Every person is exposed to pathogenic bacteria every day. However, thanks to protective forces, the body is able to repel virus attacks. The immune system protects a person from harmful effects from the outside. How does this happen? What is immunity? What disturbances in the functioning of this system can be observed in a person, why do they arise and how to deal with them? Answers to these and other questions can be obtained from the material in this article.
Immunology: definition and characterization
So, in the body of everyone, both an adult and a child, there are certain mechanisms that ensure resistance to infections. Thanks to their work, the human body can be protected from the harmful effects of microorganisms that provoke various diseases. Some infections are known to occur in people only once in a lifetime. This is because the human body produces special cells, which are a defense system, thanks to which these diseases are no longer dangerous for him.
The set of mechanisms that provide the body's resistance to pathogens is called immunity. Immunology is a scientific discipline that studies this phenomenon. It was formed as a result of the fact that mankind needed ways to eliminate diseases caused by microorganisms. After all, infections such as smallpox, plague and rabies, claimed the lives of many people, and no one knew how to stop the spread of epidemics and treat patients.
History of the development of science
Immunology is a branch of medicine that can be considered quite old. There is evidence that the classical science of the immune system originated in ancient times, when in India and China people were introduced the contents of smallpox in order to activate the body's natural defense mechanisms and thus protect them from infections. But before the general spread of such a phenomenon as vaccination, then it was still far away.
At the end of the eighteenth century, the English physician Edward Jenner made a stunning discovery - he developed a vaccine against smallpox. The doctor tested the vaccine on a child and the boy was not infected. Vaccination has proven to be an effective way to combat such a dangerous infectious disease as smallpox. Despite the unique and effective research conducted by Jenner, the founder of immunology is considered not him, but the French physician L. Pasteur. The latter not only formed the basis for the use of vaccines, but also successfully conducted them. However, Pasteur had no idea about the laws of the functioning of the human immune system. The principles of the protective mechanisms were identified at later stages of immunology.
Further development of science
At the end of the nineteenth century, a German physician, E. Bering, proved that for those who have been ill with diseases such as diphtheria and tetanus infection, special substances are formed in the body that provide resistance to microorganisms. And for those who have received the blood transfused, they also develop immunity. Thus, some pathologies can be controlled by blood transfusion.
At the same time, the Russian scientist I. Mechnikov created the theory of phagocytes. He claimed that in the human body there are cells that provide protection against the harmful effects of microorganisms. Another scientist, P. Erlich, said that antibodies have special characteristics, and their various types are able to fight different types of bacteria and viruses. Since the thirties of the twentieth century, the chemical properties of such cells have been actively studied by several specialists. The study of the characteristics of antibodies has become a new stage in the development of immunology. The study of the protective forces of the human body is still ongoing. Six years ago, a physician from France, J. Hoffmann, was awarded the Nobel Prize. He is the author of research on the development of innate immunity.
Subject and sections of the scientific discipline
So what is immunology studying? Scientists working on the problems of this section of medicine are considering the following issues:
- The structure and components of human immunity.
- Ways of formation of protective mechanisms.
- The laws that govern the immune system.
- Violations of the protective mechanisms in the human body.
- Ways to solve various problems with the immune system.
- Eliminate organ transplant difficulties.
It is known that there are several sections of immunology. This is a general (theoretical) and private science. The last section deals with the treatment of diseases associated with impaired immune systems. In addition, private immunology identifies the causes of problems with resistance to infectious diseases in children, and also develops ways to strengthen the protective forces of the child's body.
It is known that many pathologies arise due to impaired functioning of the immune system. If it does not work well enough, people develop diseases called immunodeficiency. In cases where the body's defenses are too active, allergic reactions appear.
Immunology Tasks
This scientific discipline works in the following areas:
- The study of the protective mechanisms of people who do not have diseases of the immune system.
- Identification of the importance of immunity in the development of infections and other pathologies (e.g., cancerous tumors).
- Assessment of the immune system.
- Creation and practical application of innovative tools to combat violations of the protective mechanisms.
Today, immunology is a scientific discipline that seeks answers to such pressing questions:
- T-cell death in AIDS: can vaccination help?
- Does it make sense to study the role of the immune system in the fight against cancer?
- How do protective cells function?
- Is it possible to deal with impaired immune systems through genetic engineering?
Research in immunology in Russia
Today, there are many institutions that are studying the problems associated with the functioning of the protective mechanisms of the human body. One of such organizations is the Institute of Immunology, which is located in the capital of the Russian Federation. Established in 1983 The founder of the organization is considered R.V. Petrov. The Institute of Immunology was formed on the basis of the unit where research was conducted in this scientific field. The works of scientists working in this organization in Russia were considered innovative, as they became a powerful incentive for improving scientific methods in this field.
Institute Activities
This organization is aimed at solving the following tasks:
- Implementation of research in the field of immunology, the creation and application of innovative projects in this field.
- Training specialists.
- Joint research activity involving the participation of other organizations, exchange of experience.
In addition, the institute is engaged not only in theoretical and research work, but also in conducting consultations on issues of impaired functioning of the immune system, examining and treating people with various diseases in this area. But this organization is only one of many in Moscow, where the immunologist accepts. Specialists of this profile work in such clinics as Trustmed, K-Medicine, He Clinics, Miracle Doctor and so on.
The formation of protective mechanisms
The basics of immunology are aimed at studying how a system is formed that provides the body's resistance to various diseases. It is known that the formation of immunity depends on many factors. These are such features of human life as the consumption of certain foods and substances (for example, protein), the effect on the body of hormone-containing drugs, and so on. In addition, the formation and functioning of immunity is significantly affected by external influences, such as climatic conditions, season, ecological situation in the area where specific people live. Immunology is a science that examines the role of all these factors in the development of impaired defense mechanisms.
Varieties of immunity
Before talking about the pathological processes that arise in this area, it should be noted that there are several types of such diseases:
- Congenital immunodeficiency (occurs in early childhood, and its symptoms are frequent and intractable infections).
- Secondary immunological diseases (appear due to physical or emotional overstrain, as well as prolonged use of certain drugs).
- Spontaneous diseases of the immune system (such pathologies can be triggered by disorders of the stomach and intestines or respiratory system).
- Acquired immunodeficiency (occurs as a result of HIV infection or other diseases in which some healthy cells of the human body destroy others, mistaking them for dangerous ones).
Causes of violations of the protective mechanisms
Medical immunology is studying the factors that provoke pathologies associated with reduced body resistance. Violations of the functioning of protective mechanisms can be triggered by the following reasons:
- Errors in nutrition.
- Physical and emotional overload.
- Burns.
- Hard currency.
- Diabetes.
- Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome.
- The use of hormone-containing drugs and drugs that suppress the functions of the immune system.
- Some viral pathologies.
Immune system diseases include the following:
- Vasculitis.
- Myasthenia gravis
- Narcolepsy
- Autoimmune pancreatitis.
- Addison's disease.
- Autoimmune hepatitis and cholangitis.
- Crohn's disease.
- Celiac disease.
- Eczema.
- Herpetic infection.
- Bronchial asthma.
Diseases of the immune system affect, as a rule, not one, but several organs. For example, many of these conditions lead to disruption of the liver, thymus gland, gastrointestinal tract, and respiratory tract.
For the treatment of such pathologies, drugs that regulate the functioning of the immune system are used. It is recommended to follow a diet - eat foods rich in minerals. It is necessary to limit or completely exclude the following products from the diet:
- Beans
- nuts
- potatoes;
- sunflower seeds;
- Tomatoes
- coffee and chocolate;
- alcohol;
- mayonnaise;
- butter;
- greasy food.
You should also adhere to the correct daily routine, get enough sleep, exercise and give up bad habits.
Immunology: diseases, diagnosis, therapy
Diseases accompanying violations of the protective mechanisms can signal themselves by the following manifestations:
- Infections of the nose and pharynx.
- Fatigue, loss of strength.
- Sleep disturbance.
- Long-term respiratory infections that are difficult to treat.
- Pain in joints and muscles.
- Fever.
- Herpetic infection.
- Pathology of the stomach and intestines.
Speaking about what immunology is studying, it should be noted that this science is engaged in the study, diagnosis and therapy of impaired body resistance.
In the modern world, there are many ways to identify such pathologies. When signs indicating a decrease in body resistance appear, a person is advised to consult an immunologist. The doctor will refer the patient for examination, find out the cause of the pathology and prescribe adequate treatment.
Many diseases are associated not with reduced, but with excessively increased activity of the immune system. These pathologies are very serious. These include allergic reactions, asthma, anaphylactic shock, hay fever, urticaria. These pathological phenomena are associated with the fact that the human body perceives food, drugs, or other substances that enter it from the environment (dust, animal hair, pollen, cosmetics, and so on) as foreign. Diseases arising from hyperactivity of the immune system need to be diagnosed and treated.
Examination for allergies. Treatment
Hypersensitivity to any substances or their components can manifest itself in the form of a whole complex of symptoms, which include gastrointestinal upset, runny nose, coughing and sneezing, respiratory failure, swelling, skin itching and rashes on the body. In the presence of these signs, the specialist, of course, directs the patient for examination to find out the cause of the pathology. To determine what caused allergic reactions, there are many diagnostic procedures, for example:
- Questioning (a specialist talks with a patient to find out which food or medicine provoked the occurrence of pathological phenomena).
- Samples (substances that are potential allergens are applied to the skin, those to which there is a reaction in the form of a rash, and which the body considers foreign).
- Exception (the food that may cause the development of the disease is removed from the patient’s diet).
- Laboratory tests of blood and urine.
- Inspection of the patient by a specialist.
There are many substances that can provoke allergic reactions. Therefore, the diagnosis of this pathology is considered extremely difficult, and it must be carried out very carefully. After all, the success and effectiveness of therapy depends on how accurate and thorough the examination is. Allergies in children are much easier to treat than in adults. This is due to the fact that in adults, unlike children, hypersensitivity to certain substances is often caused by drug addiction, infections, chronic diseases, unhealthy lifestyles and stress. These factors significantly complicate the professional activity of allergists, which consists in carrying out diagnostic measures and therapy of disorders of the immune system.