Vacations are an important opportunity to improve our health. However, they can also be associated with certain risk situations for people with immune-based diseases, as well as for healthy people.
It is very important to emphasize that vacations are an opportunity to exercise self-care, both for healthy people and for those suffering from immunological diseases. In other countries, the exercise of self-care is highly encouraged, both to avoid getting sick and to avoid getting worse, in case you are sick.
Self-care of the immune system
- A person who has undergone a transplant, if during the vacations he/she relaxes and neglects his/her immunosuppressive therapy, may have a rejection.
- If I am an immunodeficiency patient and I neglect my diet when traveling to countries with poor socio-sanitary conditions, I am more at risk of developing intestinal infectious diseases.
- If I have lupus, I know that I have to protect myself from sunlight, using appropriate sunscreen creams, because if I don’t, I run the risk of a flare-up. Experimental studies have concluded that ultraviolet light can potentiate interferon gene stimulators that could be involved in this predisposition to an inflammatory outbreak.
But also healthy people:
- A healthy person who wants to go to areas with epidemic or endemic of some diseases will have to be vaccinated or take some drugs to prevent them. This is the case of malaria.
We already know that during the Christmas or summer vacations we can overeat, overindulge in sugary drinks or simply lose our usual eating routine. It is also known that being overweight can affect the immune system, and that excess sugar can have a pro-inflammatory effect and, to some extent, can suppress immune responses.
In metabolic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, gout, or arteriosclerosis, there is an inflammatory state caused by damage-associated molecular patterns. These substances are recognized by receptors such as Toll-like receptors found on innate immune system cells, which can result in damage-mediating signals.
Factors affecting our immune system during the vacations
If during the vacations we go more frequently to enclosed places with crowds of people we may have more chances of acquiring respiratory infectious pathologies, especially in the coldest months, where we have the Christmas vacations.
What can we do to keep our defense system in good condition?
- A balanced protein intake (animal or vegetable) is important for immune protein homeostasis.
- People living in places with low sunlight may need to monitor vitamin D levels and/or receive supplements, always under medical prescription (if necessary). Vitamin D is important for the functioning of some immune mechanisms. Thus, for example, Vitamin D, which is predominantly obtained from sunlight and food, can have an immunomodulatory effect on the urothelium that helps control infections such as those produced by Escherichia coli.
On the other hand, experts at the Mayo Clinic report that laughing improves mood and may also have positive effects on the immune system. I have found some articles that have studied this subject and reflect that laughter and good humor can increase levels of immune mediators such as secretory IgA or natural killer (NK) cells.
They also indicate that positive thoughts help to release neuropeptides that can prevent stress and other diseases.
But during the vacations we are also subjected to other types of stress related to long road trips, plane rides, long queues, etc. Some of these factors can affect the immune system. For example, psychological factors, which can increase the risk of infections.
On the other hand, there are studies that show that with more anxiety there are fewer CD4 defense cells that express the cytokine IL2, which is important for the activation of lymphocytes. Other studies show that stress is related to lower rates of lymphocyte proliferation.
Paradoxically, in this chapter on stress, it has been suggested that psychological stress is a potent inducer of anti-inflammatory cytokines such as IL10. It is also an inducer of adrenaline and glucocorticoids.
Therefore, we could say that going from the stress of work to the tranquility of vacation (if this is really the case) could be associated with a lower production of IL10, and this could be associated with greater inflammation and therefore a greater predisposition to have some diseases.
We must keep in mind that immune responses are driven by genetic patterns and that these are not the same in all people, which complicates any attempt to simply interpret these issues and risks.
Guidelines for taking care of our immune system
Regular physical exercise, avoiding overexertion, can also help us to keep our immune system in good condition.
Numerous studies have shown that physical exercise affects endothelial function which plays an important role in the control of inflammation and oxidative stress. It is known to increase levels of nitric oxide, which is an antioxidant. In addition, experimental animal studies have analyzed the possible positive role of exercise – even in obese animals – on cellular infiltrates, cytokine and chemokine profiles in the lung epithelium, which may be important in controlling respiratory infections well.
Good sleep is another important factor in maintaining a healthy immune system during the vacations. Reduced sleep time triggers a state of stress that can lead to increased glucocorticoid and adrenaline levels. These substances regulate components of the immune system such as, for example, NK cells. Studies in mice have shown that sleep deprivation leads to a decrease in the number and function of these cells.
If we heed these indications we can draw some conclusions about what we can do to keep our immune system in good condition during the vacations.