Immune System

Simple tips to boost your immune system

It may be hard to believe, but summer is coming to an end, which means fall is just around the corner. Fall brings with it colorful leaves, cooler temperatures, and unfortunately, cold and flu season. Instead of falling victim to illness this fall, try these simple tips to start boosting your immune system now so ...click here to read more

Sleep deprivation may suppress immune system

A new study out of the UW Medicine Sleep Center at Harborview Medical Center has discovered a link between chronic sleep deprivation and the suppression of the immune system. While many people notice that they get sick when they haven’t slept enough, Dr. Nathaniel Watson of the Sleep Center and his team set out to ...click here to read more

Immune system update: Strong immune system, preventing pneumonia, common cold vs. flu, bronchitis vs. pneumonia

The winter time can really hit your immune system, and that is why it’s important to keep it strong to ward off illness. In this roundup, we will look at foods for a strong immune system, discuss pneumonia prevention, and talk about the differences between a cold and flu, as well as bronchitis and pneumonia. ...click here to read more

Psoriasis skin inflammation treatments improve heart disease symptoms: Study

Psoriasis skin inflammation treatments improve heart disease symptoms by blocking the immune system response that causes inflammation. It is estimated that 7.5 million Americans have psoriasis. Although it is a skin condition, the effects of psoriasis run deep. In fact, psoriasis is a known risk factor for heart disease. Jashin J. Wu, director of dermatology ...click here to read more

Lyme disease can prevent the immune system from developing lasting immunity: Study

Lyme disease can prevent the immune system from developing lasting immunity, according to research. The findings come from the researchers at the University of California who found that Lyme disease can trick the animal’s immune system, which fails to send an immune response or develop lasting immunity to the disease as a result. The findings ...click here to read more

Viral infections may accelerate age-related cognitive decline by influencing immune system

Viral infections may accelerate age-related cognitive decline by influencing the immune system. Much of the previous work on the subject found that exposure to certain viral infections including cytomegalovirus (CMV) and herpes simplex viruses (HSV) 1 and 2, as well as the protozoa Toxoplasma gondii were able to contribute to cognitive decline. Vishwajit Nimgaonkar, lead ...click here to read more

Chronic pain may change the immune system

New research suggests that chronic pain changes the immune system. Researcher Moshe Szyf said, “We found that chronic pain changes the way DNA is marked not only in the brain but also in T cells, a type of white blood cell essential for immunity. Our findings highlight the devastating impact of chronic pain on other ...click here to read more

Encephalitis (brain inflammation) risk from viral infection higher with weak immune system

The risk of encephalitis (brain inflammation) from viral infections is higher in people with weak immune systems. Encephalitis is the inflammation of brain tissue. Although it is rare, encephalitis affects one in 200,000 Americans. When encephalitis strikes, symptoms such as personality changes, seizures, and weakness may occur. Individuals with weakened immune systems, children and seniors ...click here to read more

Preventing zoonotic diseases like Lyme disease, salmonella, E.coli from pets

Zoonotic diseases are those transferred from animals to humans, including Lyme disease, salmonella, and E. coli. Zoonotic diseases are caused by bacteria, viruses, parasites or fungus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that six out of 10 infectious diseases found in human result from animals. As humans we interact with animals on ...click here to read more