Moms, look out for these signs of low immunity in your child

If allergies, infections or health ailments have become your child’s friends then your kid’s immunity is low. Our bodies have a natural mechanism to manage the invading organisms and keep infections at bay. The immune system happens to be the body’s first line of defense in case of foreign infections. But when the body’s immune defenses are weakened, getting infected with common cold and cough on a frequent basis becomes part of life. You can tackle low immunity and boost your child’s immune system!

To know all about it, HealthShots connected with Dr Amit Shobhavat, Internal Medicine Expert, Apollo Spectra Mumbai.

What is low immunity?

Dr Shobhavat shares that the white blood cells, B-lymphocytes, and T-lymphocytes tend to safeguard us from infections. But when the body’s immune system fails to perform as it is required then the condition is called low immunity. So, if your child has low immunity, she or he can easily contract infections or even diseases. Having a strong immune system is extremely important as it can help to stay healthy.

Causes of low immunity

You can blame a lot of things for your child’s low immunity.

• Poor sanitation can invite a wide range of health issues such as cholera, diarrhoea, typhoid, dysentery, and hepatitis A which can lead to low immunity.
• Malnutrition is a deficiency of one or more essential nutrients, so if some of them are missing then your child will have low immunity.
• Stress can also impact your child’s immune system. Even kids can get stressed over exams. The stress hormone tends to suppress the efficiency of the immune system and raises the chances of infections.
• Lack of physical activity can also lead to low immunity.

Signs of low immunity

You should look out for these signs of low immunity in your child:

• Being stressed and having common cold
• Diarrhoea
• Constipation
• Acidity
• Irregular bowel movements
• Frequent infections such as pneumonia, sinusitis, and tonsillitis
• Tired all the time
• Skin infections
• Slow wound healing
• Anaemia (how to break free from iron deficiency anaemia)
• Loss of appetite
• Fever
• Chills
• Slow development in children.

The expert advises to try to find out the cause of low immunity and address the underlying problem without any delay. If your child’s immunity is low, the little one can also suffer from asthma which can lead to coughing, wheezing, and trouble in breathing. Asthma can be triggered by common allergens such as dust or pollen or even by an irritant like tobacco smoke. Eczema can happen owing to an allergen leading to an itchy rash known as atopic dermatitis. Your child can also suffer from allergic rhinitis which invites symptoms such as sneezing, runny nose, and swelling of nasal passages.

Tips to fix your child’s weak immune system

To boost your child’s immune system, you will have to make sure your child embraces a healthy lifestyle.

• Give your child foods consisting of protein, vitamins, and essential minerals.
• Encourage your child to give up spicy, oily, canned, junk, and processed foods (why to avoid junk food).
• Sweets, desserts, aerated drinks and bakery products should be consumed very less.
• Make sure your child drinks enough water to flush out toxins from the body.
• Encourage your child to maintain good personal hygiene and wash hands from time to time.
• Keep your child away from sick people.