Your immune system is the first line of defence from countless contagions, protecting the body at the first sign of trouble. In general, the immune system destroys foreign agents through two mechanisms, innate immunity and adaptive immunity. Innate immunity is a rapid, but non-specific first response to invading pathogen. On the other hand, adaptive immunity performs through antigen recognition and secretes specific chemicals such as antibodies and cytokines to regulate the immune response. It has the capacity for memory and able to stimulate a more efficient immune respontse upon subsequent exposure to the antigen thereby providing long-lasting protection.
In fact, the immune system works hard behind the scene to keep up with your busy schedule. However, many aspects of a hectic lifestyle will bring negative impacts on the immune system, such as stress, unhealthy diet, smoking, alcohol and lack of sleep.
A person with a weak immune system has a higher risk of being infected by viruses and bacteria, and therefore is more prone to infections such as common cold and flu.
