Desert Messenger

Free Buttons! February 3, 2021 www.DesertMessenger.com 29 Your Immune system - Hup, Two, Three, Four By Jackie Deal Hup! Two, three four! You have an internal Army. (Sorry, Air Force and Navy.) Yes, your very own army called an immune system. People talk about it all the time: "He has an impaired immune system." "She's sick all winter, her immune system is no good." People with compro- mised (depleted) immune systems are more susceptible to Covid19. So, okay, exactly what is your im- mune system? It's not your heart or your lungs or kidneys, or other or- gans you know that you have. It's a whole system of cells, tissues and organs working together to protect you. Have you ever heard of your thy- mus? Probably you don't even know that you have a thymus, yet there it sits in your chest, under your breast- bone, right next to your heart and it's an important part of your im- mune system. Other parts of the im- mune system are the spleen, lymph system, the tonsils and adenoids and appendix, certain areas of the small intestine, and bone marrow. When your Immune Army System is in good working order, you heal automatically, quickly and don't get sick as often. That is the goal of your immune system: to promote ho- meostasis, or a "steady state within an organism". What we call disease is a disturbance in homeostasis. Your fi rst line of defense may surprise you: your skin and mucus membranes. When they're intact nothing breaches their area. Next, your immune army must recognize "self" (the body's own cells) and "non-self", that is (cells) antigens which are - virus, fungus, bacteria, or any other cell or foreign tissue. Sounds similar to the guard at an army post challenging an intruder, right? And if the guard can't keep the intruder out, then these foreign antigens cause the body to make an- tibodies to help your army remem- ber which is not-self. When this rec- ognition system fails, your immune system mistakenly attacks its own antigens, which is called an autoim- mune disorder. Your army must have an intelli- gence and communication network that helps organize the immune re- sponse and that is the job of your white blood cells. Some of these cells are highly specialized: The T lymphocytes (T stands for thymus-derived, there's that un- known thymus gland) switch on various aspects of the immune re- sponse, and then (equally impor- tant) switch them off. Another lymphocyte, the B cell (B for bone marrow), manufactures antibodies. A larger kind of white blood cell, the scavengers called phagocytes, including the macrophage, eats up all sorts of debris in tissue and the bloodstream and alerts certain T cells to the presence of antigens. Sounds too simple, right? So let's delve a little further. Immunity can be either natural or artifi cial, innate or acquired/adaptive, and either ac- tive or passive. Active natural (contact with infec- tion): develops slowly, is long term, and antigen specifi c. Once you get certain childhood disease you won't get them again. Covid19? We aren't sure how long immunity will last. Active artifi cial (vaccination): de- velops slowly, may last for several years, and is specifi c to the antigen for which the immunization was given. Again, Covid 19 is an un- known quantity. Passive natural (transplacental = mother to child): develops immedi- ately, is temporary, and affects all antigens to which the mother has immunity. Passive artifi cial (injection of gamma globulin): develops imme- diately, is temporary, and affects all antigens to which the donor has im- munity. The most notable immune system failure is AIDS: "HIV/AIDS is a se- rious immune system failure and a leading cause of death worldwide. AIDS occurs in the later stages of progression of HIV, and causes the immune system of the body to col- lapse completely." says Dr. Art Kar- no at Buzzle.com. Covid 19 is so new that research- ers are still guessing how long ar- tifi cial immunity (vaccinations) will last. But at the moment it's all we've got! How do you keep your Army in good working order? Eat right, sleep good, unstress and visit your doctor when you're sick. (The infor- mation in this article was taken from several web sites: Health Central., Buzzle, and "How stuff works") Disclaimer: Not meant to treat, cure, heal or diagnose any type of illness or disease as it is for infor- mational purposes only. Quartzsite Area Chamber of Com- merce & Tourism has a few hundred "I Pledge to be COVID-19 Safe" Free buttons left! The Quartzsite Area Chamber of Commerce & Tourism, along with local businesses, will be distributing the buttons for free! Thanks to our sponsors Hori- zon Community Bank, Quartzsite Sports, Vacation & RV Show, Desert Gardens International Rock, Gem & Mineral Show, RV Day/Night Shade Repair and individual donors, the buttons are a fun way to remind residents and visitors to wear a face covering while out in public. And it's a cute collector's item, too. But seriously, with so many out- of-town visitors arriving for the big shows, organizers felt the need to do something "Quartzsite style." So grab a free button and wear it to show you pledge to be COVID- 19 safe in public! And to protect yourself, protect others, and pro- tect the Quartzsite community. Pick up extras to share with your friends. Located at 1240 W. Main St., the Chamber is open 10am-2pm Wednesday thru Friday. Please call 928-927-5200 if you have ques- tions.

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