Does Age Affect Immune System?
Age and Immunity Weakening Is Real.
Does it seem like you get sick more than you did when you were younger. When you are under the weather, does it take you longer to feel good again?
Immunity — your body’s defense system — tends to get weaker with age.
“Just as you probably can’t run as fast as you used to in your 20s, your immune system doesn’t work as well as it used to,” says Aaron E. Glatt, MD, chairman of the department of medicine at South Nassau Communities Hospitals.
But fear not — at least not much.
“Compared to many other bodily functions, most people’s immune systems actually do really great at any age,” Glatt says. Most of our immune systems work well enough that our risk for infection and illness isn’t much higher than normal. Even better? No matter how old you are, there’s a lot you can do to stay healthy.
What’s Happening With Your Immune System?
It’s a complex network of cells, tissues, and organs. Together, they defend your body against things that can cause infection, like bacteria.
Why does it decrease a bit as you get older? That’s still a bit of a mystery about age and immunity.
“The medical community is still trying to determine exactly how and why age immunity system decreases with age,” says Kira Rubtsova, PhD. Rubtsova is an immunity researcher at National Jewish Health in Denver.
Age and Immunity and Vaccines
What researchers do know is that most older adults:
Don’t respond as well to vaccines: Your immune system includes T cells, which attack other, illness-causing cells. They’re able to “remember” an invader, then defend against it better later. When you’re older, you make fewer T cells, and most vaccines require new ones to work.
There’s no set age when immunity decreases.
Age and immunity decrease – “It’s like grey hair — it happens for everyone at a different rate,” Rubtsova says. There’s no single test that can tell you that your immune system isn’t functioning optimally. “There are certain immune markers we can test for, but it’s not the same as being tested for, say, heart disease,” Glatt says.
That’s why it’s important to go to the doctor regularly, and get medical help if you get sick often or if you’re having trouble healing after an injury or illness.
How Can You Stay Healthy?
Stay on top of your health. If you have diabetes, arthritis, or other things that affect how you feel and function, follow your doctor’s recommendations. “Keeping illnesses like diabetes well-controlled takes less of a toll on your immune system,” Glatt says.
Sleep well. “Research clearly shows that too little sleep — or poor-quality sleep — lowers immunity, even in young healthy people,” says Gisele Wolf-Klein, MD. You should be getting at least 7 hours a night. If you snore or have trouble falling or staying asleep, see your doctor. You could have a sleep disorder.
Eat a Well Balanced Diet. Plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables helps naturally boost innunity. If you’re eating less as often happens with older people, try taking Quality Supplements that can supply you with the necessary vitamins missing from your diet. If in doubt or if your are taking any medicines always consult your doctor before using supplements
There appears to be a connection between nutrition and age and immunity. A form of malnutrition that is surprisingly common even in affluent countries is known as “micronutrient malnutrition.”
Micronutrient malnutrition, in which a person is deficient in some essential vitamins and trace minerals that are obtained from or supplemented by diet, can happen in the elderly. Older people tend to eat less and often have less variety in their diets.
