The immune system protects our body both from external infections and from internal destructive processes. She works continuously and although her malfunctions may not be so pronounced, but during illness the body feels it.
If you feel that your immunity began to fail you, you need to contact the laboratory and go through the appropriate blood test.
How to check the immune system, what analysis to pass?
The reason for checking the immune system should be frequent colds, ARVI, influenza, sudden increase in temperature, rashes, a sharp change in weight without your effort, drowsiness and fatigue, increase in lymph nodes, thrush and other alarming conditions.
- Blood test for immunity It is carried out primarily with recurrent herpes, pustular rashes, allergies, not to mention autoimmune pathologies. In this case, you will know for sure what caused the disease or its exacerbation: weakening of immunity or a sudden infection.
- This study is called - immunological, or immunogram. It is a complex of laboratory tests of venous blood, which determine many indicators. The analyzes determine the amount of cells of the immune system contained in the blood that perform various functions, their activity and the ability to withstand bacteria, producing antibodies.
- Also, blood is examined on sensitivity to allergens, namely, it is determined whether antibodies are sufficient for food, air, domestic and other allergens. Also, comprehensive immunological analysis examines the number of lymphocytes. In total, there are about 10 immunogram options, and which indicators need to be determined-the doctor decides.
- The most obvious of them, of course, the total level of lymphocytes in the blood. If their number is increased, then, most likely, there is inflammation. And in order to say more accurately, you should consider in detail what concentration there are certain cells of the immune system.
- Eg, reducing the normal amount (and this is from 210 to 1200 per 1 ml of blood) T-lymphocytes, which cause the death of cells affected by the virus, indicates the possible presence of an autoimmune disease or allergies. A similar conclusion becomes even more obvious if the number of B-lymphocytic antibodies producing antibodies increases (their normal level is 100-480 cells per ml).
- About the presence immunodeficiency A reduced number of T-Helper may also speak, which regulate the immune response (their normal content is 540-1460 per ml). In addition, during the analysis, an indicator such as the activity of immune cells is taken into account. If the result shows that in the activated position there is at least the fifth of them (20%) - measures must be taken. And if during the analysis it is clear that a quarter of cells (25%) has lost the ability to absorb bacteria, then it is quite possible to diagnose an immunodeficiency state. For children, a similar result may indicate the presence of innate defects.
- In order for the result of the analysis to be reliable, at least 2 weeks before it, refuse to take drugs affecting the body's protective reactions or, at least, warn the doctor about this. The day before blood donation, do not smoke or take alcohol.
- In addition, as a rule, the analysis is carried out on an empty stomach (food should not be eaten less than 8 hours before the time of the analysis).
Among other recommendations are the exclusion of fat and acute foods from the diet no less than 3 days before analysis, as well as the absence of acute infectious diseases or chronic in the exacerbation stage.
- Before the analysis, be sure to conduct visual inspection, in which the skin, lymph nodes, nails, mucous membranes are evaluated. Blood fence is made of vein and from the finger. The patient can also take urine to determine the level of leukocytes.
- Based on the results of the analysis, many diseases can be diagnosed, including allergies, oncology, pneumonia, Assess the state of the immune system and choose the appropriate drugs to increase immunity.
- So, the blood test for immunity on time will assess the condition of the cellular, non -specific and humoral components of the immunity. Of course, based on its results, you can’t make a diagnosis, but deviations in the operation of the immune system will be visible. To establish the true cause of poor health, the doctor is based on many factors.
The time for performing immunity tests varies. To assess the content of certain cells or the presence of antibodies will need up to three days. To analyze cell activity-about 9 days, and over 10 days will take a comprehensive analysis. If we talk about the price, then on average a comprehensive analysis costs about 12 thousand rubles, the assessment of individual indicators - approximately 1300 rubles.
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