麻豆果冻传媒

麻豆果冻传媒

Immune System Disorders

Your immune system is your body鈥檚 defense against聽infections and other harmful聽invaders. Without it, you would constantly get sick from聽germs, such as bacteria or viruses.

Your immune system is made up of special cells, tissues, and organs that work together to protect you.

Immune system showing location of tonsils, lymph nodes, spleen, bone marrow, and thymus.

The lymphatic system is a major part of the immune system. It's a network of lymph nodes and vessels. Lymphatic vessels are thin tubes that spread, like blood vessels,聽all over the body. They carry a clear fluid called lymph. Lymph contains tissue fluid, waste products, and immune system cells. Lymph nodes are small, bean-shaped clumps of immune system cells. They are connected by lymphatic vessels. They contain white blood cells that trap viruses, bacteria, and other invaders, including cancer cells.

White blood cells are the cells of the immune system. They are made in 1 of your lymph organs, such as the spleen or thymus, and in the bone marrow.

What can go wrong with your immune system?

When your immune system doesn't work the way it should, it's called an immune system disorder. You may:

  • Be聽born with a weak immune system. This is called primary immune deficiency.

  • Get a disease that weakens your immune system. This is called acquired immune deficiency.

  • Have an聽immune system that is too active.聽This may happen with an allergic reaction.

  • Have an聽immune system that聽turns against you. This is called autoimmune disease.

Immune system聽disorders

Here are some common examples:

  • Severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID). This is an example of an immune deficiency that is present at birth.聽Children are聽in constant danger of infections from bacteria, viruses, and fungi. This disorder is sometimes called 鈥渂ubble boy disease.鈥澛營n the 1970s, a boy聽had to live in a sterile environment inside a plastic bubble. Children with SCID are missing important white blood cells. This disease is deadly without treatment.

  • Temporary acquired immune deficiencies. Your聽immune system can be weakened by certain medicines, for instance. This can聽happen to people聽on chemotherapy or other medicines used to treat cancer. It can also happen to people after organ transplants who take medicine to prevent organ rejection.聽Also, infections, such as the flu virus, mono (mononucleosis), and measles,聽can weaken the immune system for a short time. Your immune system can also be weakened by smoking, alcohol,聽and poor nutrition.

  • AIDS. HIV, which causes AIDS, is an acquired viral聽infection that destroys important white blood cells and weakens the immune system.聽People with聽HIV/AIDS can become seriously ill with infections that most people聽can fight off. These infections are called opportunistic infections because they take advantage of weak immune systems.

An overactive immune system

If you are born with certain genes, your immune system may react to substances in聽the environment that are normally harmless. These substances are called allergens. Having an allergic reaction is the most common example of an overactive immune system. Dust, mold, pollen,聽and foods are examples of allergens.

Some conditions caused by an overactive immune system are:

  • Asthma. The response in your lungs can cause coughing, wheezing, and trouble breathing. Asthma can be set off by common allergens like dust or pollen聽or by an irritant like tobacco smoke.

  • Eczema.聽An allergen causes an itchy rash known as atopic dermatitis.

  • Hay fever (allergic rhinitis).聽Sneezing, a runny nose, sniffling, and swelling of your nasal passages are from indoor allergens, such as dust and pets, or outdoor allergens, such as pollens or molds.

  • Food allergy. Severe allergic reactions that are caused by foods.

Autoimmune disease

In聽autoimmune diseases, the body attacks normal, healthy tissues. Experts don't know why. It's likely a combination of a person鈥檚 genes and something in the environment聽that sets off those genes.

Three common autoimmune diseases are:

  • Type 1 diabetes.聽The immune system聽attacks聽the cells in聽the pancreas that make insulin. Insulin removes sugar from聽the blood to use as energy.

  • Rheumatoid arthritis.聽This聽type of arthritis聽causes swelling and deformities of the joints. An autoantibody called rheumatoid factor聽or anti-CCP is in the blood of some people with rheumatoid arthritis.

  • Lupus.聽This disease attacks body tissues, including the聽lungs, kidneys, and skin. Many types of autoantibodies are found in the blood of聽people with lupus.

Experts don't know what causes autoimmune diseases. But many different factors seem to be involved. Symptoms vary. They depend on which disease develops and which part of the body is affected. Blood tests may be used to check for an autoimmune disease. Treatment will depend on the type of disease diagnosed. Treatment may include medicines that lower the immune system's activity. If you have an immune system disorder, learn as much as you can about聽it. And work closely with your聽doctor聽to manage it. You may need to visit a number of doctors before you get an accurate diagnosis.