How to Boost Your Immunity so You Can Fight Respiratory Infections

Between 5% and 20% of Americans catch the flu each year. Staying current on your vaccines can reduce your risk, as can a healthy lifestyle. In fact, several things can be done to boost your immunity and prevent respiratory infections, like the common cold and COVID-19.

At Russak Personalized Medicine, our team specializes in diagnosing and treating respiratory infections. Here, we provide some simple tips that can boost your immunity and support your immune system all season long.

How to boost your immunity during cold and flu season

Boosting your immunity during cold and flu season is easier than you think! Here are 5 tips for taking action:

1. Eat a balanced diet

Eating a nutritious, balanced diet ensures your body gets the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients it needs to thrive. This supports your metabolism and reduces your risk of heart disease, and it can bolster your immune system. 

Plant-based diets — like vegan and vegetarian diets — are particularly beneficial. A study from the journal Nutrients found that people who eat plant-based diets are less likely to experience respiratory infections. They’re also less likely to experience respiratory infection-related hospitalizations.

2. Get plenty of sleep

Restful, rejuvenating sleep is a key to feeling your best. When you’re well-rested, it’s easier to focus and manage the challenges that life presents. However, good sleep can also protect you from respiratory infections. It supports the production of protective cytokines — proteins that help your immune system function optimally.

We recommend getting at least 7-9 eight hours of sleep each night. Research shows that if you consistently sleep less than this, you’re more likely to experience respiratory infections.

3. Practice good hand hygiene

Respiratory infections, like the cold and flu, travel through the air, but they can also find their way onto door knobs, elevator buttons, and shopping cart handles. Washing your hands throughout the day can keep harmful microorganisms, like viruses and bacteria, at bay. 

Whenever you get home from work or running errands, wash your hands in warm water for at least 20 seconds. Studies show that this simple practice can reduce your risk of respiratory infection by up to 20%. 

4. Reduce stress

Most of us are stressed about something, and while it might not seem like that big of a deal, ongoing stress can take a significant toll on your immune system. Experts aren’t entirely sure why stress weakens immunity, but those who experience it are more likely to develop upper respiratory tract infections. 

If you feel stressed, set aside time each day to wind down. Options abound, including reading a book, soaking in the bathtub, or doing some light meditation. Intentional stress reduction can help support your well-being throughout the cold months.

5. Move your body

Exercise may seem like a hassle, but it’s one of the best ways to protect your respiratory health. But you don’t have to join a gym. 

A study published in Medicine & Science In Sports & Exercise concluded that walkers and runners were much less likely to develop respiratory infections, like pneumonia, compared with those who didn’t. Simply taking an after-dinner walk around the block is a great place to start. If the weather doesn’t cooperate, half an hour on the treadmill can provide similarly beneficial results. 

We can help reduce your risk

Another great way to prevent respiratory infections is to get your annual flu and COVID-19 shots. If you’d like to schedule yours, or if you think you might have a cold or the flu, contact us today. Call our office in Greenwood Village, Colorado, or book your appointment online.