PROBLEMS WITH THE IMMUNE SYSTEM

The nature of the immune system may cause some health problems :

Transplant Rejection - transplanted organs are foreign to the body and so are attacked by the immune system. Transplant recipients must therefore take drugs which suppress the immune system in order for their transplanted organs to survive. This leaves them more open to infection by disease agents and more prone to cancers

Allergies - an allergy is an immune over-reaction to an otherwise harmless agent. Any material is potentially allergenic, although the more common allergens include pollen, tomatoes, eggs and peanuts. When an affected individual comes into contact with the allergen, their body mounts a massive immune response to fight it. This may involves the release of chemicals (histamines) which cause blood vessels to become leaky. The increase of fluid in the tissues may lead to dangerously high blood pressure and closure of air passages. Some forms of asthma are linked to allergies.

Auto-immune Diseases - sometimes the immune system is directed against tissues in the body. The effect on these tissues is the same as the immune system has on disease agents. Auto-immune diseases include rheumatoid arthritis (directed against the cartilage in the joints), SLE (systemic lupus erythematosus) and some forms of Type I Diabetes (directed against the insulin secreting cells in the pancreas)

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