Immunity can also do harm
Dangerous high immunity: do not lift!
Meanwhile, high immunity can be threatening, and raising it is simply dangerous. The fact that immunity should be approached carefully and carefully, says Natalia Seredenko, a therapist at the multi-specialty clinic Alfa–Center for Health.
Immunity – immunity, the body's resistance to infections and invasions of foreign organisms (viruses, bacteria, protozoa, parasites), the effects of foreign substances. Another important role is assigned to the antitumor function of immunity.
The biological meaning of immunity is to ensure the genetic integrity of the organism throughout its individual life. Without the immune system, it would be impossible to develop highly organized organisms.
The problem of weak immunity is often highlighted and discussed. And is the immunity too high?Immunity cannot be high or low, these are terms used in the circle of ordinary people.
Immunity is a complex system of organs, tissues, cells, biologically active substances with which the immune response in the body is carried out. It would be more correct to say that the immune response can be normal (adequate), and pathological. But the pathological immune response arises as a result of various "breakdowns" in the immune system, we can say that the immune system, as it were, "exceeds its powers".
An example of such an incorrect, inadequate immune response can be a well–known allergy or hyperactivity of the body, when a foreign substance is an antigen, and this can be food, pollen, animal dandruff, waste products of bacteria and insects, drugs or chemical compounds, etc., causes an overly "violent" immune response in the body, which manifests it manifests itself in the form of allergic reactions with a variety of manifestations – runny nose, lacrimation, rash, shortness of breath, suffocation, diarrhea, and in severe cases leads to life-threatening conditions, such as anaphylactic shock or a pronounced attack of suffocation (asthmatic status).
Another type of "breakdowns" in the immune response are autoimmune reactions that lead to the emergence of autoimmune diseases. These reactions occur when the cells of the immune system – lymphocytes begin to infect and destroy the body's own cells and tissues. The cause of such "breakdowns" and "failures" can be viral and bacterial infections, unfavorable environmental conditions, chemical pollution of the environment, as well as burdened heredity. An example of diseases with an autoimmune mechanism of development are rheumatoid arthritis, glomerulonephritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, various vasculitis (inflammation of the vascular wall), hepatitis, pancreatitis, thyroid diseases (autoimmune thyroiditis) and others.
In what cases can immunity not be raised? Could it be dangerous?It is in cases with autoimmune diseases, because when using immunostimulating drugs, the process will progress, and it will be difficult to predict further developments.
Moreover, any aggressive effect on the body can provoke a deterioration of the condition, whether it is a steam bath or insolation.
Are there cases when immunity has to be artificially lowered? How is this done?Immunosuppressive therapy, in other words, drug inhibition of the immune response, has to be used to treat all the same autoimmune diseases.
For this purpose, drugs from the group of glucocorticoids are used, for example prednisone or methylprednisolone, as well as cytostatics, radiation therapy is also used in oncology.
Immunity is divided into innate and acquired. Innate immunity is a genetic immunity to diseases that affect animals or birds. Acquired immunity is the immunity that we "earn" throughout our lives, encountering various infections and foreign particles. Also, immunity is divided into cellular and humoral. The concept of cellular immunity includes the activity of cells of the immune system – T-lymphocytes, killer cells, macrophages (monocytes), etc., the concept of humoral immunity - the activity of antibodies that are produced by B-lymphocytes in the bone marrow.
How to determine if a person's immune system is functioning normally?First, it is necessary to find out whether there are clinical manifestations of reduced immunity: a tendency to frequent colds, pustular rashes, furunculosis, long-term non-healing micro-injuries of the skin, whether there are enlarged lymph nodes, prolonged subfebrility, whether there are changes in the usual clinical blood test.
A more in–depth study is a detailed immunogram with the definition of the function of various parts of the immune system, the interpretation of which should be given by an immunologist and, if any violations are detected, appropriate treatment should be prescribed.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru24.04.2012