If not for Edward Jenner, millions would have lost their lives to several diseases. The discovery of smallpox vaccination in the last leg of the 18th century marked the beginning of a new chapter of vaccination and became a lifesaver for the human race from fatal and limiting diseases like smallpox, polio, tetanus, rotavirus, etc.

World Immunization Day, observed each year on November 10, is celebrated to increase the awareness on getting vaccinations in time to protect individuals against preventable diseases. 

Immunization is very important to help create resistance and to prevent your body from getting infected with a number of diseases. Timely administration of vaccine can help protect both children and adults from major diseases. 

Why must you get vaccinated? Is it really important?
Yes, getting vaccinated is indeed important. It helps the body stimulate its own immune system to protect against subsequent infections and also prevents them from spreading through any form of contact.  Vaccination is more important for children because the immune system of a child developed through breastfeeding starts to diminish, once the development cycle of the new immune system begins.

Vaccinations are highly cost-effective and easy to access. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), timely vaccination has helped prevent up to three million deaths per year, but still, there are almost 19 million infants who are not given timely vaccinations.

Vaccination in India
The Universal Immunization Program (UIP) of India is one of the largest in the world in terms of the amount of vaccine given, the geographical area covered, and the number of people who have benefited from the program. The program has been in effect for more than 30 years. However, due to a lack of awareness among citizens, it has only been able to reach out to two-thirds of children all over the country. 

We should seek to achieve complete immunization of not only children but also of adults. Under the Mission Indradhanush, which was launched by the government in 2014, the program allowed all children of up to 24 months of age and pregnant women to get free vaccinations. 

Important vaccinations for children
The Indian Academy of Pediatrics recommends several vaccinations to be administered from 0 months to 10 years of age, the important ones being for polio, tetanus, rotavirus, typhoid, chickenpox, and MMR amongst others. It is essential for the parents to follow the immunization schedule and have the baby vaccinated against preventable diseases.

Vaccinations for adults
Vaccination is not just for children, but also for adults. All adults between the age of 20 and 30 should get a screening done for major preventable diseases like influenza, Tetanus, Hepatitis A, and Hepatitis B. An influenza injection should be administered once a year while a tetanus injection needs to be administered once every 10 years. 

Hepatitis A and B injections need to be administered during one's childhood. However, if adults aged above 19 and up to 49 years do not have any documentation of vaccination, it is strongly advised to take two doses of Hepatitis A and three doses of Hepatitis B.

Prevention is better than cure, and the most important gift that you can give your child and to yourself is good health. On this day, let's be aware of the importance of vaccination, and spread the same. Get vaccinated, stay healthy, and happy! 

World Immunization Day 2017 - Why Immunization Is Important?

World Immunization Week is a global public health campaign to raise awareness and increase rates of immunization against vaccine-preventable diseases around the world. It takes place each year during the last week of April. Immunization can protect against 25 different infectious agents or diseases, from infancy to old age, including diphtheria, measles, pertussis, polio and tetanus. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates active immunization currently averts 2 to 3 million deaths every year. The goal of World Immunization Week is to raise public awareness of how immunization saves lives, and support people everywhere to get the vaccinations needed against deadly diseases for themselves and their children.

The immune system of the body essentially plays two important roles. Firstly, it protects the body from bacteria, viruses and other foreign organisms, thus preventing the onset of infections and diseases. Secondly, it ensures that body cells are functioning properly and are not degenerating. Thus, the immune system of the body is quite effective and is responsible for your overall health.

There are times when the immune system becomes weak and is thus unable to fight foreign organisms invading the body. A direct indication that your immune system is weak is when you catch a seasonal cold or flu. In such a case, you have to take certain steps to give a boost to your immune system, such as-

Live healthily- Living healthy does not only include eating a balanced diet and exercising regularly. Make sure that you get enough sleep on a daily basis and avoid smoking along with consumption of alcohol. It is also essential that you maintain your weight and keep a tab on your blood pressure.

Maintain good hygiene- Hygienic habits such as washing hands before every meal and after using the toilet go a long way when it comes to boosting the immune system.

Reduce sugar intake- As per research, it becomes more difficult for white blood cells to fight bacteria when the sugar level of the body is very high, which is why the immune system gets surpassed, and you are more susceptible to infections.

Consume healthy fats- Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids play an important role in boosting the immune system. These healthy fats help the immune system to make prostaglandins, which effectively destroy germs and viruses that have invaded the body.

Avoid the consumption of toxic food- As far as possible, make sure that you are consuming organic food. This is because food grown on a commercial scale is full of toxic chemicals from the pesticides, insecticides, preservatives and artificial colours added to it. The toxic chemicals have a grave impact on the immune system of the body, which can lead to severe complications in the long run.

Although, you want your immune system to be strong and effective, make sure that it is not highly overactive. A highly overactive immune system can also lead to many health complications, such as the onset of autoimmune conditions. All in all, make sure that you are leading a healthy and balanced lifestyle.

World Immunization Week - Boost Your Immune System!

The human body is a marvellous creation and functions in a highly synchronised and balanced way. Disease results when this balance is disturbed either due to infections, inflammations, trauma, autoimmune diseases, tumours. Whatever the reason, with any of these, the body has a strong immune system, which reacts to these changes and tries to ensure that balance is restored as quickly as possible and with minimal effect on overall bodily function.

While most of us have a natural tendency to do so, some have it weaker. This makes them more prone to infections and they take more time to repair and restore health. However, there are a number of supplements which can help to strengthen the immunity. These can be used with the consultation of a professional, and this can help improve overall health.

Homeopathy obviously fits into the class of therapeutic methods that augment the body's own defenses. A microdose of a substance heals the symptoms in large dose. Homeopathic medicines are both considerably smaller and safer in dose and more individualized to the person they are being used to treat.

Although homeopathic medicines are thought to stimulate the body's own defenses, how they do so remains a mystery. Homeopathic medicine do not simply stimulate the body's immune system to treat ill people, for they can also calm it when this is necessary for the healing of the individual.

People with auto-immune ailments suffer because their body's immune system is over-active and it attacks the person's own cells, not just bacteria, viruses, or foreign substances. Homeopathy believes that  like cures like.  So in treating a disease, what it does is use small amounts of the substance that is known to induce the disease. This way, similar symptoms are induced and the disease is treated. Some of the most common homeopathic medicines are-

Allium Cepa: With winter setting in, more and more people are prone to developing a runny nose, nasal congestion, and teary eyes. So, with winter still around the corner, using allium cepa (small onion) helps build immunity by easing these symptoms. Keeping 3 to 5 pellets of this compound under the tongue can help control nasal congestion.

Oscillococcinum: Popularly known as Oscillo, this contains very small amounts of duck liver and heart. When used on the first couple of days with the onset of flu-like symptoms, this helps the body aches and fatigue disappear. It is proven to be safe, effective, and helps prevent further attacks of similar symptoms.

Gelsemium: Obtained from the vine Gelsemium sempervirens, this is useful to build immunity towards cold and flu symptoms. Keeping it under the tongue also helps relieve symptoms if they are already present and controls further attacks of flu-like symptoms.

Silica: This is responsible for stimulating the production of macrophages. These are a type of cells, which are essential for eating up bacteria and foreign bodies. It, therefore, helps improve immunity and fight infections.

Arsenicum Album (white arsenic): This is used in a variety of conditions ranging from anxiety to poisoning to digestive disorders.

While some people refer to most homeopathic medicines as immune stimulating, they are in fact immunomodulatory. Whether a person has an autoimmune disease or repeated infections, homeopathy can be used. A detailed discussion with a specialized homeopath would be the first step to identify what is the right compound to use.

5 Best Homeopathic Medicine for Strengthen Immune System

Handling an Auto Immune Disease

What are Autoimmune Disorders?
It is a disorder of the immune system where the immune system can get ‘hyperactive’ or on the other end of the spectrum can become exceptional slow in its response to germs and bacterium, leaving the individual vulnerable to a host of infections and diseases.
When in ‘Hyper mode’ the body’s immune system starts producing antibodies (White Blood Cells) attacking and damaging the body’s own tissues (Red Blood Cells) beyond repair. Treatment of the Auto-Immune diseases generally focuses on reducing the activity levels of the immune system so as to let the Red Blood Cells multiply and heal the body to an extent.
Not all Auto Immune diseases are life threatening or terminal in nature. Some are even classified as “commonly occurring” disorders in the larger population. Examples of these would be –
1) Psoriasis – A Skin disorder where overactive immune system blood cells called T-cells collect in the skin. The immune system activity stimulates skin cells to replicate rapidly, producing layers of silvery scaly plaques on the skin. These often look like ‘Dandruff’ and can be seen all over the individual’s body, accompanied by severe itching and skin irritability. Psoriasis is often triggered due to stress and hormonal imbalances along with other environmental factors such as poor hygiene, inadequate diet, lack of sleep etc. Along with oral medication, lifestyle changes such as reducing stress at work or home, making sure one gets at least 8 hours of restful sleep per night and regular head and body massages are known to help reduce the severity of the problem to a great extent.

2) Rheumatoid Arthritis – The hyper immune system produces antibodies that attach themselves to the joint linings and then start to eat away at the cartilage and tissues causing swelling or inflammation and a sharp stabbing continuous pain. Oral medication along with gentle cardio (slow walking) and stretching exercise routines such as Yoga, Tai Chi and Pilates are known to have countered the ill-effects of this movement restricting disorder, to a large extent.


3) Aggravated Thyroid – An aggravated thyroid is a result of the excessive antibodies produced by an overactive immune system which attack the thyroid gland and slowly destroy the cells that produce the all-important thyroid hormone. Prolonged negligence or when left undetected for long, it often leads to Grave’s Disease (linked to hyperthyroidism) or Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis (linked to hypothyroidism.) The former can lead to weight-loss, bulging eyes, rapid heart-rate, and chronic fatigue while the later often causes sudden weight gain, depressed state of mind, dry skin and severe constipation.  A good way to avoid diseases of the thyroid would be to maintain a healthy active lifestyle and a stable healthy body weight. It is also recommended that one goes in for regular preventive health check-ups for early detection of any thyroid related disorders.

A little can go a long way in limiting ill effects of autoimmune disorders.


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How To Live With or Handle Auto Immune Disease

Alzheimer's disease is a neurological problem that is characterised by a cognitive decline and memory loss. It is a type of neurodegenerative dementia. The symptoms of alzheimer's disease include not being able to absorb and retain new information, lack of reasoning and judging, not being able to take on complex tasks, impaired visuospatial abilities, problems in reading, writing and speech, among many others. If a person has at least two of these symptoms in a debilitating manner, then the diagnosis can be made in favour of alzheimer's disease. The main causes of alzheimer's are shrinkage of the brain size and death of the brain cells. The immune system is also said to trigger this neurodegenerative disease. Let us find out what medical science has found so far.

1. Connections: many a times, in alzheimer's disease, the memory and behaviour of the person changes because the brain is unable to make proper neural connections which can lead to memory loss of how a person behaved and the elements that formed the basis of the patient's cognition. Apparently, the immune system behaves in the same way within the brain and blocks the connection. This happens because there is constant communication between the brain and immune system along neurological lines, which is where the disease first emanates.

2. Inflammation: the brain is prone to inflammation or swelling that is not the normal kind. This inflammation happens as a result of the activation of the infection fighting neurotransmitters and the chemical changes that happen in the brain when an infection strikes. The inflammation usually happens in the plaques or clumps which the brain tries to protect. These clumps are made up of a protein called amyloid. The immune system is responsible for creating this inflammation in the brain of the patient.

3. Pattern recognition receptors: many of these receptors work in different manners and cooperate with each other to create a response in the brain. These prrs can be found in the brain plaques, and they develop the signs of danger which further fuels the inflammation in the brain as a matter of protection.

4. Activation of cells linked with the immune system: when the prrs begin to respond, it basically activates the immune system and the cells of the same. This is the basic reaction that causes the changes in brain which then leads to the attachment of the protein to the tissue that is diseased, in which case alzheimer's disease starts. The inflammation that we had spoken about earlier basically happens in the nervous tissue.

It is important to recognise and act on the initial signs of alzheimer's disease before it progresses beyond one's control.

Can the Immune System Trigger Alzheimer's Disease

8 Ways to know that your immunity is low

Are you falling sick very frequently or get tired too soon? It could be most likely because your immunity is very low and your body has to fight harder to function properly. There are certain indicators which tell you that your immunity is low, and you must take quick action to avoid any major problem your body may encounter eventually.

Here are the telling pointers for lowered immunity.

1. Dehydration - Our body is made of 70% water. This goes to show how important water is, for it to function properly. Fluids help get rid of germs and other toxins from the body. It is very important to keep ourselves hydrated. At times, our body loses water, however we do not realize immediately. A good way to find this out is to keep a check on the colour of our urine. Ideally it should be transparent.

2. You are always unwell - It is a no brainer This is the clearest possible indicator that your immunity needs a boost. If every time there is a change in weather or you are around someone who has the flu/is sneezing, you get sick too then it is a clear indication that your body is unable to fight the germs.

3. Drinking water seems impure - Most parts of India doesn’t get pure drinking water and this happens to be a matter of grave concern. This doesn’t apply to only the poor and homeless; a lot of our population resides in localities where pure drinking water in not available. Therefore it is important to make sure you purify your drinking water. Always check your water purifier. In situations where one doesn’t have access to purifier, ensure that you boil and strain your drinking water.

4. You are forever stressed - Your work, family, personal and social obligations might be pulling you down and you are forever stressed or worried about something or the other. If you fall sick when already stressed, you body cannot fight the germs as it could if you are stress free. Chronic stress leads to your immunity being low and you falling sick repeatedly.

5. Your sugar cravings going up - We are all well aware that having a weakness for sweets poses a threat to your oral health and waistline. However, if it leads to a craving and you end up consuming too much, every day, it can lower your immunity by weakening the white blood cells. If the white blood cells are weak, the body loses its ability to fight the germs.

6. Your nasal passage feels dry - This is comparatively rare, but does happen to many people. While a dripping nose is bothersome, what is worrisome is a dry nasal passage. Germs linger in dry passages and one can have cold & flu frequently. Keeping a humidifier in the room might come handy.

7. You are overweight - Being overweight is never a good news. It leads to a multitude of diseases and also weakens your immunity. Once your body mass index is way above the allowed level, your body gets stuck in a vicious circle. An overweight body gives ways to health problems, which again affect your weight for instance, when hormonal imbalance happens.

8. Lack of energy - You are always tired. All you want to do is sleep, even after waking up from a good, long sleep. This is a clear indicator of low immunity. You need to regulate your diet & exercise, apart from ensuring you sleep a good eight hours in the night, instead of 8-10 hours throughout the day.




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8 Reasons Your Immunity Is Lower Than It Should Be

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