A Doctor Within You: Your Immune System

The fact that you survive is due to your immune system-a fascinating network of chemicals and cells that protect your body.

- Shri K.K. Bajaj

YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM

The God-given power within you: Your body is constantly under attack, 24 hours a day from infection and toxins. The fact that you survive is due to your immune system-a fascinating network of chemicals and cells that protect your body. You are exposed to a number of invisible microorganisms that cause cold, flu, breathing difficulty, skin allergy, and other diseases. A battalion of bacteria is just waiting to jump into your body. But this scenario is not completely terrifying. Nature has endowed man with a foolproof immune system to combat invisible enemies that could, otherwise, wreak havoc on your health. The main role of the immune system is to keep your body protected from invasion, both by external organisms and also by your own cells. These organisms may cause harm to the fine balance of the human body’s system and affect your immunity like cancer. All you have to do is restructure your lifestyle and provide a favourable environment for the immune system to function optimally.

Little soldiers who guard your body day and night: The immune system is the body’s inherent mechanism to fight the onslaught of germs. The white blood cells, our little soldiers, track down germs and gobble them up. Sometimes antibodies produced by special cells destroy the germs. Then there are the tiny proteins called immunoglobulins and interferons that cells produce to fight viruses, bacteria, and other invaders. For further protection, the body is also stocked with the fighting, white blood cells known as T-cells, B-cells, and killer cells.