Nearly everyone has suffered from colds, the flu, or sinus and ear infections. Just as many have been affected by cuts, scrapes and abrasions that become infected. Even in the case of more severe infections - such as pneumonia - we expect the cough and congestion to 'run its course'. Recovery times vary, but the human body can usually rid itself of the infection-causing germs, and work to defend against future "bugs" and viruses. There are, however, instances in which the body cannot recover, and some of these apply to individuals with a primary immunodeficiency disease.
Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases (PIDD) are disorders in which part of the body's immune system is missing or does not function properly. In contrast to secondary immune deficiency disease in which the immune system is compromised by factors outside the immune system, such as viruses or chemotherapy, the primary immune deficiency diseases are caused by intrinsic or genetic defects in the immune system. Primary Immunodeficiency Disease takes so many forms- mine is a deficiency in my IgG subclass 2 and IgA. Early diagnosis and treatment is key in order to prevent permanent organ damage to individuals affected by this disease (I'm lucky that I've made it 21 years with this!).
Because of advances in our medical understanding and treatment of primary immune deficiency diseases, individuals who in the past would not have survived childhood are now able to live nearly normal lives. Many individuals affected by primary immune deficiency diseases require life long therapies including intravenous gamma globulin infusions (IVIG), antibiotic therapies, or bone marrow transplantation.
(The above info was mostly taken from the team hope website- they are a foundation for helping those with PIDD)
If you want to know more feel free to ask me or look at this website: http://www.primaryimmune.org/idf.asp
