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AS SEEN IN RETAIL PHARMACY 39 As seen in the Jan/Feb issue of Retail Pharmacy magazine. A LESSON ON TEACHER IMMUNITY By Emily Devon. ack-to-school time, even during the best of seasons, sees many health issues arising. This year’s school start is set to be more critical than ever in health terms – off the back of a pandemic that has caused havoc throughout society and put great pressure on schools, the students and staff. As with those who work in health fields, teachers are exposed to a variety of health concerns due to their constant contact with a large number of people at any time. “Teachers and school staff are no different to pharmacists when it comes \\\[to getting\\\] ill in their line of work,” Pharmacist Sylvia Vyoung of Midland Pharmacy and Compounding Centre in Perth said. Strengthening immunity mentally Teachers can work towards strengthening their immune system in a number of ways. While there are many physical factors, their mental health also needs to be considered. “Stress or the feeling of anxiousness has a major impact on the immune system’s ability to fight susceptible illness,” Ms Vyoung said. “The body releases a hormone called corticosteroid when under stress, which suppresses the immune system. Thus, it’s important that teachers address the cause of the stress and prioritise their wellbeing.” This notion is supported by a study conducted in 2014, published in Occupational Medicine, which involved a range of teachers completing a cross-sectional survey using the Karasek Job Content Questionnaire, the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale and the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scales.1 “Psychological ill health contributes to widespread and serious chronic health problems, including burnout, in teachers,” the research report’s introduction stated. Key points from analysis of the study data included that about half of the teachers scored above the threshold for depression, and that those in the profession should be screened for psychopathology in relation to job stress accounting for individual and environmental effects. The study’s conclusion highlighted the importance of a teacher’s working environment and the effects it has on their mental health, which could have physical implications. Apart from mental health management, adequate sleep is a major factor in supporting the immune system. “A quality sleep of seven to eight hours strengthens the body’s immune system as well as speeds up recovery from an illness,” Ms Vyoung said. “Inadequate sleep has been associated with suppression of the immune system.” The strong link between sleep quality and immune function is explained in an article titled `The sleep-immunity relationship’, which appeared in the journal Neurologic Clinics.2 “Sleep deprivation can lead to increased risk of immune compromise and increased circulating levels of inflammation markers,” the article stated. Reduced stress is clearly important in improving sleep quality, but ensuring adequate intake of vitamin D is also now widely recognised as an aid to achieving better sleep. The value of vitamin D was more closely studied during 2020, with the ‘sunshine vitamin’ being shown to help fight infections, but its effects on sleep quality have also been highlighted. An article titled ‘The world epidemic of sleep disorders is linked to vitamin D deficiency’ was published in Medical Hypotheses, based on a 2012 trial of vitamin D supplementation in 1500 patients. The study showed that most patients had improvement in neurologic symptoms and sleep but only through maintaining a narrow range of 25(OH) vitamin D3 blood levels of 60-80 ng/ml.3 Physically feeding immunity Ms Vyoung recommends the following ways of helping to strengthen immunity: • Regular exercise. This “improves circulation, reduces stress and inflammation and strengthens antibodies, thus allowing immune cells to perform more effectively”. • A balanced healthy diet and drinking plenty of water. “Fruit and vegetables are packed with essential vitamins (vitamin D), minerals (selenium and zinc) and antioxidants (vitamin C, beta-carotenes, vitamin E) that can boost the immune system. A high fat diet is associated with impairing white blood cell function as well as altering the gut microbiomes that aids in immunity.” • Good hygiene. “Practising good personal hygiene, good hand hygiene and practising social distancing \\\[as emphasised during\\\] the last year, is essential for staff to reduce the risk of contamination and transmission of bacteria and viruses. The use of hand sanitisers in all classrooms and practising good hand washing techniques can reduce this risk.” References 1. Borrelli I, Benevene P, Fiorilli C, D’Amelio F, Pozzi G. ‘Working conditions and mental health in teachers: A preliminary study’. Occupational Medicine, 2014; 64 (7): 530-532. doi.org/10.1093/ occmed/kqu108 2. Gamaldo CE, Shaikh AK, McArthur JC. ‘The sleep- immunity relationship’. Neurologic Clinics, 2012; 30 (4): 1313-1343. doi.org/10.1016/j.ncl.2012.08.007 3. Gominak SC, Stumpf WE. ‘The world epidemic of sleep disorders is linked to vitamin D deficiency’. Medical Hypotheses, 2012; 79 (2): 132-135. doi. org/10.1016/j.mehy.2012.03.031 To read the full feature as it appears in the Jan/Feb issue of Retail Pharmacy magazine, visit: retailpharmacymagazine.com.au/magazine RETAIL PHARMACY ASSISTANTS • FEB 2021