Problems with the immune system can be relatively minor, leading to frequent colds and other viral or bacterial infections. Or they can be major diseases. Certain lifestyle issues, such as poor diet and cigarette smoking, and even some prescription medications can cause you to have problems with your immune system function. Some diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, are believed to be caused by an overactive immune system and sometimes the medications prescribed to treat these conditions can lead to frequent infections. How the immune system works is not completely understood. Inflammation is a major function of the immune system, yet sometimes it works against us. Researchers believe that the major killers in the United States, cancer and heart disease, are related to chronic inflammation.

Diseases and problems with the immune system can be divided into two basic categories. Those in which the body’s ability to fight disease is impaired and those in which the immune system overreacts to stimuli, causing damage to the other organs or systems of the body. If you fear that you have problems with your immune system, because you have frequent or recurring colds, you could actually have allergies. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases advise that cold symptoms which linger for much more than two weeks are often allergies.

There are a number of different rare and congenital or inherited diseases that are usually referred to as primary immune deficiency diseases. These problems with the immune system are severe and affect an estimated 50,000 people in the United States. A healthy immune system recognizes “invaders” such as viruses, bacteria or anything that is not a normal part of the body and destroys these invaders. In cases of severe immune system diseases, the body may have little, if any, normal immune responses, resulting in frequent recurring infections. Nezelof’s Syndrome, Granulomatous Disease, T-Lymphocyte Deficiency, Chronic Dysphagocytosis, Impotent Neutrophil Syndrome and Congenital Dysphagocytosis are all examples of immune system diseases in which there is a weakened or absent response to everyday bacteria, viruses, fungi, etc.

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is not inherited or congenital. It is caused by an infection with the human immunodeficiency virus or HIV. HIV invades and inactivates certain cells of the immune system, known as helper T-cells. Helper T-cells are white blood cells that normally stimulate the production of antibodies and killer T-cells, which destroy viruses, bacteria and other invaders such as cancer cells. As opposed to the other rare diseases of the immune system, which may be caused by a missing or inactive spleen or thymus or some other congenital or inherited defect leading to a lack or absence of any white blood cells, a person who suffers from AIDS had a previously healthy immune system. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 944,305 people in the United States have been diagnosed with AIDS.

Research related to AIDS and other diseases and problems with the immune system have shown how vitamins, minerals and certain herbs and other plant components can enhance and increase immune system function. For example, beta glucans found in edible mushrooms, yeast and the cell walls of other plants have been shown to increase the number of helper T-cells circulating in the blood stream of HIV positive patients. If you have problems with your immune system, supplementation with beta glucans and other immune system boosters may help.

Diseases that are believed to be a result of problems with the immune system in which healthy normal cells are attacked for unknown reasons include rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, juvenile onset diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and psoriasis. Even allergies are believed to be related to dysfunction of the immune system, since the immune system overreacts to allergens. If you would like to learn more about natural products that support healthy immune system function, please visit our website at http://www.immune-system-booster-guide.com .

Patsy Hamilton has more than twenty years experience in health care and currently writes informational articles for the Immune System Booster Guide .