And the heating not working in the cold - for many this was enough to get sick in the spring. The appearance of SARS, colds and almost any disease is inextricably linked with the work of the human immune system. Some people, in order not to get sick, drink Kagocel, others eat a lot of vegetables and fruits, others take vitamins or dietary supplements. Irina Kondratenko, Doctor of Medical Sciences and Head of the Immunology Department at the Russian Children's Clinical Hospital, told The Village whether it is possible to boost immunity, whether yogurt and vitamins in capsules help, how stress affects health, and what immune memory is.

How is immunity formed in humans?

The immune system, in fact, is engaged in recognizing foreign elements in the body. Such recognition exists even in unicellular organisms, and the more complex the organism, the more difficult the protection - both from external factors and from failures inside. For example, if a tumor cell or a cell into which a virus has entered appears, and viral proteins appear on its surface, such a cell is destroyed. This system is called acquired immunity.

The human immune system is formed even before birth, and after birth it actively learns to recognize foreign agents, including pathogens. The first way we can help the child’s immunity is simply to keep him under normal conditions, that is, if the child is healthy, if his immune system is working normally, then he should fully contact with the external environment, he should not be artificially limited.

- If you restrict a child from contact with the environment in the hope that he will not get sick, how will this affect immunity?

Badly. He will not live endlessly under a cap, sooner or later he will have to face the influence of the outside world: he will want to take a walk on the street, he will want to eat sand in the sandbox, and so on.

Most children go to kindergarten and school, where they encounter a significant amount of microorganisms that are carried by the people around them. The better the baby is prepared, that is, the better his immune system is familiar with external aggressors, the less he will get sick.

There is the concept of "immune memory" - this is the body's ability to remember viruses in order to successfully repel their attacks the next time they encounter them. However, for some viruses, the immune memory is short. For example, we get chickenpox once in a lifetime, but you can get sick with the flu a hundred times, because the virus changes quickly and the body does not remember it for a long time.

- It turns out that the older a person is, the better his immunity is?

Unfortunately no. On the one hand, with age, a person is faced with a large number of diseases, but on the other hand, the body grows old, decrepit, and the immune system along with it. In old age, a person's immunity weakens, he cannot defend himself against diseases, as before.

- That is, with age, it becomes more and more difficult to increase immunity?

Look, what kind of regeneration does the child have? Everything heals on him like on a dog. For a teenager, everything is not so simple, for a 40-year-old it is even worse, and for an 80-year-old it is generally bad. This applies to all body systems: cardiovascular, nervous, and immune. A person who takes care of himself, makes his brain work and goes for a walk, has a strong body and rarely gets sick. And an elderly sedentary person who sits a lot in a confined space and gets sick with something has a very weak immune system. A little blow on him - and that's it. And the one who runs skiing at the age of 80, try to freeze.

- Is it possible to effectively increase immunity and get sick less?

To increase immunity is not to boil a kettle, and the opinion that immunity must be increased is not very true. Every intervention in such a complex mechanism as immunity must be justified.

Professor Andrey Petrovich Prodeus (who works in the ninth children's hospital) once conducted a study in six Moscow kindergartens. I do not remember the exact numbers, but about 300 people participated in it. Before the start of the study, the Soviet system was restored in all kindergartens, in which a nurse worked at the entrance, who did not allow sick children to visit the kindergarten and sent them home with their parents. As a result of the experiment, the incidence in gardens has halved. Without the use of drugs and immunity-improving biological food supplements.

Parents often turn to an immunologist with a complaint that their child is constantly sick, for example, twice a month. But in fact, you can’t get sick twice a month, because after fighting the infection, immunity should be restored. If someone gets sick twice a month, then these are not two different diseases, but one untreated.

The best advice I can give is not to take sick children to children's institutions, and for adults to try not to endure colds on their feet. And you should also get a dog or just imagine that you have one. In other words, go for a walk in the morning and evening, and you will be healthy.

To increase immunity, many drink immunomodulators, of which there are a lot of types, but, unfortunately, the mechanism of the “magic” action of most of them has not been studied and their effectiveness has not been proven.

- Wait. What are immunomodulators?

An immunomodulator is a kind of "magic" smart tool that regulates the immune system. However, the only modulators that, in my opinion, can be used are preparations containing parts of disease-causing organisms. These organisms are capable of triggering an immune response, but they cannot lead to disease. In fact, these are such small vaccinations. Subject to the instructions and recommendations of an immunologist, treatment with such drugs often has a good effect.

If somebody sick twice a month these are not two different diseases, but one undertreated

- What kind of small vaccinations?

You know, it is now forbidden to name trade preparations everywhere. But I have already said that these are preparations created on immunogenic substances from common microorganisms that cause infections.

- Are these small vaccinations prescribed in clinics?

They don't need to be prescribed, and you don't need a prescription to buy them. But a competent doctor, of course, can advise them.

- Do Aktimel, Immunele and other similar drinks increase immunity?

These drinks are enriched with various beneficial microorganisms, without which we cannot exist. Once in the intestines, where we have a lot of immune cells, they not only improve digestion, but also, through complex mechanisms, have a very mild positive effect on the immune system.

If a before the race runner to make an immunogram, then he will have only one blood count, and if you do at the finish line the results will be similar to those of a person with severe immunodeficiency

- How many illnesses per year is considered the norm for a resident of a metropolis? That is, to what extent it is not necessary to sound the alarm?

By American standards, a child can get uncomplicated respiratory viral infections 10 to 12 times a year. By our standards, it's good if a child gets sick no more than six times, and an adult even less.

But it depends on many risk factors: where and how a person works (in a team or in a separate office), how and how often he uses transport, and other things. For example, if in winter you go into the subway in a fur coat, and then run out into the cold with a wet back, then, naturally, you catch a cold. In addition, the metro has a closed ventilation system, air circulation is limited, people inhale the same thing they exhale, and there are a huge number of people. Someone sneezed, coughed - and everyone breathes all this. The same goes for working in a large team: it’s one thing when you sit alone in an office or work at home, and another thing when you sit in a team: someone came with a cold - and everyone fell ill along the chain.

- Why do we get sick more often in winter than in summer, although fewer viruses survive at low temperatures?

Yes, because we walk the streets in fur coats, and it's hot in transport. Accordingly, our body tolerates temperature changes, and most people are not ready for this. In addition, few people are tempered.

Indeed, the influenza virus does not survive in extreme cold, but there are many other pathogens. In winter, a lot of troubles pile up on us at once: damp weather, changes in atmospheric pressure or severe stress for a variety of reasons are bad for the whole body, and the immune system is the hardest.

- But the immune system does not weaken?

Immunity is not weakened, but is subjected to great stress. In winter it is cold, damp, people get sick more often. Moreover, if a person fell ill with one disease and has not yet recovered, and someone sneezed on him, then he can get sick again. In summer, this happens less often, because the environment is better.

Does human stress affect the immune system?

Immunity is also affected by such simple things as nutrition, rest, morale. Stress, of course, too. The most obvious example is the stress experienced by athletes. For example, if a runner is given an immunogram before a race, he will have the same blood counts, and if done at the finish line, the results will be similar to those of a person with a severe type of immunodeficiency.

From emotions, the cortex and other structures of the brain are excited, the hypothalamic-pituitary system forces the adrenal cortex to produce more hormones that negatively affect lymphocytes (defender cells). Therefore, if you are tired or overexerted, the immune system has a hard time. But you do not need to swallow drugs, including immunomodulators. If possible, you should just relax, calm down, eat well, get vitamins, trace elements and minerals. If you do not have congenital immunity disorders, if you are a healthy person, then this is enough for the body to start working well again.

Sometimes it even happens that people do not get sick with some kind of adverse effect, because they are tense and concentrated on some kind of activity: the child fell ill - the mother was mobilized, and then the child recovered - the mother relaxed and fell ill with an infection. Because the immune system, on which there are many influences, reacted incorrectly, the internal regulation was disturbed.

Does taking vitamins affect the immune system?

Vitamins should be enough, but primarily due to good nutrition. Naturally, there are times when immune cells lack resources. For example, in the spring after a long period without berries, fruits and sun, or in regions where there is a lot of meat and little cereals, people have a lack of B vitamins. Or just a person eats monotonous food out of habit - then there are not enough vitamins and there is a need to take additional artificial ones.

Vitamins do not have a direct effect on the immune system: I drank - and there were more lymphocytes. Vitamins influence indirectly. That is, they help to improve the work of other systems, organs - and the immune system also becomes easier.

genetically determined disease does not necessarily manifest itself from birth, it can manifest itself in adulthood: at the age of 15, and at 35, and at 70

How to recognize immunodeficiency in yourself?

Looking for illness in oneself is a thankless task. Many people think that their symptoms always correspond to the disease being described.

There are so-called warning signs, on the basis of which immunodeficiency can be suspected. Among them, it is worth highlighting more than six otitis media per year, two sinusitis per year, skin problems, taking antibiotics does not help for more than two months, thrush, complications during vaccinations, developmental delays, micronodules, structural features of the face, fevers, arthritis, and so on. If you have two signs from the list, then you need to sign up for a consultation with an immunologist.

What causes immunodeficiencies?

There are a lot of primary immunodeficiencies: these are congenital, genetically determined diseases. More than 350 forms have been described so far. Primary immunodeficiencies have a different genetic nature and varying degrees of severity. There are harmless, and there are absolutely incompatible with life, if they are not treated, patients can live no more than 12-18 months. Therefore, not diagnosed immunodeficiency in time can lead to death. The overall incidence of primary immunodeficiency is approximately 1:10,000, although it varies widely among different forms.

Despite the fact that primary immunodeficiencies are of a genetic nature, the disease does not necessarily manifest itself from birth, it can also manifest itself in adulthood: at the age of 15, and at 35, and at 70. This does not apply to all forms of primary immunodeficiencies, but only to a few , for most, a late start is casuistry. Why this happens is not yet fully understood, genetic defects are also influenced by various factors, which are called epigenetic. It is possible that there are some other mechanisms that we have not yet recognized.

Secondary immunodeficiencies are not genetically determined, they are caused by the influence of some factors: tumors, severe infections, tropical diseases, severe injuries and extensive burns. For example, a child gets sick with blood cancer (leukemia) - they begin to treat him with chemotherapy to kill tumor cells, at the same time they kill non-tumor cells - secondary immunodeficiency develops. Unlike primary, secondary immunodeficiencies are transient, that is, after the end of exposure to adverse factors, the immune system gradually recovers itself.

How is immunodeficiency treated?

There are forms that do not even need to be treated. And there are those for whom conservative treatment will not help. Then it is necessary to change the diseased immune system to a healthy one, that is, to carry out transplantation of hematopoietic stem cells, from which a healthy immune system is formed. In many forms, if you prescribe the necessary therapy (administer immunoglobulin, use antibiotics and other anti-infective drugs according to indications), you can live the way people live without illness.

Immunodeficiency- this is a decrease in the functional activity of the main components of the immune system, leading to a violation of the body's defense against microbes, and manifested in an increased infectious morbidity.

In the modern world, in a metropolis, an immunodeficiency state can develop in any person. The danger of this condition lies in its untimely recognition and treatment, which leads to severe infections, autoimmune diseases and oncological processes.

Immunodeficiency states are divided into congenital and acquired or secondary (VIEW). Basically, we meet with secondary immunodeficiencies, and each of us has experienced this condition at least once in our lives. VID refers to disorders of the immune system that develop in old age and are not thought to be the result of some genetic defect.

VIEW Forms

The form	Clinical Factors
Acquired	Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
induced	Cause: radiation, cytostatics, corticosteroids, surgery, trauma, etc.
Spontaneous	Chronic, recurrent, infectious and inflammatory processes of the bronchopulmonary apparatus, paranasal paranasal sinuses, urogenital and gastrointestinal tracts, eyes, skin and soft tissues caused by opportunistic, opportunistic microorganisms with atypical biological properties and often with the presence of multiple antibiotic resistance

Signs of VIEW

Signs of VID, by which the doctor or the patient himself may suspect an immunodeficiency state

1. Recurrent virus-bacterial infections characterized by:

• chronic course;
• incomplete recovery;
• unstable remission;
• unusual pathogens (opportunistic flora, opportunistic infection with reduced virulence, with multiple antibiotic resistance).

2. Age, presence of blood relatives with primary immunodeficiency;

3. Unusual reactions to live, attenuated vaccines;

4. On examination, the patient may reveal developmental insufficiency or developmental delay, chronic diarrhea, subfebrile condition, enlargement or complete absence of lymph nodes of the tonsils, thymus, skin abscesses, dermatitis, mucosal candidiasis, congenital malformation, impaired development of the facial skull, short stature (dwarfism ), increased fatigue;

5. Iatrogenic interventions: chemotherapy, splenectomy, radiation;

6. Prolonged physical and/or psycho-emotional stress;

7. Allergy;

8. Autoimmune diseases;

9. Tumors.

Tasks of immunological research

• confirm the presence of immunodeficiency;
• determine the severity of violations;
• identify the broken link;
• evaluate the possibilities of selecting an immunocorrector;
• evaluate the prognosis of the effectiveness of immunotherapy.

Immunotherapy

After a full immunoassay, the immunologist prescribes therapy.

Immunotherapy (correction of immunity)- treatment aimed at strengthening weakened immune defenses, correcting the imbalance of ongoing immune reactions, weakening pathologically active immune processes and suppressing autoaggressive immune reactions. Not all types of immune protection are effective against a particular infectious agent, but only some.

It is necessary to stimulate those parts of the immune system that are effective in protecting against a specific infection that the patient has.

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Immunodeficiency is a dysfunction of the immune system, which manifests itself in a decrease in the body's resistance to various viruses, bacteria, fungi.

There are 2 forms of immunodeficiency:

• congenital;
• acquired.

Factors that predispose to the development of this condition:

• severe infectious or viral diseases (HIV, tuberculosis, viral hepatitis);
• oncological diseases;
• autoimmune diseases (aplastic anemia);
• conditions that lead to depletion of the body (avitaminosis, stress, depression, microwave radiation);
• diabetes mellitus, hormonal imbalance;
• trauma, surgery.

Symptoms are very diverse, as the disease masquerades as other pathologies.

When the respiratory tract is affected, there are:

• cough, runny nose, fever;
• weakness, headaches.
• For lesions of the digestive tract are characterized by:
• vomiting, nausea;
• headache, dizziness;
• stomach bleeding;
• temperature rise;
• pain in the intestines.

CNS damage is indicated by:

• headache;
• temperature rise;
• convulsions.

Common typical symptoms of immunodeficiency are:

• inflammation of the lungs, which is difficult to treat;
• temperature rise;
• diarrhea for more than 3 months;
• candidiasis.

Diagnostic studies

It is quite difficult to identify this pathology. This is possible only after a comprehensive examination, which includes:

• clinical analysis of blood, urine;
• immunological analysis of immunoglobulins E, A, G, M;
• detection of viral hepatitis C, B;
• blood test for HIV;
• x-ray of the lungs;
• CT of affected organs.

The main stages of treatment

Before starting replacement therapy, which is carried out for life (with the help of donor plasma, sera, etc.), it is necessary to get rid of concomitant infectious diseases. For this, broad-spectrum antibiotics, antiviral therapy, antifungal drugs are used. Immunostimulating therapy is also carried out (Cycloferon, Inflamafertin). Reception of vitamin and mineral complexes, nutritional supplements is recommended. Antidepressants are prescribed according to indications. It is necessary to observe the correct mode of work and rest, to give up bad habits - smoking, drinking alcohol.

The most effective treatment is a bone marrow transplant. But it is carried out only after other methods have not helped.

Complications

If untreated, immunodeficiency contributes to the development of infectious processes (sepsis, pneumonia), which are very difficult to treat and can lead to death.

According to the World Health Organization, 70% of Russians have reduced immunity. And, as you know, a person with a weakened immune system is extremely sensitive to various infections and is more difficult to tolerate various diseases. However, in most cases, it is impossible to figure out what are the causes and cure immunodeficiency without the help of a specialist.

Bogatyr health!

Immunodeficiency is a persistent decrease in the function of the immune system and resistance to bacteria and viruses. There are primary immunodeficiencies (congenital) that develop in infancy. Such pathological conditions are extremely rare. Occurs much more frequently secondary immunodeficiency, which develops against the background of poor ecology, improper, malnutrition, long-term use of medications, chronic diseases, alcohol abuse, cigarettes, drugs, constant lack of sleep, severe stress, also affects the development of secondary immunodeficiency, etc.

Immunity also experiences a serious load in case of serious diseases (for example, staphylococcus aureus, pneumococcus, herpes, chronic viral hepatitis, rubella, toxoplasmosis). Immunoreactivity is disturbed, hypersensitivity to antigens of microbes develops, intoxication of the body appears. And with such a disease as diabetes, the processes of division and differentiation of cells, including cells of the immune system, are disrupted, and due to an increase in blood glucose, the reproduction of harmful bacteria occurs. As a result, susceptibility to harmful pathogens is greatly increased, and the patient suffers from constant recurrent infections. Therefore, in the event of serious diseases, it is necessary not only to treat the underlying problem, but also to strengthen the body, otherwise immunity can give a “crack”, which subsequently threatens with complications.

However, there are diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic scleroderma) that lead to persistent immunodeficiency, which is very difficult to deal with, and treatment sometimes lasts for years.

Diagnosis of immunodeficiencies

In the presence of chronic foci of infection, recurrent diseases and the ineffectiveness of standard therapies, secondary immunodeficiency can be assumed. In such a situation, it is necessary diagnosis of immunodeficiencies: you should consult an immunologist who will prescribe two levels of tests and tests. Level 1 tests are approximate and help detect gross defects in immunity. And tests of the 2nd level are functional and are aimed at identifying a specific "breakdown" in the immune system.

Treatment of immunodeficiency

After diagnosing immunodeficiencies and receiving the results, the doctor will develop tactics treatment of secondary immunodeficiency. If the problem arose due to an unbalanced diet, he will prescribe a certain diet in combination with a complex of vitamins, minerals and dietary supplements containing the necessary components. And if immunodeficiency is a consequence of a chronic disease, then therapy is likely to begin with the treatment of a chronic focus of infection.

It is worth thinking about our protective shield already when the first signs of its weakening appear: frequent colds, weakness, dizziness, etc. Many factors can provoke IDS, so it is necessary to know the nature of its appearance in order to select an adequate method for eliminating the disease. An immunologist is called upon to clearly identify the prerequisite that led to the disease.

There are two main types of pathology.

1. Primary immunodeficiency is a congenital disease caused either by genetic defects or by various influences during prenatal development. Depending on the level of exposure and localization of the process, they are: cellular, antibody, combined, expressed by deficiency of the complement system and defects in phagocytosis.
2. Secondary immunodeficiency. This pathology is much more common. The disease is caused by a wide variety of environmental factors that negatively affect almost all elements of the immune system. This group includes the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, known as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

The list of causes of secondary immunodeficiency is quite wide:

• lack of important substances for the proper development of the body, due to malnutrition;
• the impact on the body of chronic infections, which, constantly affecting the immune system, eventually lower its reactivity. Also, such diseases have a bad effect on the state of the hematopoietic system, which is responsible for the creation of extremely important lymphocytes;
• helminthiasis;
• blood loss or kidney failure;
• various kinds of poisoning, prolonged diarrhea, due to which there is a sharp loss of all essential nutrients;
• diabetes mellitus or thyroid disorders;
• oncological diseases.

The process of the procedure

Training

If you or your child gets sick often and therapy doesn't help, it's worth getting your immune system checked. Before the first trip to the doctor, you can prepare a little so that the consultation goes quickly and efficiently. For example:

1. Write down any symptoms you notice.
2. Collect all previous test results you have ever taken.
3. Do some family history research.
4. Make a list of your recent medications and vitamins.
5. Prepare in advance all the questions that you plan to ask the doctor.

Such actions will help the health worker to quickly diagnose the disease and prescribe the necessary therapy.

The pain relief process

Treatment of primary immunodeficiency is carried out using the following methods:

• etiotropic therapy (in this case, the patient's genomic deficiency is corrected);
• treatment with immunostimulants;
• transplantation of bone marrow, immunoglobulins, thymus cells.

Treatment of immunodeficiency in children, as well as in adults, is carried out under the supervision of a specialist. Secondary IDS is much easier to cure than primary, because the prerequisites for its appearance are transient factors. Therefore, it is possible to have an effective suppressive effect on them using the right therapy. After the diagnosis and establishment of the true cause, a course of treatment is prescribed.

More often than adults, children are more susceptible to secondary IDS, since they have not yet fully formed a mechanism for combating harmful environmental factors.

Against the background of a lack of vitamins and minerals, appropriate vitamin complexes are prescribed. If the presence of a chronic infection is established, then first of all, its foci are sanitized.

Immunostimulants help to strengthen the immune system after suffering illnesses and operations.

Symptoms

Signs differ depending on the type of disease and each person can have an individual character. Among them:

• frequent infectious disorders that recur from time to time;
• infection and other ailments of the blood;
• developmental delay;
• problems with the digestive tract;
• fungal infections;
• stomatitis;
• hair loss;
• allergic reactions;
• weight loss.

Contraindications

Reception of almost every immunostimulant has its own contraindications. Particular care should be taken when treating children with autoimmune problems. It is worth taking drugs for such children only as prescribed by the attending physician. However, like pregnant women.

Complications

Characteristic complications for both types of the disease are serious infectious pathologies, such as pneumonia, sepsis, and others, which depend on the cause of IDS. Early diagnosis can prevent long-term problems.

Prices and clinics

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