How does immunity work
The Army against the Merchants
The word "immunity" has become a kind of marketing tool when advertising medicines and medical services. But what is immunity really? Is it really the root of all health problems? What factors weaken it and how to support it? These and other questions were answered by the chief allergist-immunologist of the Novosibirsk region Daria Demina.
Rospotrebnadzor experts predict that the epidemic season of 2016-2017 will come, as usual, after the January holidays, but Siberians began to catch colds and get sick in the fall. Deputy Minister of Health of the Novosibirsk region Yaroslav Frolov said earlier that three strains of flu that plied last year will be rampant this season. These are the H1N1 strain – avian influenza, and seasonal flu – H3N5 and group B strains.
– Let's start with the very concept – what is immunity?
– The work of the immune system can be compared with the protection of the army of your state. When foreigners try to enter a closed state under the guise of merchants, the scouts recognize them as enemies, and the warriors attack and destroy them.
Immunity is the body's defense against bacteria, viruses, and its own cells. The immune system consists of organs and tissues. This system includes the thymus gland (thymus), tonsils, lymph nodes, intestines, bone marrow, spleen, blood, lymph.
So, the tonsils are the first gate that collides with the environment, here the first immune response occurs, that is, a reaction to an incoming agent.
Protection against foreign agents is carried out by immune cells that work both in immune organs and in the bloodstream. They attack viruses and bacteria.
In our body, the organs do not work alone. When any disorders occur in any organs, they lead to a number of changes, which in turn affect the immune system.
Directly a malfunction in the organs, for example, a heart defect is chronic hypoxia (lack of oxygen in the blood), which will lead to dysfunction of the immune system.
– How is immunity formed? Why is it weakened for someone, and for someone, as they say, strong?
– In nature there are two lines of defense, two types of immunity. The first and most ancient is the innate immunity system, which is aimed at destroying the cell membrane of a foreign cell. It is inherent in all living beings – from fruit flies to humans. If, nevertheless, any protein molecule-an outsider managed to break through the "first line of defense", the "second line" – adaptive, or acquired, immunity - is dealt with.
Adaptive immunity is the highest form of protection that is inherent only in vertebrates. The mechanism of acquired immunity is very finely tuned and specific. In short: when a foreign protein molecule enters the body, white blood cells (leukocytes) begin to produce antibodies – for each protein (antigen) a specific antibody is produced. First, the so-called T-cells (T-lymphocytes) are activated, which begin to produce active substances cytokines that trigger the synthesis of antibodies by B-cells (B-lymphocytes).
The strength or weakness of the immune system is usually estimated by the number of B- and T-cells, they are so important for the protection of the body. The antigen–antibody interaction is very strong and very specific. When antibodies "sit down" on antigen proteins located on the surface of the virus or bacteria, the development of infection in the body is blocked.
The process of antibody production does not start immediately, it has a certain incubation period, depending on the type of pathogen. But if the activation process has already started, as soon as the same infection tries to enter the body again, the B-cells will immediately react with the production of antibodies, and the infection will be destroyed immediately without causing any harm. That is why for some types of infections, a person develops immunity for the rest of his life.
Up to 3-6 months, the child retains those antibodies that he received through the placenta from his mother, and he also receives them through breast milk. By three months, the first critical period in the functioning of the immune system begins and there is a risk of getting serious diseases, from which children are vaccinated.
From this age, the child develops his own antibodies, any contact with the disease causes an immune response that allows him to resist ailments in the future.
– Is it true that frequent illnesses of a child strengthen the immune system?
– When a child is sick, the immune system is in constant training, the more infections he suffers, the more protection he will have. When a child is not sick, then in adulthood he may have problems with immunity.
A lot depends on the age. There are physiological declines in the activity of the immune system – this is due to many problems in the growing body. If we compare a one-year-old child who does not have this decline, and a child aged 4-6 years, then the second one will certainly hurt more.
– How does the Siberian climate affect immunity?
– Living on the seashore, where there is a lot of sun, breathing salty air, of course, is better for the immune system than being in Siberia. In our country, for example, the lack of iodine in the air affects the thyroid gland, and as a result, the immune system.
– What other factors negatively affect immunity?
– Unhealthy environment negatively affects. An important factor is the uncontrolled intake of pills. People often prescribe antibiotics or immunomodulators to themselves, which leads to a violation of the body's natural defenses. Moreover, bacteria and viruses constantly mutate and no longer respond to antibiotics.
Pollution of the environment by industrial waste, unfavorable social conditions, increased consumption of various medicines, intensive use of disinfectants in everyday life and at work, the use of pesticides and herbicides in agriculture, changes in the quality of nutrition, the use of genetically modified products – all this has an impact on the modern human body and leads to changes in the immune system.
– Is it worth going to the sea to relax or is climate change more dangerous?
– Climate change when traveling on vacation is a positive stress. A person needs time to adapt, it's five to seven days. Therefore, it is not recommended to go on trips less than two weeks in order to get a good result. And for children, trips for three weeks or a month are necessary, because their adaptation is delayed.
– What are the signs of impaired immune function?
– First of all, frequent infections. When an adult gets sick more than two or three times a year, the diseases are severe and require antibacterial therapy.
Whatever disease you take, it will be associated with the immune system. These are allergies – an increased reaction of immune cells to non–dangerous environmental factors, autoimmune diseases – cells begin to damage their own tissues, oncology - when the immune system cannot cope with tumor (mutated) cells.
– How does the number of immune disorders among residents of the Novosibirsk region change?
– This number is growing every year. There is no exact data, since many diseases are indirectly associated with immunity. For example, every fifth person in the world suffers from allergies.
According to epidemiological data, about 30% of the adult population of the Novosibirsk region suffers from various allergic diseases. Allergic diseases occupy the third place after cardiovascular and oncological, in some ecologically unfavorable regions allergic diseases come out on top. It is also noted that over the past 30 years, during each decade, allergy incidence rates have doubled worldwide.
There is an increase in oncological diseases, autoimmune diseases, all this says that people's immunity is suffering more and more.
There are truly allergic diseases and pseudoallergic diseases associated with some kind of internal trouble, but manifested as an allergy.
Now it is possible to effectively treat allergies. For example, an effective method is allergen–specific immunotherapy: allergens in millions are diluted and injected into the body. That is, we teach the immune system to react differently. We use this method to treat allergies to household dust, flowering plants.
For the treatment of other disorders of the immune system, other methods of treatment are used: medications, cell therapy, and more. Treatment is selected individually. You need to go to an allergist-immunologist, he will send you for examination and prescribe the right treatment.
– And allergies to animals? Is it also treatable?
– There are no allergens in Russia for the treatment of this type of allergy. It is believed that the best treatment is to remove the cat, dog from the house.
– What remedies help strengthen the immune system?
– A healthy lifestyle has a positive effect on immunity – rejection of bad habits, unprofessional sports, walking in the fresh air, hardening, proper nutrition.
The explanation is simple. Sports, walking and hardening stimulate blood circulation and saturate the blood with oxygen, this has a positive effect on immunity. Proper nutrition – if it is diverse, then the body receives vitamins from food.
It is also not necessary to immediately take antibiotics at the first symptoms of a cold and follow the advice of a pharmacist from a pharmacy. If you get sick, go to the doctor, he should prescribe medications.
You should not also take large amounts of multivitamins yourself, this can lead to allergies. Vitamins should also be prescribed by a doctor.
– Is it possible to strengthen the immune system with the help of fermented milk products, as they say in advertising?
– The intestine is an organ of the immune system. When we normalize bowel function, we support the immune system. It can be any fermented milk product containing beneficial bacteria. But here, too, one should not bring to the point of absurdity and drink fermented milk if the body does not accept it.
– And with the help of iodine-containing drugs?
– As we have already said, problems with the thyroid gland cause a weakening of the immune system. Indirectly taking iodine in our region will help strengthen the immune system. But this should take place under the supervision of an endocrinologist. You should not take it yourself, because there are contraindications – autoimmune diseases, cysts, hypothyroidism and many others.
– It's the cold season. How true is it that antipyretics weaken the immune system?
– It is believed that at a body temperature of up to 38 degrees, it is not recommended to take an antipyretic, since when the body temperature rises, the immune system is activated. But this only works if a person tolerates the temperature normally, if he feels bad, it's worth drinking an antipyretic, do not suffer.
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25.10.2016