Download Immune System Diseases and Disorders

Immune System Diseases and
Disorders
Immune System Diseases and Disorders
Your immune system is a complex network of cells, tissues, and organs that work
together to defend against germs. It helps your body to recognize these “foreign”
invaders. Then its job is to keep them out, or if it can’t, to find and destroy them. If
your immune system cannot do its job, the results can be serious. Disorders of the
immune system include allergy and asthma – immune responses to substances that are
usually not harmful, immune deficiency diseases – disorders in which the immune
system is missing one or more of its parts, autoimmune diseases – diseases causing your
immune system to attack your own body’s cells and tissues by mistake.
Allergy – An allergy is a reaction by your immune system to something that does not
bother most other people. People who have allergies often are sensitive to more than
one thing. Substances that often cause reactions are pollen, dust mites, mold spores,
pet dander, food, insect stings, and medicines. Normally, your immune system fights
germs. It is your body’s defense system. In most allergic reactions, however, it is
responding to a false alarm. Genes and the environment probably both play a
role. Allergies can cause a variety of symptoms such as a runny nose, sneezing, itching,
rashes, swelling, or asthma. Allergies can range from minor to severe. Anaphylaxis is a
severe reaction that can be life-threatening. Doctors use skin and blood tests to
diagnose allergies. Treatments include medicines, allergy shots, and avoiding the
substances that cause the reactions.
Autoimmune Diseases – Your body’s immune system protects you from disease and
infection. But if you have an autoimmune disease, your immune system attacks healthy
cells in your body by mistake. Autoimmune diseases can affect many parts of the
body. No one is sure what causes autoimmune diseases. They do tend to run in families.
Women – particularly African-American, Hispanic-American, and Native-American
women – have a higher risk for some autoimmune diseases. There are more than 80
types of autoimmune diseases, and some have similar symptoms. This makes it hard for
your health care provider to know if you really have one of these diseases, and if so,
which one. Getting a diagnosis can be frustrating and stressful. Often, the first
symptoms are fatigue, muscle aches and a low fever. The classic sign of an autoimmune
disease is inflammation, which can cause redness, heat, pain and swelling. The diseases
may also have flare-ups, when they get worse, and remissions, when symptoms get
better or disappear. Treatment depends on the disease, but in most cases one
important goal is to reduce inflammation. Sometimes doctors prescribe corticosteroids
or other drugs that reduce your immune response. Most of these diseases were covered
in the Endocrine System Diseases lesson (so you see, all of these systems overlapped).
Epstein
Barr
Virus – Infectious
mononucleosis, or “mono,” is an infection
usually caused by the Epstein-Barr virus.
The virus spreads through saliva, which is
why it’s sometimes called “kissing disease.”
Mono occurs most often in teens and young
adults. However, you can get it at any age.
Symptoms of mono include fever, sore
throat,
and
swollen
lymph
glands. Sometimes you may also have a
swollen spleen. Serious problems are
rare. A blood test can show if you have
mono. Most people get better in two to four
weeks. However, you may feel tired for a few months afterward. Treatment focuses on
helping symptoms and includes medicines for pain and fever, warm salt water gargles
and plenty of rest and fluids.
HIV- stands for human immunodeficiency virus. It kills or damages the body’s immune
system cells. AIDS stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. It is the most
advanced stage of infection with HIV. HIV most often spreads through unprotected sex
with an infected person. It may also spread by sharing drug needles or through contact
with the blood of an infected person. Women can give it to their babies during
pregnancy or childbirth. The first signs of HIV infection may be swollen glands and flulike symptoms. These may come and go a month or two after infection. Severe
symptoms may not appear until months or years later.