Facts About the Immune System

The body system has some defense mechanisms that prevent foreign invaders from getting into your system, and this mechanism is regarded as the immune system. It contains cells, tissues, and organs that work hand in hand to protect you.

Your immune system is classified into two types: innate immunity and adaptive immunity.

• Innate immunity: this is a genetic defense system you are born with. It doesn’t pose any biased feature when combating the threat. It has barriers that fend off threats. Its components include the stomach acid, skin, and chemical substances in your body that contains interleukin 1 and interferon.
• Adaptive immunity: it is acquired and biased in its actions. It has specificity in dealing with the threat. The threat must be processed and identified by your body before the release of antibodies from your immune system. Then the antibodies specifically fight against the threat. The main reason for the identification is for an efficient response to such threats in the future.

The cells of your immune system are white blood cells. Yes, these cells are fighting cells. They fight against any form of threat which could be bacterial, virus, or cancer cells. They are majorly produced from the bone marrow, which is also an organ in the immune system. Other organs of the immune system include the spleen, tonsils, and lymph nodes.

The white blood cells being the functional and structural unit of the immune system, also contain two types of cells. These cells are the B and T cells.

The cells trap and destroy foreign cells while the B cells release antibodies for body system protection.

So, spare a few minutes as this article basically sheds some light on the likely disorders of your immune system.

Immune System Abnormalities

Abnormalities in your body’s immunity are referred to as immunodeficiency. As the name implies, deficiency of the immune system. It increases your body’s vulnerability to diseases and infections.

Immunodeficiency occurs in two different ways. Either your immune system is less active, or it’s overactive. Having a less active immune system makes harmful invasion easier, while the overactive immune system causes self-damage. The body strikes its own tissues, known as autoimmune disorders.

This immunodeficiency can be classified into two forms.

• Primary immunodeficiency disease: it is a genetic immunity disorder you are born with. It’s hereditary, denoting it can be passed from parents to offspring. Over 90 primary immunodeficiency disease has been discovered. It is also called congenital immunodeficiency disease.
• Secondary immunodeficiency disease: from the name, it’s Secondary, meaning it’s abroad. It is usually caused by intervention or visitation from external factors, which later on affect your body. It is also called acquired immunodeficiency disease because it is gotten from exposure. This immunodeficiency causes the deficiency of T cells. These external factors are called immunosuppressive agents. They render your immune organ weak. These agents are malnutrition, chemotherapy, burns, diabetes, and radiation. Acquired immunodeficiency disease results in AIDs, viral hepatitis, and cancer like leukemia, multiple myeloma.

The Disorders of the Immune System

Psoriasis

This immune system disorder is an autoimmune deficiency. The cell replication gets speed up by the damaged immune system, thereby causing the accumulation and growth of T cells in the cells. The faulty immune system mistakes the skin as a pathogen which sends a signal for the release of antibodies. It’s not a contagious disease.

A common example is plaque psoriasis. The visible symptom on the victim is the development of red and white scaly patches on the layer of your skin. It can also appear on your elbows and wrists.

It always brings discomfort to the victim, like pain and itching. Also stigmatization from workplace, family or friend and the society. Furthermore, the patient’s mental health should be in check.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

This is a common form of arthritis. It is also an autoimmune deficiency. It happens when the immune system attacks your joints. The lining of your joints gets attacked by the antibodies released from the immune system. It causes pain, inflammation, and swelling.

If the deficiency persists for long, it might develop into permanent joint damage, which will definitely hinder the victim from some locomotive movement. It’s an uncomfortable disorder. That’s why early diagnosis for immediate treatments is necessary. It’s so common in older people.

Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis is also an autoimmune disorder. It attacks your central nervous system: the spinal cord and the brain. The immune system strikes the myelin that covers the nerve fibers. Hence, causing a problem with communication between your brain and your body. It leads to permanent deterioration of the nerve fibers.

It attacks your spinal cord, optic nerves, brain stem, cerebellum, and some parts of the brain. It is hard to diagnose, and its damages are not predictable. It frequently occurs as numbness, electric shock sensation, muscular gait, fatigue, dizziness, blurred vision, bowel and bladder dysfunction, seizure, muscle spasms, and blurred speech before developing into the last episode.

Multiple sclerosis develops gradually into episodes till it reaches the worsening episode, that is, from clinically isolated syndrome into secondary Progressive multiple sclerosis.

Type- 1 Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetes mellitus is a result of an imbalance in your blood sugar level. Your body requires sugar, and it is usually gotten from the blood, which is then used to generate energy. Insulin serves to keep your blood sugar level in check. The immune system attacks the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, so the body ceases from producing its own insulin. Type-1 diabetes mellitus is also known as insulin-dependent diabetes. It makes the blood sugar level increase to a critical level which endangers your health.

Type- 1 diabetes mellitus occurs suddenly in childhood. Individuals with this immunodeficiency disease survive it with regular insulin injections and careful management of diets and exercise.

AIDS

Acquired Immuno Deficiency syndrome. It’s an acquired immune disease gotten from a viral infection. This attack is fatal. It damages every important White Blood Cells.

Since the white blood cells have been damaged, the immune system becomes susceptible to any form of infection. The white blood cells are easily destroyed because the viral invasion is stronger beyond what it can fight off. The use of medications regularly can help to control AIDS.

Inflammatory Bowel Disorder (IBD)

This is an attack on the lining of your intestine. It starts from the gastrointestinal tract. It develops into symptoms like diarrhea, rectal bleeding, urgent bowel movement, abdominal disorders, fever, and weight loss.

It can be controlled by the use of medicines. It can be orally taken or injected with the aim of suppressing it. Inflammatory bowel disorder has two types, and the treatment depends on the type- ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

It is commonly called lupus. It is also an autoimmune deficiency. Its attacks are not predictable. It spreads to attack every important tissue in the body. Mostly the lungs, kidneys, blood cells, joints, and the skin.

After a close study on patients with lupus, auto-antibodies were found in them in large quantities. The use of oral Prednisone helps to control it. The steroid also helps to control its invasion by reducing the function of the body’s immunity.

Gillian-Barre Syndrome

It affects the muscles and weakens their functionality. The immune system attacks the nerves controlling your muscle. Mostly, muscles of the leg, arms, and upper part of the body are attacked. Early diagnose is advisable if there are any observations of weak muscles.

Gillian-barre syndrome can be controlled by plasmapheresis, which means the filtering of your blood.

Finally, giving immunity disorder a high, though, can be classified into four forms of occurrence. It all depends on your immune system.

• Having an immune system that is overtly too active causes allergic reactions like asthma.
• An overactive immune system turns against you by causing damage to its tissues which is the autoimmune deficiency.
• The immune system gets weakened from external factors, which is the acquired immunodeficiency disease.
• Also, being born with a weak immune system calls for immunity disorder, congenital immunodeficiency.

How to Keep a Good Body Immunity

Maintaining good immunity equates to good health. Firstly, you need to embrace a healthy lifestyle. That’s the first choice you need to make. Then:

• Avoid smoking.
• Always take a balanced diet. Try out fruits and vegetables. They contain nutrients required by your immune system.
• Always ensure you get a good sleep.
• Limit your intake of alcohol. Take it with moderation.
• Maintain a healthy weight.
• Learn to manage your stress.
• Stay physically active. Exercise regularly to keep yourself whole.
• Stay hygienic. Avoid infections, for instance, washing your hands.
• Keep up with medications needed to fight off infections.

Now you know that your immune system also denotes good health. In case you have any immune system disorders, try to learn more about them and take the right action. The ball is now in your court. Your health is your greatest asset. Be safe, stay healthy.