overreactions of the immune system

• an overactive immune system can make the body very unhealthy
• Allergies occur when the immune system responds to harmless antigens. Allergies are causes by allergens
• allergens are antigens that cause an allergic reaction in the body
• allergens cause inflammatory responses in which histamines --produced by basophil cells-- cause swelling and redness
• types of allergens:

  • food: peanuts, wheat, milk, eggs, shellfish, etc.
  • airborne: pollen, dust mite feces, mold, etc.
  • chemical: nickel, medicine, bee stings, etc.
• 1 to 2 adults in 100 have severe allergy and 5 to 8 children in 100 have food allergy
• allergens can cause anaphylaxis, which is an extreme inflammation response by which blood vessels and airways become too porous. If not treated immediately, anaphylaxis can cause death
• in autoimmune diseases, white blood cells attack the body's healthy cells
• autoimmune diseases are failures of the immune system in which WBC cannot recognize healthy cells and attack them instead causing tissues to fail because of the attack.
• autoimmune attack can affect:

  • Thyroid tissues
  • GI tract tissues
  • Nerves tissues
  • Lungs tissues
  • Skin tissues
  • Muscle tissues
  • Bone tissues
  • Brain tissues