Is it possible for a person to develop an allergy to their own blood?

It seems impossible that a human being can suddenly become allergic to his own blood, doesn't it? Because that can happen - and we're just not very aware of this kind of problem, which is caused by something doctors don't usually refer to as 'allergy', but as 'autoimmune disease'.

According to Laurie Dove of How Stuff Works, there are several diseases that fall into this category, such as autoimmune hemolytic anemia and idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, for example, which are characterized by generating allergic reactions in which the person's body affected attacks the blood cells themselves.

Auto Attack

According to Laurie, in the case of autoimmune hemolytic anemia, this type of problem often arises when the immune system “gets confused” and instead of creating antibodies to attack pathogens, launches an offensive against proteins called antigens on the surface of red blood cells - or blood cells. red - cells responsible for carrying oxygen throughout the body. When this immune bug happens, the body's defenses begin to perceive healthy blood cells as enemies and begin to destroy them.

Red Blood Cells (Interactive Biology)

As you may know, our body produces new blood cells constantly. Red blood cells have a “shelf life” of about 120 days, and after that they are eliminated from the body - through the liver and spleen. However, in those with autoimmune hemolytic anemia, blood cells die much faster than normal, and symptoms include fatigue, dizziness, tachycardia, difficulty breathing, paleness, emotional instability, and spleen distension.

Immunological bug

Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura occurs when the immune system begins to produce antibodies to attack platelets. Also known as thrombocytes, platelets are a component of blood that aids in clotting. They come into play when damage to the blood vessels occurs, creating clots and thus stopping the bleeding.

In the above representation, the platelets would be these white "little stars" (Interactive Biology)

According to Laurie, humans generally have 150, 000 platelets per microliter of blood. However, as in people diagnosed with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura this blood component is constantly destroyed, it is common for those affected by this condition to have a count of less than 20, 000 thrombocytes per microliter of blood.

Common symptoms include small red dots throughout the body, blood in the urine, bleeding from the skin and mucous membranes, swelling, mood swings, and fatigue. In addition, with a lower blood platelet count, those affected by the condition are at greater risk of bleeding that is difficult to control.

There are no ways to prevent the onset of either of the two conditions we mentioned in this article - autoimmune hemolytic anemia and idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura - but luckily both can be treated. Therapies involve the use of drugs that suppress the immune system, such as corticosteroids and steroids and, in more serious cases, blood transfusions and even the removal of the spleen, the organ where antibody-coated red blood cells are destroyed.