There is a growing understanding of how aging affects the immune system, and there are some surprising discoveries that past 65 isn’t all downhill.
health
January 31, 2023
The immune system mainly deteriorates in old age, but some benefits appear later in life Vicky Turner
Just as many parts of our bodies change as we age, so does our immune system. suggests that is not downhill.
Let’s start from the beginning. With no previous encounters with pathogens, infants are vulnerable to infections of all kinds. Some antibodies are also passed on through breast milk.
Babies are recommended to be vaccinated in order of decreasing protection against these antibodies. For example, a vaccine against whooping cough is given at 8 weeks of age because so-called maternal antibodies to this infection decline rapidly.
Respiratory diseases, stomach bugs, and other infections never encountered before surge when babies and children begin to mix with other children in daycare and school. and lead to lifelong immunity to them. Even infections that are too mild to notice can lead to immunity.
Menopause can cause changes in the strength of your immune system kate_sept2004/Getty Images
During adulthood, pregnancy causes temporary changes in the immune system that make some immune cells less active to prevent rejection of the fetus. This could mean that pregnancy increases the risk of infections…
