By Enyeribe Ejiogu
When you understand the intricate complexity of the human body in terms of the anatomical structures and physiological functions of each component part, which perfectly work together to sustain life, it is only then you understand the deep meaning of the scripture in Psalm 139:14, where the Bible says, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Architectural, engineering and product designers follow the footsteps of God in what they describe as the “form and function concept in design.
In carefully designing the human body, God gave it ability to regulate itself and ensure proper functionality that sustains life. The body has an immune system that enables it fight and protect itself from certain infections that could lead to disease conditions. It also helps the body to heal. It can even attack the body by mistake. Immune system problems can cause symptoms, allergic reactions, or persistent illnesses. It is to be noted that the intricacies of the components of the immune system and how they function to protect the health of the body is not the focus of this write-up. What is interest here is the fact that the body is able to give early indications of problems in the immune system. Below are some of the ways the body gives early signs of problems in the immune system.
Dry or gritty eyes
Very dry eyes can be a sign of immune system problems. In Sjögren’s syndrome, the immune system dries up tears that keep eyes moist. In such a situation you find that your eyes are dry, red, and may feel like you have grit or sand in them. You can develop blurry vision or even cornea damage.
Depression
Ordinarily, depression is associated with the mind and psychological state of the person. Depression can be a sign of immune system problems. A faulty immune system can send inflammatory cells called cytokines to the brain. The inflammatory cells lower the levels of chemicals like serotonin, which lift a person’s mood. But is has been found out that exercise can boost serotonin levels, lessen inflammation, and help ease depression.
Skin rash
Eczema’s itchy rash is an allergic reaction that means your immune system is over-active. Psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis are diseases linked to a faulty immune system. Your immune system attacks your own skin cells with inflammation. This can cause red, flaky, painful blotches called plaques.
Stomach or bowel problems
Stomach and bowel symptoms may be signs of an immune symptom problem. Diarrhoea, belly pain, bloating, and weight loss are symptoms of Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, or celiac disease, conditions driven by your immune system.
Cold hands and feet
Do your hands and feet turn white or blue in the cold? In Raynaud’s disease, blood flow to hands and feet may slow down in cold temperatures, causing skin to feel cold and change colours. It’s an autoimmune condition. Cold hands and feet could mean your thyroid gland is under-active due to your immune system.
Hair loss
Your immune system can attack your hair at the root and damage it, causing alopecia areata, commonly known as hair loss. Hair may fall out in small patches on your head or anywhere on your body. Other immune system problems like plaque psoriasis on your scalp can cause patchy hair loss too.
Sun sensitivity
Immune system problems can make you very sensitive to sunlight. If you have lupus, your skin may burn easily from even brief sun exposure. Sun on your skin can cause an immune system flare-up of all lupus symptoms, so always wear hats, sunglasses, cover-ups, and high SPF sunscreen to protect yourself.
Joint pain
Suddenly painful, swollen, stiff joints may be a symptom of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In RA, your immune system inflames tissue lining the joints. This causes severe joint pain.
Wounds slow to heal
If your immune system is sluggish, minor wounds like a cut, burn, or scrape may be slow to heal. A healthy immune system reacts quickly to a wound and sends nutrients to promote healing. If your wounds take a long time to get better, your immune system may be under-active.
You get sick all the time
Frequent infections like colds or flu also could be signs of an under-active immune system. If you have four or more yearly ear infections, chronic sinus infections, pneumonia twice in one year, or you need antibiotics twice a year or more often, you could have an immune deficiency. Please see your, to discuss these symptoms. The doctor will recommend appropriate tests and what should be done, to remedy the situation.
Fatigue
You may feel tired after lots of activity. But if you’re wiped out often, even when you do get sleep, you may have a sluggish immune system. Fatigue is when you’re so exhausted you can’t even walk across the room. An over-active immune system may trigger inflammation that causes this severe tiredness.
• Adapted with material from webmd.com