Your immune system guards your body against viruses and bacteria that may cause infections and diseases. Thus, it will always respond by fighting these invaders and attacking them. You may be asking, then, why does your doctor say you have asthma and autoimmune diseases? Understanding how you can develop such conditions will be easy with silver spring immunology, which solely focuses on your immune system and why it could function abnormally. Your immunologist will determine the reasons for failed functioning and prescribe necessary treatments. Meanwhile, read the following discussion to help you understand immunology.
Is There a Need For Immunology?
Immunology focuses on your immune system and how it fights to keep you from diseases and infections. However, your immune system may function abnormally and lead to some more life-threatening medical conditions. Therefore, your immunologist will evaluate you to determine why your immune system does not work normally and then prescribe necessary treatments to help you manage associated symptoms.
What Health Conditions Can Immunology Address?
Your immunologist focuses on the different conditions affecting your immune system and causing symptoms. Such conditions can include allergies, asthma, and autoimmune diseases. Here is a discussion of the three conditions.
Allergies
Usually, your body reacts to foreign particles by prompting the immune system to produce antibodies that fight off infections. However, an allergy to a particular substance will make your immune system overreact to the presence of the allergen in your body. As antibodies find and remove allergens by taking them to a special receptor, the cells will release histamine, which will cause your allergy symptoms. Your immunologist will focus on your symptoms and order necessary tests to identify the allergens.
Asthma
During normal breathing, your airway muscles relax and allow air to move quietly and easily. However, during an asthma attack, your airway muscles tighten and narrow, so air cannot flow freely. Your airway lining also swells, and your body creates more mucus that clogs your airways. You will begin to make wheezing sounds because of tightened airways. Talking to your doctor about your symptoms may help determine if you have asthma symptoms from allergies, among other reasons. Your immunologist will review your history, perform physical exams and do allergy testing. You can then get tips on managing your asthma symptoms to enjoy fruitful living and healthy quality of life.
Autoimmune Diseases
You develop an autoimmune disease when your immune system fights your body and attacks healthy cells. You can develop an autoimmune disease that affects only one organ, like Type 1 diabetes, while others may affect your whole body. Your immunologist cannot exactly tell what causes the immune system to attack the body, but some autoimmune diseases run in the family, and you can inherit them. Common autoimmune diseases include type 1 diabetes, Sjogren’s syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, and celiac disease.
You develop immunodeficiency disorders when your immune system responds by attacking your body instead of attacking the foreign invader. Common conditions resulting from immunodeficiency include asthma, allergies, and autoimmune conditions. Although your symptoms will vary for each one of these conditions, your body’s reaction will be similar. Your best shot at pinpointing the cause of your symptoms will be by visiting your immunologist. You will require different tests, including allergy tests, to find out if you have any of these conditions and then set up an individualized treatment plan.
