Cytokine storm facts for kids
A cytokine storm is when your body's immune system goes into overdrive. It's like an alarm system that gets stuck on "loudest possible" and causes more harm than good. This can be very dangerous. It happens when special proteins called cytokines and immune cells create a strong, harmful chain reaction.
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What is a Cytokine Storm?
Your immune system protects you from germs like viruses and bacteria. When you get sick, your immune system sends out tiny messengers called cytokines. These cytokines tell your immune cells where to go and what to do to fight off the infection.
How Does a Cytokine Storm Happen?
Normally, cytokines help your body heal. But sometimes, especially with very strong infections, the immune system can release too many cytokines. This is like turning up the volume too high on an alarm. These extra cytokines then tell even more immune cells to join the fight, releasing even more cytokines. This creates a dangerous "positive feedback loop" or a chain reaction that spirals out of control.
Why is a Cytokine Storm Dangerous?
When this happens, the immune system doesn't just attack the germs. It starts attacking healthy parts of your body too. This can cause a lot of inflammation and damage to organs like your lungs, kidneys, and heart. This damage can be very serious and even deadly.
Past Examples of Cytokine Storms
Scientists believe cytokine storms caused many deaths during the terrible 1918 influenza pandemic, also known as the Spanish Flu. This flu was unusual because it killed many young, healthy adults. Their strong immune systems might have reacted too strongly, leading to cytokine storms.
Preliminary research from Hong Kong also suggests that cytokine storms were a big reason for many deaths during the SARS outbreak in 2003. Also, human deaths from the bird flu called H5N1 often involve cytokine storms. In these cases, the body's own defense system, meant to protect, ended up causing severe harm.
