This is the rough draft of this of this very special chapter on Immunology chapter for sharing v.2 1.31.22 I’m submitting it here so that I can move onto the next chapter on Inflammation. It needs more tightening, but I think with a bit of distance I will have an easier time with it.
It has been an extremely challenging chapter because it is a HUGE topic and all of it soooo interesting. I’ve made a stab and it and will return to it again and again I’m sure.
Immunology: Seeking homeostasis
“Your immune system is a peacekeeping force that more than anything else seeks to create harmony. The job of the immune system is to circulate… keeping an eye out for troublemakers and then—this is key—tossing out bad guys while doing as little damage to other cells as possible…We need many of the alien organisms that Iive on and in us, including the billions of bacteria that live in our guts… Like an out-of-control police state, an unchecked immune system can grow so zealous that it turns as dangerous as any foreign disease. This is called autoimmunity. It is on the rise…[i]
Can Tattoos improve your immunity?[ii]
This quirky medical story all began when Dr. Christopher Lynn, an associate professor of anthropology, received a tattoo and realized he was physically drained from the process.
“They don’t just hurt while you get the tattoo, but they can exhaust you,” Lynn said. “It’s easier to get sick. You can catch a cold because your defenses are lowered from the stress of getting a tattoo.”
The body’s response to tattooing is akin to that experienced from exercising in the gym when you’re out of shape. Initially, muscles become sore, but if you continue, the soreness fades, and the muscles become stronger following subsequent workouts. This process is, basically, an example of hormesis, a favorite tool of Dr. One.
[i] An elegant defense p.8
[ii][ii] Lynn CD, Dominguez JT, DeCaro JA. Tattooing to “Toughen up”: Tattoo experience and secretory immunoglobulin A. Am J Hum Biol. 2016 Sep 10;28(5):603-9. doi: 10.1002/ajhb.22847. Epub 2016 Mar 4. PMID: 26946186.
