1. The Immune System & Allergies Raphaela Calabrese & Heidi Donato

2. What is the immune system?  The Immune system protects your body against bacteria, germs and disease.  - Your body is exposed to millions of germs everyday, but you do not get sick because of your immune system.

4. How It Works  The skin is the first line of defense in your immune system  - The epidermis, is the outer layer of skin. It has special cells that warn your body about incoming germs.  - The cells that help your immune system are white blood cells or leukocytes.  - Leukocytes are stored throughout the body including the thymus, spleen, and bone marrow. These are known as the lymphoid organs.  - These cells find and destroy organisms that cause disease  - Leukocytes travel through the body between organs and nodes by the lymphatic vessels. They can also circulate through the blood vessels.  - Lymph is a clear fluid that carries only white blood cells. It carries the white blood cells to the places in the body it is needed.  - Lymph collects some bacteria or viruses that have entered the body, and sends them to the lymph nodes where it is filtered out and destroyed.

5. (Continued)  - Some white blood cells are neutrophils, macrophages, lymphocytes and denditric.  - Neutrophils moves through the body, traveling in the blood seeking out foreign material.  - Macrophages, are the biggest blood cells. They work in different parts of the body and help keep it clean. Some move around cleaning up other white blood cells that got damaged.  -Lymphocytes, work on the bacterial and viral infections. There are two different types, B cells and T cells.  - B cells produce antibodies. Every cell watches out for a certain germ and when they identify the germ, the cell begins to produce more antibodies which starts the process of killing that germ.  -T cells look for other cells that are hiding germs or body cells that are different than normal healthy cells, and kill them.  - The denditric cells eat intruders. Filter body fluids, clears them of foreign organisms and particles.

6. Allergic Reactions Etiology, Symptoms, Treatments

7. What??  Allergic Reactions are cause by the body recognizing foreign substances. The immune system’s role is to eliminate and protect the body from these foreign substances.  These foreign substances are called allergens.  Allergens are impurities in the air that bring on an allergic reaction.  These allergens attach themselves to allergic antibodies.  These cells then release chemicals such as histamine and leukotrines which result in allergic symptoms.

8. How Do We Get Allergies?  Sensitization  Genetic  Pollens, molds, animals, certain foods, medications, particles of dust, insect stings/bites, latex, nuts, shellfish

9. Symptoms  Runny nose  Sneezing  Sinus infection  Dry, itching, burning eyes  Welts and hives  Severe: swelling, cramps, vomiting, diarrhea, hard to breathe

10. Treatment  Decongestants (afrin,zyrtec)  Nasal Sprays  Antihistamines (claritin, allegra, zyrtec,benadryl)

11. Anaphylaxis  A severe, life-threatening allergic reaction

12. Symptoms of Anaphylaxis  Reactions on skin  Nausea, dizzy, vomiting, rapid pulse  Drop in blood pressure  Shock  Airway becomes narrow

13. Treatment for Anaphylaxis  EMERGENCY ROOM  CPR  Epinephrine  Oxygen to passageway  Antihistamines

14. Asthma  Asthma is a condition, which means it is always there whether you notice it or not.  It is the swelling of the bronchial tubes or airways. When this happens it makes it harder for you to breathe.  Anyone at any age can have the condition.

15. Symptoms Of Asthma  Coughing, tight feeling in your chest, shortness of breath, and wheezing.

17. How does Asthma Occur?  People with asthma have trouble breathing when they come in contact with triggers.  A trigger is anything that can cause inflammation in the airways and then cause the symptoms to occur.  2 types of triggers. Inflammatory and symptoms  Inflammatory triggers causes tightness of the lungs airway muscles  Symptom Triggers are non allergic. Set off the airways especially if they are already inflamed.