Your immune system serves as a barrier to protect your body from bacteria, viruses and microorganisms that lead to illness. Made up of a complex system of organs and cells, your immune system protects your body from infection. An imbalance in your immune system can lead to a host of infectious diseases and immune disorders.
Organs
The lymphoid organs are those that control and moderate your immune system. They play a significant role in growth and development, as well as in releasing lymphocytes into your blood vessels. Lymphocytes are a certain kind of white blood cell that fight infection. Your body contains 10 lymphoid organs, which include the appendix, adenoids, tonsils and lymph nodes. Bone marrow, blood vessels, your spleen and thymus gland also are part of the lymphatic system. All lymphocytes originate in your bone marrow.
How it Works
The lymphatic system has a memory that recalls previous harmful substances that it fought off so that the next time you encounter the material, you have a natural barrier built in to stave off any damage. When you develop immunity to the substance from the previous exposure that is called acquired immunity. You also have an array of natural barriers that protect your internal organs. The skin, the surface of your eyes, the urinary tract and protective barriers in the mouth are forms of natural immune barriers.
Side Effects
When any one of the natural or acquired immunities is compromised or imbalanced, you can develop side effects. Food and chemical sensitivities and allergies cause your immune system to become imbalanced and unable to protect you from the harmful substances. Viral hepatitis and malaria destroy immune function in the lymphatic system. Juvenile diabetes, anemia and rheumatoid arthritis are autoimmune diseases that result from an imbalanced immune system. AIDS, or acquired immune deficiency syndrome, is caused by an infection that attacks the immune system.
Causes
An allergy causes your immune system to improperly respond to an otherwise benign source. For example, pollen is mistaken as a threat to your body and an imbalanced immune system strikes to destroy it, leading to the symptoms you get, such as runny nose, itchy eyes and rashes. When your immune system breaks down, it causes your lymphatic system to produce antibodies that eventually target your body's healthy cells. According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, while little is known definitively about why your immune system becomes imbalanced, it could be the result of an infection or in response to environmental toxins coming from sunlight, bacteria or certain drugs. Hormones may also play a role in immune imbalance because women are at a higher risk of developing autoimmune diseases than men. Most people with imbalanced immune systems have a specific genetic marker, which may mean that heredity also plays a role in developing an autoimmune disease.
