When the Immune System Fails?

The immune system is designed to protect the body, but its malfunction due to internal or external causes can cause diseases.The immune system is a complex defense gear that we have against infections and diseases. It is so developed that it is capable of establishing a memory that implies an effective action against future recurrent infections. Our immune system is made up of a set of mechanisms - cellular network, tissues and specialized organs - that protect the body through the identification and elimination of pathogens (infectious agents or tumor cells) and recognize the cells and tissues of the individual himself ; however, it sometimes fails and can generate diseases of different types. However, if you can boost immune system, you can control it. What diseases causes the malfunction of the immune system? Three classes of alterations of the immune system are distinguished. The first would be the poor or non-existent response to primary immunodeficiencies caused by an intrinsic defect in the cells of the system, or secondary in which an external agent causes damage, such as the HIV / AIDS virus, malnutrition, or chemotherapy treatments and immunosuppressants. The second class of diseases consists of an inadequate response in which the immune system does not recognize itself as such, mistakenly attacking the body's healthy tissues and organs . An example of this would be autoimmune diseases such as lupus , rheumatoid arthritis, vasculitis ... Finally, there would be the alteration due to an excessive response to exposure to antigens in the environment, as in the case of allergies. The corona virus (COVID-19) has become a threat all over the world. The virus is not very aggressive if the body's immune system is in the right range. So, you must keep immune system boost up to fight Corona. How to recognize that you have a disease of the immune system? Faced with a history of persistent, recurrent infections or when the germ is unusual, immunodeficiency should be ruled out. As for autoimmune pathologies, all of them are characterized by the involvement of various organs with skin, joint, fever, fatigue ... injuries, their complexity to diagnose it and its chronic nature. In allergic reactions, the most frequent are urticaria, rhinitis, conjunctivitis, asthma, food allergy and even a generalized anaphylactic reaction of the organism that constitutes one of the most serious complications. Importance of early diagnosis in autoimmune diseases The goal of internal medicine specialists is to control symptoms, regulate the inadequate immune response, and treat complications. In all of them, the prognosis depends on the type of disease and the early diagnosis that allows the administration of adequate treatment quickly, thus avoiding, in many cases, irreversible damage. It should be noted that the most recent epigenetic studies refer to the influence of the environment on the loadrngenetics and its involvement in these diseases. This line of research will make it possible in the future to develop clinical markers of response to treatment and the development of new therapeutic strategies.