How Acupuncture Can Help Boost Your Ability to Fight off Colds This Winter

As we make our way through the winter season, one challenge so many people face is the common cold and flu. The sniffles, low energy, coughing, and even the fever- it seems like there is no escaping it. However, there are several ways to help boost your immune system, and thus making yourself less susceptible to getting sick in the first place.

If you find that you are one of those people that always seems to get a cold or the flu, or whatever illness is going around your workplace, then your immune system needs a boost. Keeping your immune system boosted can help prevent an invasion whether bacterial or viral.

Why Some People Get Colds More Often Than Others 

The reason some get sick more than others is, as previously mentioned, due to the strength of our immune systems. Cold and flu viruses are regarded as an exterior “attack” on the body, and once exposed to them, our immune system is then put to work to fight off the cold or flu to prevent it from entering deeper. The strength of your immune system is why some fall sick every single time they are exposed to a cold, while others can fight it off. So what determines the strength of your immune system, and how can we boost it if it is lacking?

The immune system is composed of many different areas, which mostly depend on two key areas. Firstly, the refinements of the foods we eat, the strength of your constitution and the strength of your digestive system. Although the strength of our constitution is not something we can change (as it is a hereditary component), we can enhance it in certain ways. This includes eating nourishing foods, getting exercise regularly, getting enough sleep, practicing meditation and so forth.

The digestive system is a great area that we can enhance our immune systems, as we have complete control over whether or not we choose to eat nourishing foods, allowing our bodies to extract nutrients from the food and where the immune system regularly encounters and thus learns how to handle the pathogens that are ingested.

If you “run cold”, have a low level of energy, have trouble concentrating and have digestive issues such as easily feeling full or bloated, diarrhea, or have a lack of appetite, then your immune system could use some support.

How to Boost Your Immune System This Winter

Besides getting enough sleep, washing your hands, and exercise, acupuncture is an amazing way to boost your immune system, not just for the winter, but overall. Acupuncture can strengthen a weakened immune system in several ways, first by increasing red and white cell counts, T-cell count, and even triggers a rise in the levels of interferon, one of your body’s immune system’s messenger hormones.

Acupuncture boosts the immune system of natural killer cells for up to three days after your treatment, along with other things that help with your immunity such as the reduction of inflammation and stimulation your blood and lymph circulation overall.

This helps raise your immune system to allow it to fight off chronic infections such as common colds, allergies, and the flu. Once your immune system has been boosted, you finally won’t catch a cold every time someone around you has one.If you think you can benefit from this, take the time to read a bit more about acupuncture, and take the leap to sign up for your first treatment today!​​