How Your Immune System Works

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Your immune system is an interactive network of organs, white blood cells and proteins that protect your body from viruses and bacteria or indeed any foreign substances.Every minute of every hour of every day we are continuously being exposed to dangerous organisms that we inhale or swallow, or that stick to our skin or our mucous membranes. These pathogens would cause disease if it were not for our defensive mechanisms.When our system is working properly, we don’t even notice these infectious agents. But when our immune system is compromised, ie it is underactive or overactive, we develop infections or other medical conditions.How this defensive system worksYour immune system works to (1) neutralize and remove pathogens like bacteria, viruses, parasites or fungi that enter the body, (2) recognize and neutralize harmful substances from the environment, and (3) fight against the body’s own cells that are changing due to an illness.Whether these pathogens or other harmful substances penetrate and cause disease is a result of both their pathogenicity (ie, how virulent they are) and the integrity of your body’s defence mechanisms.The essential function of this system in its defence of your body is best illustrated when it goes wrong… underactivity (or immunodeficiency) can result in severe infections and tumours, and overactivity in allergic and autoimmune diseases.If our immune system works properly to protect us, we never notice it. But when its performance is compromised, we develop illnesses.For it to be able to work properly it must be able to distinguish between two types of cells, organisms and substances… ‘self’ and ‘non-self’.'Self’ refers to cells etc inside your body… ‘non-self’ refers to foreign bodies, cells etc from outside your body getting into your body… these are called antigens.Your immune system can normally distinguish between your own cells and antigens. For example, the proteins on the surfaces of your own cells will be different than the proteins on the surfaces of antigens such as viruses, bacteria and fungi. The system can detect these differing proteins. Once it has detected antigens, it will attack them to destroy them.There are two parts to your immune system:

a basic system that works as a general defence system against pathogens (organisms that cause disease), and

an adaptive system that remembers specific pathogens with whom it has already had contact and will attack them if they reappear.

As you can see, the system adapts itself and learns so it can fight against bacteria or viruses that change over time. The two parts of your immune system complement each other in their reactions to a pathogen.Breakdowns in the immune systemThis system, like any other system, can breakdown. This can happen in several ways:

Rather than operating normally against antigens that enter your body, your system can overreact… this is called an excessive immune response.

The system, due to damage, reacts too slowly against invading pathogens… this is called an immune deficiency.

The system mistakenly begins attacking the cells of your own body… this is called an autoimmune attack.

Consequently, your immune system can suffer from several major disorders. As examples:1] Allergies… an allergy is an immune system response to a foreign substance that’s not harmful to your body. These foreign substances are called allergens. They can include certain foods, pollen, or pet dander.Your immune system’s job is to keep you healthy by fighting harmful pathogens. It does this by attacking anything it thinks could put your body in danger. Depending on the allergen, this response may involve inflammation, sneezing, or a host of other symptoms.The system normally adjusts to your environment. For example, when your body encounters something like pollen, it should realize it’s harmless. In people who are allergic to pollen the immune system perceives it as an outside invader threatening the body and attacks it, causing inflammation.This can result in one or more allergic diseases such as food allergies, asthma, hay fever or dermatitis.2] Immune deficiency diseases… a weakened defensive system will prevent your body from fighting infections and diseases. This type of disorder makes it easier for you to catch viruses and bacterial infections.Immunodeficiency disorders are either congenital or acquired. A congenital, or primary, disorder is one you were born with. Acquired, or secondary, disorders you get later in life. Acquired disorders are more common than congenital disorders.Anything that weakens your immune system can lead to a secondary immunodeficiency disorder. Examples include… exposure to bodily fluids infected with HIV… growing older… diabetes… eating too little protein… too little sleep… cancer and chemotherapy drugs… and many more.Impairment of the system can lead to infections that can threaten your life.3] Autoimmune diseases… an autoimmune reaction is one in which your immune system attacks your own body by mistake. It is caused by an autoimmune disease. In an autoimmune disease, the immune system mistakes part of your body, such as your joints or skin, as foreign. It releases proteins called autoantibodies that attack healthy cells.Some autoimmune diseases target only one organ. Type 1 diabetes damages the pancreas. Other diseases, like systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), affect the whole body.Researchers don’t know exactly what causes the immune system to misfire. Some people are more likely to get an autoimmune disease than others… the rate among women is double the rate among men… some autoimmune diseases are more common in certain ethnic groups… certain autoimmune diseases run in families.Because the incidence of autoimmune diseases is rising, researchers suspect environmental factors like infections and exposure to chemicals or solvents might also be involved. The Western diet of high-fat, high-sugar and highly processed foods may be linked to inflammation which might in turn set off an immune response.According to the hygiene hypothesis, vaccines and antiseptics mean children today are not exposed to as many germs as they were in the past, thus making their immune systems prone to overreact to harmless substances.Strengthening the immune systemAs a type 2 diabetic, your immune system is likely very weak and you need to take care to strengthen it as much as possible. You can do so with:

Lifestyle changes

Food choices

Dietary supplements

Herbs

Essential oils

These are discussed in my next article… How to strengthen your immune system

Mind Mapping For Training and Education

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In any industry or profession, knowing the tools of the trade has always been an advantage to staying ahead of your competition. Whether it be a professional athlete, building contractor or marketing genius, knowing what information is required to make you a success is crucial to achieving your goals. In training and education our “tools of the trade” cover a wide range of products. These tools include such items as an electronic survey, a Learning Management System, a behavioral test, courseware development tools, Web based training options and much more. While each of these tools serves a specific purpose, the knowledge required to be adept at each is very broad. However, there is one tool that can be utilized in all of these areas and is consistent throughout. That tool is a Mind Map.Mind Mapping has been in existence much longer than online training tools and sophisticated testing programs ever existed. It was originally created back in the 3rd century and has resurrected in the last 40 years. A Mind Map incorporates thinking using both sides of the brain and has the capability to exist in any learning environment using crayons or colored pencils. The secret to unleashing a powerful Mind Map is interesting and fun, and just like any other master craftsmen’s tool does require knowledge and practice.Often referred to as “a visual roadmap” or “the ultimate visual organizational tool”, a Mind Map incorporates the use of color and a free flowing thought process that starts in the center of a page and moves outward in a radial fashion. Mind Maps are not restricted to creative thinkers, however they can create thinking that you never thought existed. The way to incorporate the use of a Mind Map is different for everyone, however once you see the benefits it can bring, you will understand the endless potential it offers. Let me briefly explain some ways to incorporate a mind Map into your learning organization.Creating a Learning Organization – While the criteria for successfully creating and implementing a Learning Organization within a company will vary based on size, the one component that is required and consistent, regardless of size, is a vision. Without a vision in anything in life, success will come hard served or simply not ever arrive. Having a vision to implement a learning culture starts at the top and cascades out to each associate. Companies that lack a vision in this area create a culture that is void of growth and limits potentials within their team.Presentations – If you rely on a PowerPoint as your crutch in your presentation it is likely to let that shine through to your audience. If you are presenting a topic for the first time you know that it can be challenging due to lack of confidence or lack of knowledge or both. Using a Mind Map to prepare for a training deliverable or a customer presentation allows you to remember the key talking points of your presentation and not rely on your crutch to get you through. Incorporating the effective use of imagination and association allows you to be better prepared thus creating a more relaxed and confident delivery.Retention – Whether we are providing a training seminar or attending one, the ability to remember what was covered is extremely important. If you are one who likes to scribe every detail from a seminar or takes as limited information as possible, incorporating a Mind Map as our note making system is a highly effective way to retain the information into our short term and long term memory. If you have ever walked away from a training session and said “I will remember that for sure tomorrow or next week or next month” but never review the information, the likelihood for retention is limited. Using a mind Map as a retention tool is fun since you can view the information at a glance and commit the information to long term storage.Greg Liberto has over 15 years experience in the training and development industry and provides training in the areas of Mind Mapping, social networking, personal branding, time management and more. Greg is the Managing Partner of Web Learners which provides a live online training solution in these areas. If you would like to learn how to implement Mind Mapping into your learning organization.