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Causes
Symptoms
Exams and Tests
Diagnosis
Treatment
Managing Immune Deficiency
Self-Care for Immune Deficiency Patients
Caring for those with Immune Deficiency
Causes of Immune Deficiency
A variety of developmental errors in the immune system create different types of immune deficiencies. They make people susceptible to different kinds of germs and create different sets of symptoms.
Source: National Institutes of Health
Symptoms of Immune Deficiency
The most common problem in immune deficiency is an increased susceptibility to infection. For people with immune deficiency, infections may be common, severe, lasting, or hard to cure.
Source: Adapted from National Institutes of Health
Exams and Tests For Immune Deficiency
Laboratory tests help identify persons with immune deficiency.
Immune Deficiency Diagnosis
Sometimes the signs and symptoms of an immune deficiency are so severe, or so characteristic, that the diagnosis is obvious. In most cases, it is not clear if a long string of illnesses are just "ordinary" infections, or if they are the result of an immunodeficiency.
Many conditions can produce an immunodeficiency, at least temporarily, and most children who seem to have "too many" infections are not, in fact, suffering from an immune deficiency. Experts estimate that half of the children who see a doctor for frequent infections are normal. Another 30 percent may have allergies, and 10 percent have some other type of serious disorder. Just 10 percent turn out to have a primary or secondary immunodeficiency.
When a pattern of frequent infections suggests an immune deficiency, the doctor begins by exploring the patient’s "history" and the family’s history, and then conducts a physical examination. Further evaluation involves laboratory testing to evaluate immune system responses and to evaluate infections.
Source: Adapted from National Institutes of Health
Immune Deficiency Treatment
Treating immune deficiency involves not only curing infections but also correcting the underlying immunodeficiency. In addition, any associated conditions, such as autoimmune disorders or cancer, need special attention.
Source: National Institutes of Health
Managing Immune Deficiency
Persons affected by immune deficiency must take special precautions when receiving vaccinations and blood transfusions.
Source: National Institutes of Health
Self-Care For Immune Deficiency Patients
When the immune defenses are weak, it is essential to avoid germs. Precautions range from common sense practices like good hygiene (using mild soaps to keep the skin clean and brushing teeth twice a day) and good nutrition to elaborate measures to prevent all contact with infectious agents.
Anyone with an immune deficiency needs to avoid unnecessary exposure to infectious agents. This means staying away from people with colds or other infections, and avoiding large crowds. (On the other hand, it is important not to become overly cautious. Children are encouraged to attend school, to play in small groups, and to participate in sports.)
Source: National Institutes of Health
Caring For Those With Immune Deficiency
Friends and family members can help a patient with immune deficiency by learning about that condition and understanding how it affects the patient's life. Friends and family can provide emotional and physical assistance. Their support, as well as support from other people who have the same disease, can make it easier to cope.
Source: Adapted from National Institutes of Health
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