Chapter 12

11/28/18

Our immune system is what keeps our bodies healthy and defends against the things that make us sick.  We need to prevent pathogens from entering our body by limiting contact with infected individuals.  There are certain risks that we can avoid such as drug or alcohol use or low fitness levels, however there are also some that we cannot control.  An example of an uncontrollable risk would be heredity or age. Our immune system quickly eradicates any unknown antigens in the body.  Our bodies make specific antibodies for each antigen that breaches the body.  Sometimes our bodies immune systems can attack ourselves by creating antibodies for tissues that are beneficial to us.  This is referred to as an autoimmune disease.  These days we can often use vaccines to our advantage by exposing our immune systems to killed or weakened versions of the diseases.  There are some very prevalent and contagious bacterial infections like Staph, Strep, Meningitis, Pneumonia and Tuberculosis.  Sometimes ticks carry bacterial infections and can transport them to a human.  Viruses are the smallest known pathogens and can give us viral infections such as Mono, Hepatitis, Herpes, Mumps, Measles and Rubella.  Viruses create a tricky conundrum, they can be hard to treat because of a number of reasons, mainly they can usually withstand heat, formaldehyde, and radiation.  The common cold and the flu are also two very prominent viral infections.  There is a flu vaccine but nothing to prevent the common cold.  To prepare for the cold season we can bolster our immune system by getting adequate sleep, healthy eating habits, washing your hands and reducing stress.  There are other pathogens such as fungi, parasites, and protozoans.  Parasites are the largest of all pathogens yet they are typically more of a nuisance than a threat according to the book.  Recently emerging diseases like West Nile and Malaria, Avian Flu, and Ebola are on the rise.  For West Nile and Malaria we can limit contact with mosquitoes and for the other two we must be extra cautious when dealing with them.  For these, sometimes quarantines are necessary to keep others from being exposed.  Antibiotics are commonly used to clear out the harmful bacteria in our bodies. The problem with antibiotics is that bacteria can sometimes become resistant to them.  To prevent this, we can finish all of our prescriptions and not dispose of them when we start to feel better.  We can use regular soap instead of anti-bacterial soap, and we can avoid food that has been pumped full of antibiotics.  Sexually transmitted diseases are a big concern for anyone who is sexually active.  The only way to prevent them with 100% certainty is to remain abstinent from sexual intercourse.  One of the most dangerous STI’s is HIV/AIDS which is transmitted through infected body fluids.  Black males having sex with males are at greater risk, but it is not a disease of gay people.  Anyone can be affected through unprotected sex or sharing needles for injecting drugs or piercing body parts. There are a bunch of STI’s including chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, herpes, and HPV which can actually be vaccinated for.

As for my health journey and how it relates, I have been actively trying to eat healthy for most of this semester and have been doing great since the Thanksgiving cheat meal.  I’ve been going to the gym and running more this week so I feel great about that.  Going to the gym is my regular exercise and stress relief so it must help in terms of strengthening my immune system.  As for STI’s I am in a relationship with someone I truly trust and do not have any risks as of now.  For the next week, I hope to stay away from alcoholic drinks because I feel like once I start drinking beer on the weekend I tend to disregard my diet and eat whatever I feel like.