General Resistance to Damaging Factors of Outdoor Environment

Immunity is the body's defense system that maintains its genetic constancy. It protects it from the penetration of viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, poisons and allergens from the environment. The human immunity also protects the body from the harmful effects from the inside - it destructs cells that have mutated in the consequence of diseases and other pathological processes, and eliminates decay products. In order for the immune system to function efficiently, it is necessary to regularly maintain its condition and eliminate the disorders.

The organs of the immune system involve:

• Tonsils – they are one of the main guard posts of the body: the immune cells located in the tonsils prevent the penetration of the foreign agents through the nasopharynx, protecting the respiratory tract and gastrointestinal tract.

• Thymus - it is located behind the sternum. Cells of the immune system T-lymphocytes mature and train to figure out the foes in this organ.

• Spleen - it cleanses the blood of the damaged cells and foreign agents (this process is called phagocytosis - the elements of the immune system devour and digest the strangers), and it also stores a stock of the immune cells.

• Intestine - Peyer's patches (aggregated lymphoid nodules) located in the small intestine protect the gastrointestinal tract against the bacteria and viruses.

• Bone marrow - it produces the blood cells that maintain the constancy of the genetic homeostasis (for example, leukocytes - white blood cells responsible for the body's immune response).

• Lymph nodes - it is located along the lymph flow, they contain cells that destroy bacteria, which have entered the body. It is also a spot that hosts the elements, which ensure a functioning of the immune memory: they memorize the foreign agents that they have already encountered.

The immune system is a system that is constantly learning and improving. It develops the algorithms for responding to various substances, stimuli or changes in the body from the very birth of a person. The older a person gets, the worse the immune system learns - it gets old and starts applying the already existing algorithms.

In the process of analyzing readings, it is required to take into account the lability of the systems functioning, comparing readings in one session when viewing a series of tests.

- average resistance to the bio-pathogenic factors

This condition requires a stabilization of the immune system. A group of programs that improve the functioning of the immune system, having a general tonic effect on the functions of the central nervous system, endocrine regulation, metabolic processes, facilitates to increase the biochemical and functional adaptation of the body to the harmful effects and increase its resistance to these factors. Adaptogenic programs prevent exhaustion of the pituitary-adrenal system during the period of stress. In general, they have a mild stimulating effect, increasing physical and mental capacity, reducing a fatigue, reducing the symptoms of asthenia and appetite disorders, and thus increasing the immunity.

- increased susceptibility to the bio-pathogenic factors

This condition requires immunocorrection. The group of programs for immunocorrection consists of the programs that normalize a particular disorder in the immune system: various components of the T-cell link of the immunity, humoral immunity, phagocytosis or complement. In other words, they reduce excessively high readings and increase the low ones.

- good resistance to the bio-pathogenic factors

This condition requires immunomodulation. The main target of immunomodulatory programs are the functional disorders of the immune system, manifested in the form of the frequent relapses of the infectious and inflammatory diseases of all localizations and any etiology, which are difficult to treat.

There are four main principles for the application of immunomodulatory means:

• they can be prescribed in complex therapy together with the antibacterial, antifungal, antiprotozoal or antiviral agents;

• programs that effect the production of the endogenous interferon can be applied to prevent or treat the viral infections;

• programs that act on the phagocytic link of immunity can be prescribed both in case of the identified and unidentified disorders of the immune status;

• programs can be applied as monotherapy during conducting the immunorehabilitative measures, in particular, in case of the incomplete recovery after an acute infectious disease.

- below average resistance to the bio-pathogenic factors

This condition requires immunostimulation. Immunostimulatory programs are designed to enhance the function of the immune system, its various links, both non-specific and specific (T-cell and B-cell link). Some diseases that have a protracted course (a month, two or more) are chronic diseases that often become exacerbate and have a uninterrupting relapsing course. Like herpes, for example. If this is a frequent exacerbation that affects the state of a person, produces inhibiting effect, brings discomfort that hinders the everyday activities.

Assessment of susceptibility to the bio-pathogenic factors.

Infectious diseases occur in case if the body is susceptible. It is defined as the ability to respond to the ingress of the infectious agents into the body with the emergence of a disease or carriage. There are two groups of factors that ensure the human insusceptibility to the infectious agents: factors of nonspecific physical resistance and specific insusceptibility (immunity). Factors of nonspecific physiological resistance include many morphological and physiological systems of the body that protect it from the penetration and impact of the pathogenic agents. These include skin and mucous membranes, saliva and the gastric juice, which have an antimicrobial effect, macrophage and reticuloendothelial systems. The circulatory and lymphatic systems and the internal organs also have their own protective mechanisms. All these factors that have a wide range of the protective functions, determine the nonspecific physiological stability of the body. It can and should be strengthened with the help of various means (adequate nutrition, a rational schedule of work and rest, enhancement procedures, optimal motor performance chedule, etc.).

Specific insusceptibility (immunity) is the body's ability to resist the strictly defined pathogens of the infectious diseases. Immunity is associated with the hereditary or acquired factors that prevent the ingress and reproduction of pathogens into the body, as well as the activity of toxins. Immunity is diverse in its origin, manifestation and other features. It can be antimicrobial, antiviral, antitoxic, etc. An important role in the immunity is played by the specific protective components of blood serum - antibodies. They are formed in the body in response to the ingress of the infectious agents into it. The main feature of antibodies is their ability to specifically interact with the corresponding pathogens. When toxins enter the body, antitoxins are formed in the blood serum. High degrees of resistance to bio pathogenic factors indicate a high level of a specific and non-specific immunity, the average ones indicate a reduced level of protection, and a low level of susceptibility indicates a weakness in the immunity and a decrease in the non-specific protection factors. The readings of lability indicate the functional intensity of the levels of protection of the body, and persistent readings indicate the problems in the protective properties of the body.