The immune system is made up of organs, tissues, cells and protein substances that work together to protect the body from germs like bacteria and viruses. These germs cause the infections that make people sick. In addition to providing protection, the immune system also helps the body destroy these germs during an infection. However, when any part of a person´s immune system is missing or not functioning correctly, he or she may have Primary Immune Deficiency (PID).
Because their immune systems don´t work properly, people with PID may get many infections like sinus infections, ear infections, and pneumonia, which may come back frequently or may last a long time. For people with PID, these infections take a long time to go away, even with antibiotics. In addition, these infections may keep coming back or become very serious. Sometimes, there are specific symptoms that are characteristic of a particular PI disease. What makes people with a PI disease different is that they are more likely to get infections because their immune systems don´t work correctly.
There are several things doctors can do to determine if a person has primary immune deficiency:
- Review the medical history of the person and his or her family
- Perform a physical exam
- Perform simple blood and skin tests
- Conduct more advanced tests to determine the exact PI disease
The information provided is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. A licensed healthcare professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.
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