The Immune System & Allergies Raphaela Calabrese & Heidi Donato
What is the immune system? The Immune system protects your body against bacteria, germs and disease. - Your body is exposed to millions of germs everyday, but you do not get sick because of your immune system.
How It Works The skin is the first line of defense in your immune system - The epidermis, is the outer layer of skin. It has special cells that warn your body about incoming germs. - The cells that help your immune system are white blood cells or leukocytes. - Leukocytes are stored throughout the body including the thymus, spleen, and bone marrow. These are known as the lymphoid organs. - These cells find and destroy organisms that cause disease - Leukocytes travel through the body between organs and nodes by the lymphatic vessels. They can also circulate through the blood vessels. - Lymph is a clear fluid that carries only white blood cells. It carries the white blood cells to the places in the body it is needed. - Lymph collects some bacteria or viruses that have entered the body, and sends them to the lymph nodes where it is filtered out and destroyed.
(Continued) - Some white blood cells are neutrophils, macrophages, lymphocytes and denditric. - Neutrophils moves through the body, traveling in the blood seeking out foreign material. - Macrophages, are the biggest blood cells. They work in different parts of the body and help keep it clean. Some move around cleaning up other white blood cells that got damaged. -Lymphocytes, work on the bacterial and viral infections. There are two different types, B cells and T cells. - B cells produce antibodies. Every cell watches out for a certain germ and when they identify the germ, the cell begins to produce more antibodies which starts the process of killing that germ. -T cells look for other cells that are hiding germs or body cells that are different than normal healthy cells, and kill them. - The denditric cells eat intruders. Filter body fluids, clears them of foreign organisms and particles.
Allergic Reactions Etiology, Symptoms, Treatments
What?? Allergic Reactions are cause by the body recognizing foreign substances. The immune system’s role is to eliminate and protect the body from these foreign substances. These foreign substances are called allergens. Allergens are impurities in the air that bring on an allergic reaction. These allergens attach themselves to allergic antibodies. These cells then release chemicals such as histamine and leukotrines which result in allergic symptoms.
How Do We Get Allergies? Sensitization Genetic Pollens, molds, animals, certain foods, medications, particles of dust, insect stings/bites, latex, nuts, shellfish
Symptoms Runny nose Sneezing Sinus infection Dry, itching, burning eyes Welts and hives Severe: swelling, cramps, vomiting, diarrhea, hard to breathe
Treatment Decongestants (afrin,zyrtec) Nasal Sprays Antihistamines (claritin, allegra, zyrtec,benadryl)
Anaphylaxis A severe, life-threatening allergic reaction
Symptoms of Anaphylaxis Reactions on skin Nausea, dizzy, vomiting, rapid pulse Drop in blood pressure Shock Airway becomes narrow
Treatment for Anaphylaxis EMERGENCY ROOM CPR Epinephrine Oxygen to passageway Antihistamines
Asthma Asthma is a condition, which means it is always there whether you notice it or not. It is the swelling of the bronchial tubes or airways. When this happens it makes it harder for you to breathe. Anyone at any age can have the condition.
Symptoms Of Asthma Coughing, tight feeling in your chest, shortness of breath, and wheezing.
How does Asthma Occur? People with asthma have trouble breathing when they come in contact with triggers. A trigger is anything that can cause inflammation in the airways and then cause the symptoms to occur. 2 types of triggers. Inflammatory and symptoms Inflammatory triggers causes tightness of the lungs airway muscles Symptom Triggers are non allergic. Set off the airways especially if they are already inflamed.