We are featuring a childhood/infant disease or condition informational post every other Friday.  Today's topic is Immune System Disorders.

Definition

The immune system -- your body's defense system against getting sick -- is made up of organs, tissues, cells, blood and other fluids that work together to defend the body against germs. Germs are bacteria and viruses that can harm the body. Germs are what make us sick when we catch a cold or an infection. The amazingly complex immune system can recognize millions of different enemies to the body. It can call on special cells and secretions to find and destroy those enemies. We count on our body's immune system, sometimes with the help of medicines such as antibiotics, to eliminate germs that cause infection. Some people are born with an immune defense system that is faulty. Immune system disorders (sometimes called Immunodeficiency Diseases) happen when the immune system does not defend the body normally and can affect any part of the immune system. 


Signs

• Eight or more ear infections in a year.
• Two or more serious sinus infections within a year. (Sinuses are the air passages in the bones of the cheeks, forehead and jaw.)
• Two or more pneumonia cases within a year.
• Need for intravenous antibiotics to clear infections. (Medications go directly into your child's veins in a hospital.)
• A family history of immune system problems.

More Information


To get more information about Immune System Disorders, click here.




*Most of the information provided here is from the Teach More/Love More site, click here to visit their site.