Your immune system works tirelessly to protect your body from infection, but when it cannot protect you, it is considered deficient. People with immunodeficiency disorders often catch frequent or unusual infections, which can disrupt your life. The experienced providers at the Rochester Regional Health Immunodeficiency Disorders Program have training in pediatric and adult immunology, enabling us to offer the most comprehensive care in the region.
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Immunodeficiency disorders weaken your immune system, making it susceptible to infections and other health problems. Many people with primary immunodeficiencies are born without some of the body’s immune defenses or with an improperly working immune system, leaving them vulnerable to germs that cause infections.
Primary and secondary immunodeficiencies range from so mild they go unnoticed for years, to severe enough that they’re diagnosed after birth. Research is ongoing and promising, and treatments are being improved and enhanced to provide a greater quality of life for those affected.
Our expert team is constantly studying and learning more about immunodeficiencies to ensure that we provide the most efficient, proficient care around. We prioritize accurate diagnostics and individualized care every single step of the way.
Common immunodeficiencies include:
Secondary immunodeficiencies are acquired deficiencies (not genetic) caused by external factors. They occur more often than primary immunodeficiencies, and are the result of a variety of factors like drugs (chemotherapy and long-term steroid use), metabolic diseases, environmental conditions, and infectious agents.
Depending on the magnitude of the external condition and your immune system response, secondary immunodeficiencies can be mild to severe. Just like primary immunodeficiencies, this can mean a lifetime of infections and colds that don’t go away like everyone else’s. Patients with primary and secondary immunodeficiencies may experience repeated rounds of antibiotics and hospitalizations for treatments. Symptoms and treatments are similar for both, and vary person-by-person.
A common sign of an immunodeficiency is frequent, long lasting infections that are harder to treat than infections in someone with a normal immune system. You may also experience infections that a person with a healthy immune system would not get–called opportunistic infections.
Symptoms vary person by person and depending upon the type of primary immunodeficiency disorder.
Our team is highly trained to monitor for common warning signs that can indicate a primary immunodeficiency in both children and adult. If you or your child have two or more of these signs, it’s time to schedule an immunodeficiency evaluation.
Following a through medical history and physical examination, your provider will ask questions about whether any close relatives have an inherited immune system disorder. If needed, your provider may use tests to diagnose an immune system disorder, including:
Blood tests can determine if you have normal levels of immunoglobulin (infection-fighting proteins) in your blood, as well as measure the levels of blood cells and immune system cells present. Abnormal numbers of certain cells can indicate an immune system defect. Blood tests are also useful in determining if your immune system is responding properly and producing antibodies.
Parents who have a relative with an inherited immune system disorder may want to be tested for certain immunodeficiencies during pregnancy. Samples of the amniotic fluid, blood, or cells from the tissues that will become the placenta are tested for abnormalities.
DNA testing can also be done to test for a genetic defect. As our program grows, we are developing a more comprehensive genetic testing section, enabling us to better help those planning a pregnancy or looking to better understand their genetic history.
Treatments for primary immunodeficiency typically involve preventing and treating infections, boosting your immune system, and treating the underlying causes of your immune disorder. Sometimes, primary immune disorders are also linked to a serious illness–like cancer or an autoimmune disorder–which also needs to be treated.
In order to effectively manage infections, we need to treat them, prevent them, and manage any symptoms.
Infections require quick and aggressive treatment with antibiotics. People suffering from immunodeficiencies may require a longer course of antibiotics than typically prescribed, and infections that do not respond may require hospitalizations and IV antibiotics.
To prevent respiratory infections and permanent damage to the lungs and ears, some people need long-term antibiotics. In some cases, children with primary immunodeficiencies may be unable to have vaccines containing live viruses, like the MMR vaccine. Your provider will help you with prevention techniques and will answer any questions you may have.
Medications for pain and fever (like Advil, Motrin, or other ibuprofen options), decongestants for sinus congestion, and expectorants to thin mucus in your airways may help relieve symptoms caused by infections.
Helping the immune system prevent and fight infections are a key way of treating immunodeficiencies. Your provider will determine the best course of action for your body, oftentimes including options that give your immune system a helping hand.
Immunoglobulin therapy injects antibody proteins under the skin or using an IV to help your immune system fight infections. This is needed every few weeks or once/twice a week, depending on how your therapy is delivered.
Antibiotics are widely used to treat infections, but when a provider suggests taking them before treatment to decrease the chance of infection, it’s called antibiotic prophylaxis. Antibiotics are typically given at low doses on a daily or every few day basis to minimize side effects and maximize infection prevention. Long-term prophylactic antibiotics have been widely implemented for years, improving clinical outcomes for several primary immunodeficiencies.
