Some cancer treatments weaken your immune system as they destroy cancer cells. And if you have an autoimmune disease, a suppressed immune system is the desired result. This process may spell double-trouble, as it could make you more prone to getting COVID and put you at higher risk for severe illness.
Such treatments include long-term use of corticosteroids and therapies like biologics and disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs DMARDS. These kinds of medications, also known as anti-rejection drugs and immune suppressants, help your body accept the new cells and prevent the new immune cells from attacking your normal tissues. Porter says.
COVID is a respiratory disease, meaning it attacks the nose, throat, and lungs, in addition to other organs. Smoking damages the lungs, so those who smoke also may not have enough healthy lung tissue to withstand the virus. A recent report from the U. It stated that:. Their ability to make antibodies may also be limited, so they may not be able to clear the virus once they get infected. But Dr. For example, another hypothesis suggests the exact opposite — that an overactive immune system causes the lung damage and pneumonia seen in the sickest COVID patients.
Treatments that make it more difficult for the body to fight off illness, such as steroids and chemotherapy, also can increase the chance of Listeria infection. Certain medical conditions and treatments can weaken your immune system and make you more likely to get sick from contaminated food.
People with cancer are 10 times more likely than other people to get Listeria infection. People on dialysis are 50 times more likely than other people to get Listeria infection. Learn more about food safety. Sign up for RSS Feed. Listeria Listeriosis. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. Minus Related Pages. An auto-antibody called rheumatoid factor is in the blood of some people with rheumatoid arthritis.
This disease that attacks body tissues, including the lungs, kidneys, and skin. Many types of auto-antibodies are found in the blood of people with lupus. No one knows exactly what causes autoimmune diseases, but many factors seem to be involved. If you have an immune system disorder, learn as much as you can about it. And work closely with your healthcare providers to manage it. Health Home Conditions and Diseases.
What can go wrong with your immune system? You may: Be born with a weak immune system. This is called primary immune deficiency. Get a disease that weakens your immune system. This is called acquired immune deficiency.
Have an immune system that turns against you. This is called autoimmune disease. An overactive immune system If you are born with certain genes, your immune system may react to substances in the environment that are normally harmless. Some conditions caused by an overactive immune system are: Asthma. An allergen causes an itchy rash known as atopic dermatitis.
Autoimmune disease In autoimmune diseases, the body attacks normal, healthy tissues. Three common autoimmune diseases are: Type 1 diabetes. Joel Pomerantz. Joel Pomerantz and his team at Johns Hopkins study the immune system to this end.
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