In these days of a pandemic, the immune system plays a very important role. Therefore, one should know everything about chronic pain and the immune system.
Hey there! Welcome back to our website. I hope you all are well. In this article, we will discuss the implications of chronic pain on our immune system. The immune system is also known as the “defense system” of our body. It plays an important role in resistance against diseases.
As we all know, there is no known vaccine of the deadly virus “Covid-19” till now, the only way to resist it is that your immune system is strong enough to fight it. Throughout the globe, doctors are suggesting different ways to make your immune system strong. In this case, you have to understand the impact of chronic pain on your immune system.
Chronic pain and the immune system:
There are no valuable or considerable proofs of this relation but a recent study at McGill University stated that: “chronic pain can affect the immune system. Before heading further, there are some simple terminologies that you have to understand”.
What is the Immune system?
The immune system is the defense system of our body. It provides resistance to the harmful substances and toxins inside the body and protects it. In short, it attacks germs that enter our body and helps keep us healthy too.
What are the organs of the immune system?
Below is the list of the organs of the immune system:
1 Bone marrow:
Bone marrow is a spongy tissue inside our body. This is the point in our body where most of the immune cells grow and develop. Chronic pain may affect bone marrow in a way that may change the sequence of genes inside it. But, there are very few chances of this possibility.
2 Thymus:
The thymus is another organ inside our bodies. It locates behind the breastbone above the heart. This organ only reaches its maturity in children. It slowly transformed into fatty acids. This organ also helps in the normal functioning of the immune system.
3 Spleen:
Spleen tracks beneath the diaphragm in the left upper abdomen. It is responsible for storing various immune system cells. These cells move to different organs with the help of blood inside the body, if needed. Phagocytes in the spleen act as a filter for germs that get into the bloodstream.
4 Tonsils:
The tonsils are contemporary to the immune system. They can stop germs entering the body through the mouth and nose, because of their location. The tonsils also contain plenty of white blood cells. These white blood cells are called the “police of the human body”. They protect the body from unwanted substances and chemicals. Moreover, they kill germs, viruses, and microbes.
5 Mucous membranes:
The bowel plays a major role in protecting the body against germs. The majority of antibodies are found in the bowel wall, especially, in the appendix and in the small part of the bowel wall. These cells detect and mark harmful substances and then destroy them finally.
How does the immune system work?
The immune system has a vast network of coordination. It works very closely with the coordination system of our body. If any harmful substances or germs enter the body, this immune system identifies this as an enemy and starts making antibodies against them. These antibodies attach to harmful germs and kill them. It’s is how our immune system works.
Chronic pain:
Chronic pain or acute pain is an ongoing pain that usually lasts longer than six months. Pain signals remain active in the nervous system for weeks, months, or years in fact.
Impact of chronic pain on the Immune system:
With respect to the recent research done at McGill University, chronic pain may reprogram the way genes work in the immune system. In fact, chronic pain also seems to make changes in the way the DNA is marked in social immune cells known as T cells.
This may change the designed sequence of DNA nucleotides and may ultimately result in trauma or paralysis. Chronic pain can be a result of surgery, brain hemorrhage, or cancer. Drugs are available for the relief of chronic pain and are given only with the prescription of the doctor.
Causes of chronic pain
Chronic pain can be caused by multiple factors, sometimes they are detected, and sometimes they don’t. Here is a list of the common causes of chronic pain.
1 Trauma or injury causing chronic pain:
Trauma or injury is the first and most common cause of chronic pain in humans. There are possibilities that you could fracture a vertebra in a car accident. Even though it’s healed, it could still cause pain.
2 Poor posture:
Continuing an irregular position or posture of your spine or bones for years can result in extreme chronic pain. To avoid this you must keep your body in a regular position.
3 Obesity causing:
Obesity is the leading cause of death worldwide. It not only affects your heart but also puts high and strong pressure on your knees and spine. It results in chronic pain and eventually, you may not be able to move your knees.
4 Aging causing:
Various parts of the spinal cord and other joints can wear out with the passage of time (a process called degeneration). There’s no surety that an aging spine will be painful, though: it all depends on how the degeneration process affects it.
How to make your immune system strong?
You can make your immune system strong by getting enough sleep, eating healthy food, engage in exercise, and limiting sugar usages. A strong immune system helps us to stay fit and healthy and improves our resistance against diseases. It has a huge impact on the normal functioning of the body.
Finale: Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)
As a final point, chronic pain affects the immune system by initiating several degenerative processes in various organs of the body. As a consequence, It may result in the weakening of the body systems which can lead to further complications. Therefore, it is highly suggested to consult a doctor under conditions of chronic pain.
You can read more about health topics here.
0 Comments