Myths About Immunity

Do you think your immunity is low because you are often sick? Are you afraid to vaccinate against influenza in virulent season? Probably, you are a victim of common myths believed in society. Now let's try to reveal them!

Myth #1. If you are often sick it means you have low immunity
Cold, influenza, acute respiratory diseases show with running nose, sore throat and high body temperature. The man is sure that he got sick because he has low immunity.

Revealing the myth
It is wrong! When man feels these symptoms, it means his immunity responds to pathogenic microorganisms. Symptoms of cold are systematic and local reactions of our immunity to viral invasion. The disease is manifestation of strong immunity.

Explanation
In human body exists a group of special immune cells called T-killers. They do regularly examine all cells and analyze their receptors. Thus they recognize foreign cells or microbes and viruses and kill them. If patient has no temperature and the disease courses without symptoms common for inflammation – it means patient has low immunity.

Conclusion
If you are sick with influenza and it shows with temperature, running nose and sore throat it is good sign. It means your body fights the infection and immunity works correctly.

Myth #2. Vitamin C strengthens immunity
It is considered that taking vitamin C during outbreak protects our cells and prevents their membranes from distruction, which means it strenghtens the immunity.

Revealing the myth
During a disease viruses affect body cells, destroy their membranes and kill cells. On one hand, vitamin C normalizes cell membranes and help the immunity because it is strong antioxidant. However, vitamin C helps only in big doses – 8g or 16 pills should be taken at once. Otherwise, there will be no positive effects.

Explanation
Vitamin C is powerful antioxidant and it would help the immunity to fight influenza on condition that patient would take big doses of vitamin C which may fatal. Vitamin C is an acid, therefore its big doses may cause ulcer of stomach or kidney failure leading to death.

Conclusion
Vitamin C strenghtens the immunity only when taken in big doses, but it may lead to death.

Myth #3. Vaccine doesn't prevent from influenza
Many people beware of influenza vaccines as they believe that it doesn't prevent from influenza.

Revealing the myth
Patient cannot get sick from modern vaccines because they are safe and are created in such a way as not to infect a person, Vaccine helps human body to work out immune response to pathogenic virus.

Explanation
Vaccine has properties similar to real virus, but it is not contagious. Vaccine imitates viral infection to make immunity fight the virus. Therefore, when a real virus enters the body it faces antibodies produced by body with the help of vaccine.

Conclusion
It is necessary to vaccinate. It is most effective way to prevent influenza.