the fortress of our body, and is equipped to fight off a staggering number of intruders.In this video, we give you a brief overview of the immune system, and the basic types of cells involved, along with the function they carry out.

Each cell if the immune system carries out various roles, depending on the kind of threat the body is facing. However, they have certain basic roles which have been explained here.

References

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Immune System: Innate and Adaptive Immunity Explained

Chemotherapy is the cancer treatment most likely to weaken the immune system. Chemotherapy medicines target rapidly dividing cells, which cancer cells are but so are many of the normal cells in your blood, bone marrow, mouth, intestinal tract, nose, nails, vagina, and hair. So chemotherapy affects them, too. Cancer cells are destroyed by chemotherapy because they cant repair themselves very well. Your healthy cells typically can repair the damage from chemotherapy once treatment ends. (One notable exception is nerve cells in your hands and/or feet, which can be permanently damaged by certain chemotherapy medications a condition known as peripheral neuropathy.)

As chemotherapy medicines damage the bone marrow, the marrow is less able to produce enough red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Typically, the greatest impact is on white blood cells. When you dont have enough white blood cells, your body is more vulnerable to infection.

Although most chemotherapy medications can have an impact on your immune system, how much of an impact depends on many factors, such as:

Some chemotherapy medicines are taken by mouth, in pill form, while others are given intravenously through a vein in the chest, arm, or hand at a hospital or clinic. If youre having intravenous treatment, ask that it be given on the opposite side of the body from where you had your surgery. The injection site poses some risk of infection, and since breast cancer surgery usually removes lymph nodes, you definitely want to minimize that risk on the affected side of your body. (If you had cancer in both breasts, choose the side of the body that had less extensive surgery or fewer lymph nodes removed, if possible.)

The timing of different chemotherapy regimens varies. Typically, you would take the medication(s) for one day to several days, wait a couple of weeks to give the body time to recover, and then start the cycle again. Treatment can last for anywhere from 3 to 6 months. During that time, you would be considered to be immunocompromised not as able to fight infection. After finishing chemotherapy treatment, it can take anywhere from about 21 to 28 days for your immune system to recover.

If chemotherapy is part of your treatment plan, you and your doctor should review the medications youll have and discuss potential effects on your immune system.

Before, during, and after chemotherapy, do your best to follow the common-sense ways to take care of your immune system, such as getting enough rest, eating a healthy diet, exercising, and reducing stress as much as you can. Some chemotherapy medicines can reduce your appetite and make you feel tired, so ask your doctor about ways to manage those side effects.

Before you start chemotherapy, your doctor should order a complete blood count (CBC) to check your baseline levels of different blood cells, including white blood cells. Youll continue to have this blood test done periodically throughout your treatment. When your white blood cell count is lower than normal, youre more prone to infection. Especially important is a type of white blood cell known as neutrophils, which are first responders to infection that can gobble up bacteria, fungi, and germs. Your test results will include an absolute neutrophil count, or ANC. Usually, your neutrophil levels start to drop about a week after your chemotherapy cycle begins, reach a low point in another week or so, and then slowly begin to climb again before your next cycle of treatment. Blood tests will help your doctor know if your neutrophil levels have bounced back enough in between treatments.

A normal neutrophil count is around 2,500-6,000. If yours is lower than that, and especially down to 1,000 or lower, your risk of infection is increased. If the count falls below 500, you have a condition called neutropenia, which greatly raises your risk of a serious infection.

Whatever your situation, its very important to follow specific steps for protecting yourself against infection and to promptly report any signs or symptoms of infection to your doctor. When your immune system is weak, an infection can worsen quickly and even turn life-threatening. If you have a fever higher than 100 and suspect infection but you cant reach your doctor, seek emergency medical attention.

If your neutrophil levels dont bounce back quickly enough between treatments or you develop neutropenia, your doctor may decide to:

If chemotherapy causes neutropenia accompanied by a fever, your doctor may prescribe medications called colony-stimulating factors (CSFs) or white blood cell growth factors to be given along with your remaining chemotherapy treatments. These medications can help the body produce more neutrophils and other types of white blood cells, which strengthens your ability to fight off infection. Examples include:

These are given as a series of shots in between treatment cycles. Although CSFs can reduce the risk of hospitalization due to infection, they can cause side effects such as aches in the bones, low-grade fever, and fatigue. Generally, CSFs are used in people who are on a chemotherapy regimen that more commonly causes neutropenia or for those who arent helped by an adjustment in the chemotherapy dose. Talk to your doctor to find out what is recommended for you.

Even after you finish treatment, it is important to follow steps for protecting yourself against infection until your immune system returns to normal.

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How Chemotherapy Affects the Immune System