Immunomodulatory Role Of Pattern Recognition Receptors
Toll-like receptors , along with retinoid acid-inducible gene-I-like receptors and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain- like receptors are crucial elements of innate arm of immunity, recognizing pathogen-associated molecular patterns , and molecular structures specific for microbial pathogens. They are expressed in different cellular compartments, such as cell surface, endosome, lysosome or cytoplasm, and activate specific signaling pathways leading to expression of genes that tailor immune responses to particular microbes . Toll-like receptors TLR1, TLR2, TLR4, TLR6, and TLR10 detect extracellular pathogen-associated signatures, while TLR3, TLR7, TLR8, and TLR9 recognize ligands derived from intracellular viral and bacterial pathogens.
In B lymph cells, Toll-like receptors activation results in upregulation of activation markers, proliferation, cytokine secretion, terminal differentiation, and immunoglobulin secretion. It has been demonstrated that TLR9 stimulation of B cells with CpG motifs induces IgG class switch recombination . This effect results in inhibition of the IL-4 and CD40-dependent IgG1/IgE class switch and suppression of IgE production as well as simultaneous stimulation of IgA synthesis .
What To Do About Allergies
Allergy treatment typically involves using an over-the-counter corticosteroid nasal spray, such as mometasone furoate or fluticasone propionate .
The sprays help shut off the flow of inflammatory chemicals that trigger allergy symptoms. Symptoms should start to improve with a week of daily use, but it may take three weeks before the sprays show full benefit.
Another common type of allergy medication is an antihistamine. It counteracts the effects of histamine, a body chemical involved in allergic reactions. But some antihistamines such as diphenhydramine can cause drowsiness and increase the risk of falls. Dr. Sedaghat says the safest antihistamine options for older adults are prescription antihistamine sprays, such as azelastine and olopatadine . These may help prevent symptoms while minimizing drowsiness.
To prevent watery eyes, Dr. Sedaghat recommends antihistamine eyedrops, such as ketotifen , available over the counter, and olopatadine , available by prescription.
Are People With Allergies More Susceptible To Coronavirus Than Others Are
At this point, we do not know. While people with compromised immune systems are at higher risk of severe COVID-19, people with allergies dont have a compromised immune system their allergies are actually an overreaction of the immune system.
That said, among people with some degree of asthma, those with worse disease tend to be in a higher-risk group for viral infections, particularly if the asthma is not well managed. So this is a good time to review the way you are managing your allergies and your asthma, if you have it. During a virtual visit, you and your doctor can go over the ways you are managing your condition and make any modifications if needed.
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Myth: Allergy Shots Are Painful And Have Serious Side Effects
Allergy shots are safe and effective. The large majority of patients treated with allergy shots dont have severe reactions. We take special care when determining the starting dosage and monitor you closely for potential reactions.
Some individuals develop mild reactions, such as redness or swelling at the injection site. Other mild side effects include sneezing and nasal congestion. Severe reactions seldom occur, and when they do, our health care team is prepared to spring into action.
Disadvantages Of Allergy Immunotherapy
As with all types of medical procedures and treatments, allergy desensitization has some drawbacks. Following are some of the more common disadvantages of allergy shots:
- Immunotherapy does not work on every type of allergy. It is true that shots work well for common allergies such as pet dander, pollen, dust, and other pollutants found in the home. Shots are ineffective for treating food allergies and urticaria. Urticaria causes chronic hives related to an underlying disease such as hyperthyroidism or lupus. In addition, insect venom allergies such as bee stings or spider bites cannot be prevented by allergy shots.
- Some patients have a reaction that shows up as redness, swelling, and tenderness at the injection site. However, injection site reactions usually last just one day.
- Occasionally, certain patients balk at the time commitment needed for successful allergy prevention. Missing appointments can delay or derail relief from allergies.
- Allergy shots can worsen allergy symptoms at first when the injection regimen starts.
- Since allergy shots rarely cause anaphylaxis, patients must wait in their physicians office for 30 minutes until the danger of anaphylaxis passes.
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Be Aware Of Your Symptoms And Seasonality
If youre feeling run down, dont count out allergies. Allergies can sap your energy, but if they tie up your immune system they can make you susceptible to colds and infections. When I was at my worst I was also getting sick a lot.
One tip Id give is to consider the season.
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Spring time is usually tree allergy season
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Summer is usually grass allergy season
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Late summer into fall is usually weed allergy season
These pollens will overlap with each other and can have a compounding effect on your allergies.
If youre experiencing allergies in the winter, or year-round, dust mites might be the culprit. Because you cant see dust mites youll never realize it but dust mites live in our homes, and in our beds.
My worst symptoms with dust mite allergy were in winter and summer because the HVAC system would blow them around the house. Because theyre invisible to the naked eye, dust mites can remain suspended in the air for hours. Once you inhale them the allergic symptoms begin!
When They Get Worse
Some people find that their allergies worsen over time. That’s especially true of allergies to foods, latex, or bee stings, which can result in more serious reactions with each exposure.
Other things also make a big difference. All it takes is a heavy pollen season, or a new job in a moldy building, for allergies to flare up.
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What Causes A Weak Immune System
In order to understand what can cause a weakened immune system, you first have to know about one of the immune system’s key players: white blood cells. According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , immune cells are constantly circulating in your body, via your bloodstream, looking for issues.
Most of the time, those white blood cells do their job, seeking out foreign invaders and protecting the body against them. But many different illnesses can affect the functioning of white blood cells, Donald Ford, MD, a family medicine doctor at Cleveland Clinic, tells Health. Among these are chronic conditions like diabetes and cancer, as well as infections, such as HIV. Other conditions, including some autoimmune diseases like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis, can also cause a weak immune system.
How To Manage An Allergy
In many cases, the most effective way of managing an allergy is to avoid the allergen that causes the reaction whenever possible.
For example, if you have a food allergy, you should check a food’s ingredients list for allergens before eating it. The Food Standards Agency has more information about food allergen labelling.
There are also several medications available to help control symptoms of allergic reactions, including:
- antihistamines these can be taken when you notice the symptoms of a reaction, or before being exposed to an allergen to stop a reaction occurring
- tablets, capsules, nasal sprays or liquids that can be used as a short-term treatment for a blocked nose
- lotions and creams, such as moisturising creams these can reduce skin redness and itchiness
- steroid medication sprays, drops, creams, inhalers and tablets that can help reduce redness and swelling caused by an allergic reaction
For some people with very severe allergies, a treatment called immunotherapy may be recommended.
This involves being exposed to the allergen in a controlled way over a number of years, so your body gets used to it and doesn’t react to it so severely.
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Symptoms Of An Allergic Reaction
Allergic reactions usually happen quickly within a few minutes of exposure to an allergen.
They can cause:
Most allergic reactions are mild, but occasionally a severe reaction called anaphylaxis or anaphylactic shock can occur. This is a medical emergency and needs urgent treatment.
Read more about the symptoms of allergies.
Allergy Antihistamines Helped My Weak Immune System By Reducing Reactions
When I first began treatment for my allergies I started off with an over the counter antihistamine. The antihistamine helps block the release of histamine into the body.
Since histamine is what causes our runny noses, rashes, and swollen eyes, it can be very helpful in reducing the immune system response.
In fact, the antihistamine gave my immune system relief as well by turning off the histamine aspect of immune response. This was my first step in strengthening my immune system.
Antihistamines, however useful, do not cure allergies. If you have chronic allergies like I had, you can expect to take antihistamines over and over to control your symptoms but it wont help you reduce them permanently thats the main drawback of antihistamines for allergies.
They address the symptoms but not the underlying problem. Check out below for a real solution.
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If Im Taking An Immunosuppressant Should I Worry About Covid
Not typically.
COVID-19 vaccines may provide less protection if you have a weakened immune system. But this doesnt mean they lose all effectiveness. In many cases, youll likely need an extra COVID-19 vaccine dose to help make up for this difference.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends everyone age 5 and older to get fully vaccinated against COVID-19. This includes people with weakened immune systems. People who are immunocompromised are at higher risk for severe COVID-19 if you test positive for the virus. This includes people taking medications that weaken your immune system.
Your healthcare provider can help answer questions you may have about COVID-19 vaccines, including which vaccines you should receive and when. This includes choosing which additional primary shot or booster shot to get if youre considered moderately to severely immunocompromised.
Allergies Weakening My Immune System
Growing up I didnt know I had allergies. My body was resilient so I persevered through my symptoms. In hindsight I had obvious signs of allergy. My symptoms were:
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Extreme Fatigue
Like any kid who was thinking positive I just assumed I was born that way and Id be fine. When I hit my 20s my symptoms began to take a turn for the worse.
I slept all the time. Although I attributed it to my active lifestyle I could sense something wasnt right. Why werent other people as tired as I was?
Sadly, it wasnt until 10 years later and a gradual decline in my health would I final visit an allergist to be tested.
Once I discovered what I was allergic to I realized why I was always exhausted. My immune system had been working overtime fighting substances that were always in the air.
My immune system was taxed. I knew it was still working, but it was starting to limp along because it couldnt keep up with all the allergens in the air.
I still remember how I felt before I began treating my allergies with allergy shots. In order to get through a day Id sleep 12 hours at night. During the workday I always came home for a short nap at lunch I desperately needed the naps to make it through the afternoon.
I was sick more because I didnt have energy and my blood pressure went up because I was stressed out due to fatigue .
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Hayfever & Colds Your Immune System Is Trying To Talk To You
While it is the winter months that people usually most associate with such maladies as cold and flu, the warmer and sunnier time of year brings a new threat: that of seasonal allergies, such as hay fever. When one adds to this the ongoing and unpredictable COVID-19 threat, its clear that even during the spring and summer, there can be a lot of scope for our immune systems to take a battering.
This, though, brings us neatly onto the subject of what exactly our immune systems relationship is with ailments like colds and hay fever. When you find yourself coming down with those classic symptoms of a runny nose, sneezes and congestion, what does it say about your immune health, and the steps you need to take to better protect it?
Is a cold or hay fever, for instance, an indication that your immune system is too weak and needs to be strengthened, or instead that it is too strong, as you might have heard being said about allergies?
Allergies and colds are not the same!
To explore this subject further, we need to be absolutely clear about what seasonal allergies and colds actually are. The fact that allergies and colds do share some symptoms means you might end up mistaking one for another for example, failing to realise that the cold you seem to suddenly develop at the same time every year may actually be a seasonal allergy.
So, what does all of this have to do with your immunity?
Other sources:
Feature: Human Biology In The News
EpiPens® and their sole manufacturer were featured in headlines in 2016, but not for a good reason. The media outburst was triggered by a drastic price hike in EpiPens® and Mylans apparent greed.
Figure 17.6.9 An Epipen® is a hypodermic device that administers a dose of epinephrine, used for the emergency treatment of an acute allergic reaction.
EpiPens® are auto-injectable syringes preloaded with a measured dose of epinephrine, a drug that can rapidly stop a life-threatening anaphylactic response to an allergen. Using the device is easy and does not require any special training. The injector just needs to be jammed against the thigh, which can be done through clothing or on bare skin. Each year, doctors write millions of prescriptions for EpiPens®. Many people with severe allergies always carry two of the devices with them, just in case they experience anaphylaxis, although most of them never need to use them. Other people with severe allergies have literally had their lives saved multiple times by EpiPens® when they had anaphylactic reactions. Even when the devices havent been used, they must be replaced each year due to expiration of the epinephrine.
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What Is An Immunosuppressant
An immunosuppressant is a medication that weakens your immune system. It does so by making your immune system less active.
This can actually be helpful in certain conditions. For example, some people take immunosuppressants after receiving an organ transplant. This helps prevent the immune system from attacking the new organ.
Immunosuppressants are also used as treatments for people with certain conditions caused by an overactive immune system. This includes lupus and rheumatoid arthritis .
But in other cases, immunosuppression is a side effect of certain medications.
What Does It Mean To Have A Weakened Immune System
Your immune system helps your body fight off infections. There are many elements to your immune system. Having a weakened immune system means your body isnt able to defend against infections as well as usual. This is sometimes referred to as being immunocompromised.
Having a weakened immune system can cause you to have frequent infections. It can also raise your risk for serious infections. Some people may be born with a weakened immune system. But sometimes, certain health conditions or medications cause this condition.
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Can Allergies Weaken Your Immune System
Allergens are otherwise harmless substances that your immune system views as a threat. If you experience allergies then its a sign of two things: 1) Your immune system is actively working, and 2) Your immune system is misfiring .
If youre reading this youre probably wondering if allergies can weaken your immune system. The answer is yes, allergies can weaken your immune system! In the following sections Ill talk about what happens when your immune system attacks allergens and how it can weaken your body.
As someone who had severe allergies Ill share my experience battling allergies and share what they did to my body. My allergies affected me in ways I didnt understand or realize until I got help . The way I feel today is completely different than how I felt a few years ago.
Maturation Of The Immune System
Physiological phenomenon of maturation of the immune system, initiated within the fetal period, is dynamic in its character and is expanding in time through the first months and even years of child’s life. Hence, within the neonatal period, infancy and early childhood dysfunction of numerous components of the immune system is observed.
Within the neonatal period, considerable immaturity characterizes the system of monocytes-macrophages. It consists in decreased expression of costimulatory molecules and diminished ability to differentiation into dendritic cells as well as weak production of IL-12 by monocytes . Macrophages exhibit diminished response to IFN, decreased activity upon phagocytosis , and impairment of intracellular killing .
Predominance of the Th2-dependent immune response prevailing within the fetal period and expanding through the neonatal period and infancy may be among others as a result of exerted activity of regulatory T cells, suppressing the proinflammatory Th1-mediated response . Moreover, mechanisms of the innate immune response profiling development of the adaptive response towards advantageous Th1-or Th2-mediated immunity contribute to the predisposition or to the protection from asthma and allergy. Dose, settings, and timing of exposure to antigens are of crucial importance in modulating the immune response profile within the child’s early life .
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