Immunology: diseases — симптомы, диагностика и лечение

Bronchial asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the respiratory tract, in which the bronchi become overly sensitive and narrow in response to irritants. Hence the attacks of shortness of breath, wheezing and coughing. The main misconception that prevents you from being treated correctly is the belief that asthma can be treated with an inhaler “when it strikes.” This inhaler relieves an attack, but does not affect inflammation; the disease continues to progress. The real treatment is a daily basal inhaler, which many people skip precisely because it doesn't provide immediate relief.

Atopic dermatitis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease, which is based on a violation of the skin barrier. The skin loses moisture, becomes dry and easily allows irritants and allergens to pass through - hence inflammation and painful itching. The disease most often begins in the first year of life, and for most children it becomes much easier with age. The key to control is not the search for “that same product,” but the daily restoration of the barrier with emollients, which parents are often not told about.

HIV infection today is a chronic disease that is treated as systematically as diabetes or hypertension. Over the past two decades, the main thing has changed: with timely initiation and regularly taken antiretroviral therapy, the life expectancy of a person with HIV is approaching normal, he works, studies, starts a family and gives birth to healthy children. Another fundamental fact that not everyone knows about: a person in whom the virus is not detected in the blood during treatment does not transmit the infection through sexual contact. This principle is formulated briefly - undetectable equals non-transmitting, or N=N. It has been confirmed by large international studies and accepted by the global medical community. Much of what still frightens people relates not to the infection itself, but to outdated ideas about it: HIV is not transmitted through handshakes, hugs, shared utensils, swimming pools, insect bites and household contacts.

Hives are a condition in which itchy blisters suddenly appear on the skin, similar to a nettle sting. The key feature that distinguishes it from other rashes: each individual blister lasts less than a day and disappears without a trace, although new ones continue to appear. Contrary to popular belief, allergies are not always the cause: with chronic urticaria, which lasts for months, a specific allergen is rarely found, and searching for it with tests is usually useless.

Autoimmune thyroiditis is a chronic inflammation of the thyroid gland, in which the immune system produces antibodies to its tissues. This is the most common cause of hypothyroidism. There is a lot of anxiety around the diagnosis: having discovered elevated antibodies to TPO, people begin to look for ways to “lower” them. Meanwhile, antibodies themselves are not curable and do not require treatment - only one question is important: whether the gland is doing its job. The answer to this is given by TSH, and it depends on it whether pills are needed.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the lining of the joints. Without treatment, inflammation destroys cartilage and bone, leading to permanent deformities and loss of hand function within a few years. The key concept of modern rheumatology is the “window of opportunity”: the first 3–6 months from the onset of symptoms, when basic therapy initiated can stop the disease and preserve joints. That is why, with morning stiffness and symmetrical swelling of the small joints of the hands, you cannot wait and be treated with ointments.