Risk Factors of Immune System Disorders
Untreated immunodeficiency disorders clearly leave a person more susceptible to getting infections. They will contract illnesses quite easily and their bodies will struggle, unable to mount an effective immune response. Patients with immunodeficiency are also at risk for developing opportunistic infections. These are infections by bacteria that ordinarily do not cause any illness at all when they come in contact with the immune system, as they are very easily eliminated. When the immune system is compromised, however, the bacteria can take the opportunity to cause a full-blown infection.
The specific risk factors of autoimmune diseases depend on the disease and which tissues are under attack from the body's own antibodies. In the case of Crohn's disease, for example, the immune system specifically attacks the lining of the gastrointestinal tract, classifying it as an inflammatory bowel disease. (Please see our article on Crohn's disease for more information.) Patients with Crohn's disease are at risk for developing malnutrition, intestinal obstructions, and cancer. In the autoimmune disease multiple sclerosis, the immune system targets the central nervous system, resulting in lesions on the brain and spinal cord. This damage to the nervous system can lead to a variety of neurological symptoms, and patients eventually experience both a cognitive and physical decline.
The risk factors for people with immune hypersensitivity associated with allergies also vary based on the underlying causes and severity of the allergic reaction. Exposure to allergens may result in annoying cold-like symptoms, with sneezing, runny nose, and painful sinuses. The chronic inflammation may make their tissues more sensitive to other infections, as well, and make illnesses more persistent because their immune systems are taxed. If a person has a severe allergic reaction that induces anaphylactic shock, however, it may be fatal.
Causes of Immune System Disorders
As described above, most immunodeficiencies are acquired. The immune responses are complicated cascades of cell movement and signaling that must all be appropriate to deal with the specific nature of the invading pathogen. The quality of the immune response is directly related to the health of all the different parts of this system and how well they are functioning. Healthy cells require vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients, so malnutrition may weaken the immune response. The health of the immune system does naturally decline as people age, as well, as their cells age, leaving them more susceptible to disease. (Please see our article on Aging and Longevity.) Chemotherapies are designed to target rapidly dividing cancer cells, however, as a byproduct of this, they can also target rapidly dividing immune cells, leaving the immune system significantly compromised. Likewise, drugs meant to help control overreactive immune systems (arthritis therapies, for example), may also lead to suppression of the immune system, resulting in immunodeficiency.
The causes of autoimmune and hypersensitivity disorders tend to be less clear, however. Many of them appear to result from combinations of factors related to genetics, environment, and infections. In the case of multiple sclerosis, for example, there appear to be inherited genetic qualities that increase the risk of developing the disease during life. Some theories suggest that combinations of viruses and infections in adulthood may also trigger the abnormal immune reaction. Those that favor the hygiene hypothesis, which suggests that exposure to ample pathogens early in life can have a protective effect, think that the cleanliness of a person's childhood environment may also play a role. If the developing immune system does not face the appropriate challenges in childhood, it may be unable to conquer infections during adulthood. This has also been suggested to play a role in a person's susceptibility to developing allergies. There does, however, appear to be a correlation between the development of allergies in children and having allergic parents.
Conventional Treatments of Immune System Disorders
The conventional treatments of immune system disorders depend on the etiology of the disorder and the symptoms caused. For those with immunodeficiencies, it is of the utmost importance to try to minimize the patient's contact with potential pathogens, as exposure to normally non-pathogenic organisms can lead to infection. Depending on the case, intravenous antibody therapies or preventative antibiotics may also be administered. Antivirals have proven to be very effective therapies for those with AIDS, as they interfere with the immunosuppressive HIV proteins.
The symptoms of autoimmune and hypersensitivity disorders vary greatly depending on the nature of the particular disorder. Generally, the medications prescribed are immunosuppressive, anti-inflammatory, or designed to slow the progression of the damage being caused by the immune response. For celiac disease, an inflammatory disorder of the intestines aggravated by wheat glutens, the symptoms can be controlled by modifying the diet. (See our article on celiac disease for more information.)
Patients Medical's Treatment of Immune System Disorders
At Patients Medical, our integrative physicians can help you determine the cause of your suspected immune disorder and help recommend the most natural therapies available for development of a balanced immune response.
For more information on specific supplements and treatment plans associated with immune disorders, please see our articles on Allergies, Aging and Longevity, Asthma, Celiac Disease, Crohn's Disease, Food Allergies, Multiple Sclerosis, Nutrition Deficiencies, and Rheumatoid Arthritis. Your doctor will have additional information for you upon specific diagnosis of your immune disorder, as well.
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Article Last Updated: 06/26/2009