You may have heard that the genes of a woman make her strong. Further, you have also heard that women are less prone to diseases or may live for more years. While all of this may not be true in every case, the influence of the immune system does help a number of women to live for greater years without experiencing many diseases. With respect to this, the immunologist Kanury Rao says that the immune system of women can differ from that of men.
Not just one but several factors can be responsible for this difference. The response to infections, the living style, etc., can be included in these factors. To understand more, let us see what the upcoming sections hold.
Infections and the Sex of Immune System
It may not be apt to say in every instance that a woman’s system is always stronger than a man’s immune system. However, when it comes to infections, the response created by the immune system of women can lead them to fight it better. It has come up that a better predisposition results due to a response that is hyperimmune. This response is made to autoimmunity. Since such a response may not be observed most of the time in men, their immune systems can act differently.
Mr. Rao has said that there can also be certain environmental factors that may influence the immunity of sexes. Based on the environment to which the sex is exposed, men or women can differently respond when they come in contact with infection-causing elements.
Lifestyle and Immunity of Sexes
Immunologists have shared that when we look at the differences between the immune systems of men and women, we must not avoid their lifestyles. To determine who has a better immune response, looking at the lifestyle of sexes can tell a lot.
Taking this further, Kanury Rao says that symptoms such as hepatitis B/C, asthma, etc., can develop when the living style of sexes is unhealthy. Due to factors such as sexual dimorphism, men may develop such symptoms at an earlier age than women.
Speaking of symptoms like hepatitis B/C, Mr. Rao has found that sex hormones can also play a role in generating immune responses. These responses can be different when viruses affect a man or woman. These viruses can get connected to the receptors of the hormones. Due to this, the immune system of the sex can respond with a difference.
Summary
Both women and men can have strong immune systems. To determine which sex has a stronger one, we need to look at a number of factors. Here, we tried to explain the factors that should be looked into when such an observation has to be made. In some instances, the immunity of women can indeed prove to be stronger than that of men. Considering the lifestyle and other factors, in other instances, the immune system of men can also be strong.
