Is there a way to boost your chances of surviving Ebola?

The latest Centers for Disease Control (CDC) projections indicate that, by January 2015, more than 1.4 million people will be infected with Ebola virus. With a 50-90 percent mortality rate associated with this disease, global health efforts are underway to stop the spread of this deadly disease, but as of yet, no definitive cure has been found.

Ebola virus can affect anyone of any age or gender, and experts indicate survival usually hinges on timely medical intervention. For this reason, more industrialized nations like the United States feel confident should Ebola emerge within their borders individuals can be treated and a serious outbreak avoided.

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But just because a nation has the means to treat individuals quickly and with the best medications available doesn’t mean people in that country can’t get Ebola. Health experts closely monitoring the epidemic in West Africa say it’s only a matter of time before the U.S. sees it’s first true case of the virus.

So is there anything people can do to improve their chances of surviving Ebola?

First and foremost, the World Health Organization (WHO) indicates prompt medical care is the most important factor in improving someone’s chances for surviving Ebola. While doctors have no way to directly combat the infection itself, they can focus care on supporting the organs and systems of the body being attacked.

“You treat the things that are failing,” explained Dr. Lee Norman, chief medical officer for the University of Kansas Hospital, to WebMD. “If a person is dehydrated, you treat them with IV fluid support. If a person has respiratory failure, you put them on a ventilator.”

Ebola, unlike many other viruses, attacks multiple organs and systems within the body. Norman indicated that the more of these organs that fail, the less chance a person has of surviving the disease. What’s more, the body initiates an inflammatory response to the virus, and while this is a short-term method of defense, prolonged inflammation can actually make matters worse.

“It’s a combination of the viral destruction and the inflammation that takes place in response that’s so life threatening to us,” he said. “If you look at the overall statistics, the mortality rate is around 50 to 60 percent, but if you get out into remote areas the mortality rate increases to around 90 percent. I think that reflects the fact that if more care is given and care is given early, the more survival improves.”

But care for Ebola can’t be administered until someone actually has the disease, so what should people do who are considered at-risk?

Experts indicate there are no preventative studies as of yet regarding Ebola, but good immune-boosting habits can’t hurt. Ebola is a virus, and certain conditions, like malnutrition, can increase an individual’s risk of mortality. People who are at-risk for Ebola should consider the following immune-boosting tips from Harvard Medical School:

• Don’t smoke.
• Eat a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and low in saturated fat. “Like any fighting force, the immune system army marches on its stomach,” indicates Harvard. “Immune system warriors need good, regular nourishment. Scientists have long recognized that people who live in poverty and are malnourished are more vulnerable to infectious diseases. Whether the increased rate of disease is caused by malnutrition’s effect on the immune system, however, is not certain. There are still relatively few studies of the effects of nutrition on the immune system of humans, and even fewer studies that tie the effects of nutrition directly to the development (versus the treatment) of diseases.”
• Exercise regularly.
• Maintain a healthy weight.
• Control your blood pressure.
• If you drink alcohol, drink only in moderation.
• Get adequate sleep.
• Take steps to avoid infection such as wearing protective clothing and practicing proper hygiene.
• Understand how age plays a role. “While some people age healthily, the conclusion of many studies is that, compared with younger people, the elderly are far more likely to contract infectious diseases,” explains Harvard. “Respiratory infections, influenza, and particularly pneumonia are a leading cause of death in people over 65 worldwide. No one knows for sure why this happens, but some scientists observe that this increased risk correlates with a decrease in T cells, possibly from the thymus atrophying with age and producing fewer T cells to fight off infection.”

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In addition to adopting healthy lifestyle habits, it is important for individuals to decrease their stress burden. Stress has been linked to chronic inflammation in the body–one of the very things that makes the Ebola virus so deadly. Decreasing everyday stress through meditation or other means will ensure the immune system is functioning at full capacity to fight off viruses.

Remember, however, that even if you do everything possible to boost your immune system and live a healthy life, you can still contract Ebola. Individuals who are considered at-risk should be taking measures to give themselves the best chance for survival if they do contract the virus, which means eating clean, exercising regularly, and avoiding habits such as smoking and drinking alcohol.