The immune system is a remarkably effective structure.

The immune system, as described by Wikipedia, is a collection of mechanisms within an organism that protects against disease by identifying and killing pathogens and tumor cells. It detects a wide variety of agents, from viruses to parasitic worms, and needs to distinguish them from the organism’s own healthy cells and tissues in order to function properly. Detection is complicated as pathogens can evolve rapidly, producing adaptations that avoid the immune system and allow the pathogens to successfully infect their host.

In other words, it is a system of the body, which defends people against germs and microorganisms every day. When this system is damaged disorders develop, and, with disorders in the system the result is a diseased body.

It is natural for everyone to be born with immunity, a general protection that we enjoy. This means that many of the germs that other species have will not harm us. Example: - viruses that cause cats and dogs to become ill with distemper and leukaemia do not affect us. This works both ways; human viruses do not pass to, and infect, the animals.

This innate protection also includes the external barriers of the body, like the skin and mucous membranes (like those that line the nose, throat, and gastrointestinal tract), which are our first line of defense in preventing diseases from entering our body. If this outer defensive wall is broken (like a cut), the skin attempts to heal the break quickly and special immune cells on the skin attack invading germs.

The body’s natural defensive system can be damaged by: -

• Obesity,
• Excessive alcohol,
• Drugs,
• Stress (both physical and emotional),
• Lack of balanced nutrition,
• Age.

Also the overuse and miss-use of prescription antibiotics can harm and damage our protection system, as will surgical removal of various body parts. Even if these procedures are carried out to restore general health.

Everybody’s defensive system is different. Some people never seem to get any infections at all while other people seem to be sick all the time.

An added defense of the system is that it has what appears to be a memory, when the body’s system has experienced an attack of some kind (e.g. an influenza attack) then the system seems to remember what worked the last time to defeat it and immediately take steps to remedy the situation.

This is why adults are more able to shake off illnesses like colds and ‘flu more easily than children and therefore do not suffer from them as often.

The immune system of a person sometimes get a little off track and cannot tell the difference between the body’s good cells and those that are attacking it. The system will then attack the good cells and so let disease develop in that point. An example is some of the joint pain and stiffness that people have. Medical science recognises that there are many such illnesses and are working to overcome them.

Some of the modern day illnesses that plague society today are caused by a breakdown in the immune system include, diabetes, asthma, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Scientists, by working with nature may not yet have found a cure for these illness, have, in many cases developed products that will lessen both the pain and the affect of these illnesses

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