Do you feel like your body is working against you? No matter what you do, you can’t seem to shake that cold or flu. You’re not alone. Believe it or not, your weight and immune system are connected. And if you carry too much body fat, it sabotages your immune system and makes it harder for your body to fight off infection.
One of the ways to maintain a healthy body and a strong immune system is by choosing bariatric surgeries. Weight loss surgeries like gastric sleeve, gastric bypass, and duodenal switch help you lose kilos by limiting the amount of food the stomach can hold or how many nutrients your body can absorb. This helps improve your overall health and strengthens your immune system.
Read more: WHAT PROBLEMS OBESITY CAN CAUSE & HOW BARIATRIC SURGERY CAN HELP?
Here are some facts if you wonder how obesity affects your immune system.
1) Heart Diseases
Your heart is a muscle that needs exercise to stay healthy. When you’re obese, your heart has to work harder. This may lead to high blood pressure and other heart problems. High blood pressure may damage your arteries, making it harder for your blood to flow. That makes it harder for the body to get the oxygen and nutrients it needs.
Cytokines are a type of protein that helps fight infection. Your immune system makes them. Some cytokines help to protect you from diseases. But if you’re obese, you may have too many cytokines in your blood. This can make it hard for a body to fight off infections.
2) Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea makes you stop breathing for short periods during sleep. It can happen when extra weight around your neck squeezes your airway closed. Sleep apnea leads to fatigue, making it hard to get a good night’s sleep and more susceptible to infection. You may get infections like bronchitis and pneumonia more easily.
3) Type 2 Diabetes
People who are obese are likely to get type 2 diabetes. This chronic condition makes it challenging for the body to fight off infections. People with diabetes may have severe complications from infections, such as pneumonia or skin infections.
Some symptoms of type 2 diabetes include:
- Increased thirst
- Frequent urination
- Fatigue
- Blurred vision
- Slow-healing wounds
If you are overweight and experience any of these symptoms, you must talk to your doctor. They can help you manage your weight and diabetes to reduce your risk of developing infections.
4) Influenza
Influenza is a virus that primarily attacks the respiratory system. It is commonly known as the flu and can cause various symptoms, from mild to severe. The flu is highly contagious and spreads through coughing and sneezing.
Body fat plays a role in the development of influenza. People who are overweight or obese may develop the flu and have more severe symptoms. This is because body fat impairs the immune system’s ability to fight off the virus. In addition, people who are overweight or obese are likely to develop complications from the flu, such as pneumonia.
Weight loss surgery like gastric bypass & gastric sleeve is one of the things you may do to improve your health and quality of life. It’s one of the best things you may do to boost your immune system. West Texas Bariatrics offers the best weight loss surgery in West Texas.
