What is the immune system?
The immune system is a complex network within our organism dedicated to provide protective host defence against internal and external disrupting factors. This network works day and night to identify and fight harmful bacteria, viruses and parasites, as well as aged and damaged cells, to keep us healthy.
Then, why exactly do illnesses occur? The state of the immune system is constantly evolving, and thus it can be influenced both positively and negatively by factors such as genetics, lifestyle and environment. Depending whether the mechanisms that predominate are salutogenic or pathogenic, the organism tends towards either health or illness.
As a central pillar of our health, it is correspondingly important to incorporate the immune system into both diagnosis and therapeutic strategies.
The immune system at the heart of diagnosis
In addition to a comprehensive anamnesis and a physical examination that determine individual risk factors and resources, different laboratory analysis are available to assess the state of the immune system, as well as its responsiveness. Some of them are briefly outlined below:
- Differential blood test: a global examination of the cellular proportion of leukocytes (white blood cells)
- Lymphocyte typing: precise assessment of the cellular immune status
- Protein profile and inflammation profile: evaluation of the degree of inflammation and nutrient supply of the patient
- Serologies: provide evidence of infections caused by viruses, bacteria and parasites, as well as viral reactivations
- HLA-typing: assessment of the relative risk for specific autoimmune diseases, allergies, and chronic infections.
The immune system at the heart of treatment
A suitable personalised treatment plan can be elaborated taking into account the diagnostic results of the patient, within this treatment plan, micro-immunotherapy can play an important role as an immune-regulatory treatment. The aim is to sustainably optimise the host defence against internal and external factors and restore balance in the organism.
It must be emphasised, however, that micro-immunotherapy does not intend to replace the immune system, nor to force it in any particular direction. Rather, it merely transfers information in a gentle and subtle manner, in order to promote the immune system’s ability to self-regulate.