What Does it Mean to be Immunocompromised?
Lindsay Knake
| 3 min read
Lindsay Knake is a brand journalist for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.
We all get sick from time to time, but about 6.6% of Americans have a health condition or are undergoing a medical treatment that makes it harder for their bodies to fight infection.
This is called being immunocompromised or immunodeficient. According to the Cleveland Clinic, some people are born with an immune system that doesn’t work properly or suffer from a weakened immune system because of a disease, chronic condition, or medication. Let’s look at what it means to be immunocompromised and how to manage it.
What are some symptoms and causes of being immunocompromised?
Being sick often is not necessarily an indication of having a compromised immune system, however symptoms of immunodeficiency include:
- Frequent illnesses or infections, particularly in the lungs or sinuses
- Severe illness from a common virus
- Longer recovery time
- Increased frequency of complications such as pneumonia
- Illnesses that don’t respond to medications
- Weight loss
- Fever and/or chills
Immunodeficiency has many causes, from genetic diseases to side effects of medical treatments. These are some of the common causes of a weakened immune system:
- HIV (human immunodeficiency virus)
- Cancer, particularly leukemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma
- Diabetes
- Autoimmune diseases
- Liver cirrhosis
- Viral hepatitis
- Lack of thymus or spleen
- Radiation
- Chemotherapy
- Stem cell transplant
- Medications such as prednisone
- Aging
- Undernutrition and malnutrition
Women, Alaskan Native or American Indians and people older than 60 have higher rates of immunodeficiency.
A weakened immune system can increase the risk of life-threatening complications from infections, including organ failure, sepsis, and potentially death. The risk of death from COVID-19, for example, is 1.44 times greater for immunocompromised people, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
How does being immunocompromised affect your life?
The first step in managing immunodeficiency is talking to your primary care physician. Ask about health conditions, medications and treatments that can weaken your immune system. There are medications such as antibiotics, antivirals and immunoglobulins that can help treat or protect those who are immunocompromised.
Prevention is a key part of staying healthy with immunodeficiency, according to WebMD. In your daily life, you can take the following measures to reduce your chances of illness:
- Get annual physicals and discuss screenings with your doctor
- Get the vaccinations your doctor recommends
- Take medications as prescribed
- Wash your hands often with soap and water
- Handle food safely
- Practice safe sex
- Limit your exposure to sick people or to large crowds, especially during cold and flu season
- Wear a mask and regularly use hand sanitizer
- Ask your loved ones to take health precautions when they are around you
- Eat a healthy, nutritious diet
- Get about 150 minutes of exercise a week
- Get enough quality sleep
- Take care of your mental health and reduce stress
Depending on the cause, being immunocompromised can be temporary or lifelong. It is possible with care and prevention to live a long, healthy life.
Image: Getty Images
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