Is Lockdown Hurting Your Immune System?

As COVID-19 continues to sweep across the country, several regions have returned to a state of lockdown, with residents in those regions only leaving the house for essential errands like a trip to the grocery store or doctor. Those self-quarantine efforts are helping reduce the spread COVID-19, but is all that time spent social distancing, staying indoors and avoiding people actually weakening our immunity? Despite what you may have heard, the short answer is no, says Sten Vermund, MD, dean of the Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut.

Initially, there was concern that by limiting exposure to germs, people might set themselves up for other illnesses when lockdowns were lifted. But, a few months of lockdown is not likely to have dramatic effects on your immune system’s strength, according to Dr. Vermund. Nonetheless, you can still take steps to make sure your immune system is primed, especially as we enter cold and flu season.

The hygiene hypothesis

The concern about a weakened immune system started off as an offshoot of the hygiene hypothesis, which states that individuals who are exposed to a variety of germs in childhood build better immunity. Young children who have early exposure to different types of germs are less likely to develop allergies and other diseases when compared with children who grow up in sterile, clean environments.

But this hypothesis can’t really be applied to a few months of lockdown during a pandemic, Dr. Vermund explains. “If you are 30, your immune system has been battling invaders for 29-plus years, and four months of lockdown and a home-based lifestyle won’t make a difference. Your immune system is built over a lifetime of exposure,” he says. “Four months of being relatively isolated is not going to harm you because of lack of exposure to pathogens, as you have been exposed for your whole life.”

Newborns and toddlers won’t face long-term repercussions from lockdown on their immune systems either. “This is just a small delay in that child’s natural exposure, and the child will make up for lost time once they are exposed to germs,” Vermund adds.

“We don’t need constant bombardment with viruses to keep our immune system going,” agrees Len Horovitz, MD, pulmonary specialist, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York City.

Higher levels of body inflammation

That said, there are some ways that lockdown and the isolation it requires can put dents in your immune system, Dr. Horovitz says. In an analysis of 30 studies, published in May in Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, researchers found that social isolation and loneliness are linked with higher levels of inflammation in the body. Inflammation can cause or worsen a host of diseases and conditions. In this study, social isolation was associated with the presence of C-reactive protein, an inflammatory marker, and higher levels of fibrinogen, which, in excess, can increase the risk that a blood clot blocks a vein. This can obstruct blood flow and causing a heart attack or stroke, among other complications. In addition, loneliness was linked to higher levels of another inflammatory protein known as interleukin-6. Still, the researchers note, more research is needed to confirm these findings.

Mental illness may exacerbate preexisting conditions

Stress, anxiety, depression and loneliness make everything worse, Dr. Horovitz explains. “COPD [chronic obstructive pulmonary disease] and heart disease patients who are depressed, don’t have the same outcomes as those who are not depressed,” he says. “More anxiety and depression will give you a worse course of whatever disease state you are experiencing.” What’s more, COVID-19-related stress and anxiety may raise broken heart syndrome risk, which can mimic the symptoms of a heart attack.

Tips to boost your immune system

If you are depressed and socially isolated, you may not do the things you know you should do to stay healthy, such as engage in regular exercise, eat well, and get good-quality sleep. Instead, you may engage in unhealthy behaviours such as smoking or drinking excessive amounts of alcohol.

Gallery: 12 New Year’s Resolutions That Help You Live Longer (Reader’s Digest Canada)

Start flossing

Seriously, brushing just isn’t enough. Here’s how to prove it to yourself—eat some popcorn and brush your teeth. Think you brushed all the particles away? Grab some floss and get between each tooth. Did you miss some spots while brushing? Just think of those particles sitting there, day after day, rotting in in your teeth and gums. That bacteria inflame your gums, which can pull away from the tooth causing pockets and more places for leftover food to hang out. Besides potential tooth and bone loss, your heart will pay the price as the bacteria find their way to your arteries causing plaque, more inflammation which causes arteries to narrow. Gerontologist Dr. Michael Roizen told Reader’s Digest daily flossing can add 6.4 years to your life.

Take a naked selfie every month

Passcodes on smartphones are annoying, but if that’s what it takes to store nudes on your phone to save your life, it’s well worth it. Melanoma kills more than 9,000 people each year, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation, and one surefire way to lower your risk is to do a monthly self-check for new moles or moles that change in appearance. This is why a monthly selfie is essential. Who can remember from month to month if a mole changed in appearance or if the lesion you noticed last month grew or disappeared?

Here are more skin changes that could signify a serious health problem.

Become a pet parent

If you’ve been weighing the pros and cons of adopting a pet, you might want to resolve to do it this year because a fur-baby could help you live longer. A study showed dog owners had a 15 percent lower risk of death caused by cardiovascular disease than non-dog owners. (The research took place over an 11-year period with Swedes aged 40 to 80 with no history of cardiovascular disease.) As you probably can guess, it wasn’t just the cuteness factor that helped maintain a healthy heart; it’s likely the dog walks and playing fetch.

Here are 30 more ways to boost your heart health.

Make friends

Want to keep your wits sharp as you age? Then resolve to make more friends this year. And no, we don’t mean more Facebook friends and Instagram connections, but in-person, authentic relationships. (Here’s expert advice on how to make friends as an adult.) Turns out maintaining lifelong relationships has dividends beyond sharing laughs. Scientists asked super-agers (people in their 80s with the mental agility of a 50- to 60-year-old) and non-superagers (average-for-age) to complete a questionnaire about their psychological well-being. The compelling difference between the two groups is that the super-agers had higher levels of positive social relationships than the non-superagers.

Keep in mind these etiquette rules when visiting friends during a pandemic.

Stop eating over the kitchen sink

National Geographic fellow and journalist Dan Buettner knows the secret to why people who live in the “Blue Zone” live longer. (“Blue Zone” refers to parts of the world where scientists identified as having unusually long-living residents. Buettner’s extensive research includes Sardina, Italy; Okinawa, Japan; Ikaria, Greece; Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica; and Loma Linda, California.) One specific trait among the long-living residents of Sardina and Ikaria is they dine leisurely, taking time to enjoy the food and conversations with friends and family thoroughly. They also partake in small glasses of wine daily. Essentially, they practice mindful eating, a resolution that will have immediate and long-term benefits for you.

Find out why knowing your purpose in life can help you live longer.

Have a little faith

What does 115-year-old Kane Tanaka attribute her longevity to? Her nephew Gary Funakoshi told the San Diego Union-Tribune it’s her faith in God. And a study published in PLOS one reveals she may be onto something. But this doesn’t mean you have to join a church in January because it’s not necessarily the sermons that help us live to a ripe old age. Study authors point to the effects that church attendance has on mortality. For example, things like compassion, respect, charity, humility meditation, and inter-connectedness with others are all benefits attributed to having religious practices.

Check out these simple acts of kindness you can do in two minutes or less.

Make an appointment for this test

If you’re turning 50 this year and haven’t had a colon screening, you should put it on your list. Fecal testing, flexible sigmoidoscopy, and colonoscopy are three screenings that contributed to a 52 percent drop in deaths from colon cancer. (Learn to spot the symptoms of colon cancer.) A study published in the journal Gastroenterology kept tabs on Kaiser Permanente’s massive outreach that began in 2006 to get their patients screened for colon cancer. Overall, Kaiser Permanente patients are now 28 percent less likely to die from colon cancer than patients nationwide.

Here’s how to tell which cancer screenings you really need.

Start drinking green tea

More than 40,000 Japanese adults aged 40 to 79 were followed for 11 years to investigate the association between drinking green tea and mortality associated with heart disease and stroke. The results, published in JAMA, revealed people who drank five cups or more daily were less likely to die from heart disease and stroke during the study. In fact, for heart disease, 31 percent of women and 22 percent of men were less likely to die from heart disease and 42 percent of women and 35 percent of men from a stroke.

Check out more health benefits of green tea you haven’t heard before.

Make a playdate

We know exercise is an essential factor when it comes to living a longer life, but it’s boring when you have to go it alone, and when exercise is a snoozefest, we find something else to do—like watch TV. Researchers found an interesting correlation between social sports and longevity. A study in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings showed that team sports added years to your life. About 8,500 adults were followed for up to 25 years and asked to name their primary form of exercise. The answers pointed to social sports as improving life expectancy. Playing tennis netted 9.7 years, badminton served up an additional 6.2 years, and soccer scored an extra 4.7 years.

Find out the walking mistakes you didn’t know you were making.

If you have an immediate relative with diabetes, do this

According to Diabetes Canada, just over one percent of the Canadian adult population lives with undiagnosed diabetes. Diabetes can sneak up on you and, if left uncontrolled, contributes to heart disease, kidney disease, blindness and amputations. If you have an immediate relative with diabetes, the AHA recommends testing, which is usually a simple fasting glucose test of your blood sugars. Regardless of an immediate relative with diabetes, if you have a history of heart disease, high blood pressure or cholesterol, polycystic ovary syndrome, or physical inactivity, resolve to get your blood sugars tested.

Learn to spot the silent signs you might have diabetes.

Strive for these traits

What is a common trait among the oldest people living in the world? Curious researchers conducted a positive psychological traits study to find out. They interviewed a group of rural Italians aged 90 to 101 years and their children and extended family. Rating scales for factors such as physical well-being, optimism, anxiety, depression, and resilience were used. (Here’s how to take better care of yourself during the pandemic.) Also, interviews were done with the older people and their family members to gather their narratives about things like their beliefs, traumatic events, and migrations. Researchers also got impressions from family members about the personality traits of their older relatives. Their ripe old age was due in part to close family ties, religion, a purposeful life, and the ability to grin and bear, when necessary, a positive attitude.

Check out more everyday habits of optimistic people.

Punch out on time

Your partner tells you all the time that you work too hard, but you shrug it off knowing that if you put in long hours now, it will pay off in the future. But will it? The American Journal of Epidemiology suggests that there’s a whopping 40 percent increased risk of coronary heart disease among those who work 50 hours or more each week. Another study revealed workers who logged in more than 60 a week for 30 years tripled their risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes and arthritis.

Next, find out more medically-backed advice on how to live to 100.

12/12 SLIDES

This doesn’t mean you are powerless. There are things to do to boost your immune system, which can help protect you from all sorts of diseases and conditions, including COVID-19. Here are a few expert-recommended tips.

Get your vitamin D

Vitamin D is known as the sunshine vitamin because your body produces it when exposed to sunlight, and it stands to reason that your levels may be lower than they should be due to time spent indoors during quarantine, says Dr. Horovitz. “Vitamin D can boost immunity,” he says. The current recommended daily amount of vitamin D for adults is 600 International Units per day. It’s hard to get enough vitamin D from food, which is why most doctors recommend a supplement. A blood test can tell you where you stand, he says. (Learn to spot the signs you’re not getting enough sunlight during the pandemic.)

Get a good night’s sleep

Aim for seven to eight hours sleep per night, Dr. Horovitz says. Make sure your bedroom is cool and dark and conducive to good sleep. Don’t engage in stressful activities before bed, which may include reading the news or tracking COVID-19 cases in your region. Sleep loss can hamper your immune system and leave you more vulnerable to colds and the flu. (Discover 19 daily habits for a better night’s sleep.)

Exercise regularly

Try to be physically active every day. It helps keep your immune system strong, possibly by flushing bacteria out of your lungs and airways to reduce your chance of getting a cold, flu, or other illness. “It also boosts brain chemicals known as endorphins and keeps your spirits up,” Dr. Horovitz says. (Need something to put a spring in your step? Here’s how to make walking less boring.)

Eat well

Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and maintaining a healthy weight will keep our body in optimal shape so it is better able to fight off diseases, according to Dr. Horovitz. (Find out the 50 best foods for your heart.)

Get the flu shot

It’s also important to make sure you and your family are up to date on all vaccines. The flu shot this year is no exception. (Here’s how to tell if your symptoms are COVID-19 or the flu.)

Wash your hands

Taking steps to avoid infection, such as washing your hands and wearing a face covering when social distancing isn’t possible, can help you stay healthy. (Make sure you avoid these common hand-washing mistakes.)

If you drink alcohol, drink in moderation

If you do drink alcohol, do so in moderation, he says. Canada’s Low Risk Drinking Guidelines recommend no more than 10 drinks a week for women (with no more than two per day) and 15 drinks a week for men (with no more than three per day). A drink is defined as 1.5 fluid ounces of distilled spirits, 12 fluid ounces of regular beer, or 5 fluid ounces of wine.

The takeaway

Avoiding these habits that might be harming your immune system can help keep illness at bay. These measures may be especially important for older people, advises Dr. Horovitz. Advancing age is known to sap your immune system of some of its power. “We know the immune system naturally as we get older doesn’t have the robust qualities it had in childhood,” he says.

Next, find out Canada’s new face mask guidelines.

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