Significance of Understanding the Immune System and Pathophysiology of Inflammation

¶ … Immune System and Pathophysiology of Inflammation

One of the most important or core functions of public health professionals is prevention of disease. There are various ways through which public health professionals can engage in the process of preventing diseases including immunization, which is an appropriate protective means against several infectious diseases. However, public health professionals need to understand the immune system in order to enhance the effectiveness of various immunizations against diseases. In essence, these professionals need to understand the immune system in order to effectively develop treatments that help in managing and lessening the debilitating impacts brought by diseases ("The Roles of Immunology," n.d.).

Given that immunization is one of the ways of prevention of disease, it is important for people to understand the importance of vaccination. For a person who is resistance to the idea of vaccination, the most suitable means of helping him/her understand risks and the importance of a particular vaccination is to provide patient education regarding the immune system and immunization. The main challenge relating to vaccination of polio is increased resistance to the vaccine despite the increased risks of the disease. However, significant progress has been made to an extent that polio is no longer a public health threat in Europe.

"Hygiene hypothesis" is relevant to public health in various ways including providing data on acquisition of immune disorders, demonstrating the link between high disease incidence and socio-economic level, and creating opportunities for therapeutic perspectives (Okada et al., 2010, p.1). Gut plays an important role in the immune system i.e. providing important health benefits to the gastrointestinal tract and research in this area can provide considerable lessons regulating immune homeostasis. Some articles that can help in understanding the concepts of the immune system include books, journal articles, and articles by health organization bodies.

Pathophysiology of Inflammation

It is important for a public health professional to understand the pathophysiology of inflammation given the significance of inflammation in removing the original cause of cell injury. Through understanding the pathophysiology of inflammation, a public health professional effectively examines the multifaceted biological reaction to harmful stimuli by body tissues. This understanding is also important to a public health professional because the immune system is usually involved with inflammatory disorders. Some of the diseases that are strongly linked to inflammation include skin disorders, rheumatoid arthritis, celiac sprue diseases, and bowel diseases. The public health policies or interventions that may enhance inflammation related health outcomes include strategies for diagnosing the disorders, community health initiatives to fight the disorders, and clinical practices based on laboratory tests.