Lymph - what is it? What is its significance in the human body?

What is lymph and what are its main functions in the human body? Many people do not even realize how important this rather little-known part of the life support system is. So this needs to be fixed so that everyone understands the importance of lymph. What is lymph? How does it circulate throughout the body? What factors affect her quality of work? What will happen if she does not cope with her duties? Here is a short list of issues that will be addressed in the article.

What is lymph?

In humans, it is very closely associated with the circulatory system. Its tasks include neutralization, as well as the disposal of the most harmful waste. It also has the responsibility of pumping excess fluid, which is in the intercellular space, back into the vascular bed. Lymph works with the remains of decayed cells, various microbes, viruses, toxins, end products of human cells, tissues, and organs. She, like blood, pierced the whole body with her vessels. But it’s only flowing not because of muscle contractions and pressure, but passively, very slowly. Numerous valves throughout the body serve to prevent backflow. The movement of lymph is carried out solely due to contractions of the skeletal muscles that surround the vessels. Here is what lymph is, and what is its significance in the body in general terms. Now let's take a closer look.

Moving

The speed of the lymph is approximately 4 millimeters per second. So that you can imagine how small it is, we give a small comparison - the speed of blood flow in the aorta is in the range of 40-50 cm / sec! So, lymph passes through the whole body only six times a day. Whereas it does the blood in some 20-25 seconds. As a person ages, the lymph begins to move more slowly. This is due to a decrease in vascular tone and muscle activity of a person. This is lymph. What is she, we know. Now let's look at the features of its functioning.

What factors worsen the functioning of the lymphatic system?

All of them are commonplace and well known:

1. Sedentary lifestyle. The greatest danger is a decrease in muscle activity. When the muscles become weak and lethargic, a direct relationship arises between this and the deterioration of the lymphatic system.
2. Smoking, alcohol, adverse ecology, cold, nervous tension, severe fatigue, malnutrition - all this does not affect the condition of our body in the best way.
3. Violations in the functioning of the circulatory system. The most common is a worsening of the venous return of blood to the heart. Due to this, it accumulates in the lower body and often leaves the channel into the intercellular space.
4. Age-related changes. Poor functioning of the lymphatic system can be detected in almost any person. With age, problems will only get worse. The most common result (and one of the safest) is the intoxication of the body.

As you can see, monitoring your health is in your own interests. We figured out what lymph is. What can the body give us if we ignore our health?

Possible problems

Here the principle of growing coma of problems applies. So, initially the accumulation of intercellular fluid will lead to the fact that blood vessels will be pinched. Because of this, cells will not be able to receive food and oxygen in the required amount for their normal functioning. With further accumulation of fluids will be overloaded, and then the lymph nodes become contaminated with end products and various toxins. Thanks to this, a person will begin to feel unwell, poor sleep, chronic fatigue, regular headaches, poor performance, unhealthy skin color - in general, remember all the typical manifestations of intoxication.

About the functioning of the lymphatic system

First of all, it pumps out intercellular fluid along with various waste products. It turns out about 2-4 liters in one day. When failures are observed, the desired volume of liquid is not output. This leads to swelling. As a rule, first problems arise with the legs. But if there is puffiness and swelling of the face, bags and bruises under the eyes, then the cause may be reported by the lymph. What is the state of affairs is not limited to the above data, it seems, it is already clear. So, she is also responsible for the immune system. Various microbes that enter our body are transported to the lymph nodes, in which they are neutralized. Therefore, even a small malfunction can lead to the fact that some kind of disease begins to develop. As an absolutely banal example, one can cite the increase in the incidence of colds.

What does good lymph work give us?

The obvious advantages include the following:

1. Activation of metabolic processes.
2. Weight loss.
3. The disappearance of edema.
4. The disappearance of acne.
5. Restore water balance.
6. Elimination of wrinkles and sagging skin.
7. Slowing down the aging of the body.
8. The disappearance of cellulite.

Agree, very nice bonuses. Then the logical question is: how to make the lymph work well? What can help us? And there are answers to this:

1. It is necessary to move actively.
2. Massage has a positive effect.
3. It is necessary to maintain a significant amount of fluid in the body.
4. Proper and complete nutrition.

Not very difficult, right? And most importantly, everyone can do it.

Functions

Let's talk about this in more detail:

1. Lymph is involved in the absorption and return of protein to the circulatory system.
2. It provides cleanliness in the intercellular space due to the transportation of waste compounds.
3. Lymph acts as a biological and mechanical filter, and also supplies immunoactive cells (these are B and T lymphocytes).
4. It absorbs fatty elements from the small intestine.
5. Carries out immunological control of chyme.
6. It maintains fluid and protein balance in the internal environment of the body.
7. It is a component of the rapid immunological response system.
8. Supports the work of connective tissue.

Thanks to this, our tissues are kept healthy, supple and smooth. Therefore, it is necessary to strive by all means to support the lymphatic system. After all, the exchange of nutrients, as well as the removal of decay products, must be carried out continuously. What can help this has already been written above.

Conclusion

The reader already has an understanding of what lymph is. The photos presented as part of the article should help you not only theoretically understand what it is, but also get an idea about the appearance of the lymph. After all, who knows, perhaps this article will be read by an applicant who wants to go to the doctor, but has not yet decided who he will work with. And then knowing what a person’s lymph is, a photo of this component can still lead to the discovery in this area of ​​talent that the world has not yet seen. But before that you have to learn a lot. Although if you look this way, the first step towards studying this area of ​​medicine has already been taken. And even if this knowledge is never directly useful to you, it can have a positive impact on the formation of a healthy lifestyle. After all, forewarned - meaning armed!