What is it?
Person with weak immune status are more prone to infections and take longer to recover these include:
- Elderly
- Very Young (including prematurity and low birthweight)
- Pregnant
- Malnourished
- Have multi-organ failure
- Severe Burns and/or wounds
- Have invasive instruments in their bodies i.e. pacemakers, catheters
- Too much iron in the body (iron overload or hemochromatosis)
- Have had recent surgery
- Medication and treatments:
- Those who are receiving or have received in the past 6 months of immunosurpressive therapy (including biologics), immunosupressive chemotherapy or radiotherapy for malignant and/or non- malignant disorders or have in the past 12 months recieved immunopsupressive therapy for sold organ transplant.
- Those who are receiving or have received in the past 12 months of biological therapy (i.e anti-TNF therapy, such as alemtuzumab, ofatumumab, rituximab or similar).
- Those who have received or have received in past 2 years Ocrelizumab or similar for multiple sclerosis.
- Those who are receiving high dose corticosteroids, until at least 3 months after treatment has stopped inlcuding:
- Adults and children on high dose corticosteroids (> 40mg prednisolone per day or 2mg/kg/day in children under 20kg) for more than one week.
- Adults and children on a lower dose corticosteroids (> 20mg prednisolone per day or 1mg/kg/day in children under 20kg) for more than 14 days. Similar oral corticosteroids can cause systemic immunosupression.
- Please note non-systemic corticosteroids (i.e creams, inhalers or eye/ ear drops, suppositries) are not considered as systemic immunosurpression however it could potentially cause immunosurpression and this should be decided by healthcare professional before further treatment.
- Replacement corticosteroids for persons with adrenal insufficiency is not believed to cause immunosupression.
- For those taking or have until at least 6 months after termination such treatment of immunosupressant medication i.e methotrexate, azathioprine, mycophenolate mofetil, cyclophosphamide, tacrolimus, pimecrolimus, sirolimus, apremilast alone or in combination with a low dose corticosteroid.
- Always speak to a Healthcare Professional regarding the above as this list in not exhaustive.
- Weak Immune conditions (see examples below)
Heart condition
- Heart condition (including Angina, Heart attack, stroke, blood pressure,high cholesterol) of any sort?
Blood vessel
Diabetes
Spleen conditions
Respiratory disease
- Long term respiratory condition and/or use inhalers and/or use steroid medication?
Auto immune disease:
- Any autoimmune disease (include respiratory) and/or take immune-suppressant medication and/or an organ transplant and/or steroids to maintain immune system (long term)?
Long term Infection
- Long term bacterial condition and/or take long term antibiotic medication to treat (including respiratory)?
- Long term fungal infection and/or take antifungal medication (including respiratory)?
- Long term protozoa condition and/or take protozoan medication (including respiratory)?
- Long term viral condition and/or takes long term viral medication (including respiratory)?
Liver disease
Kidney condition
Cancer
Others:
- Catch infections easily?
- Unusual bleeding (nose, ears, eyes skin, gums, anus, genitals), bleeding into skin/prolonged bleeding after injury?
- Poor general health or of poor social wellbeing?
- Drink excessive amounts of alcohol (alcohol can weaken immune system)?
- Smoking?
- Long-term aspirin therapy in patients younger than 19 years?
Detailed Information
Please copy and paste any key words from the title: Weak immune condition in the following respective 'Medtick References and/or Sources' to find out more about the disease (this also may include diagnosis tests and generic medical treatments).
- NHS
Find information and advice on health conditions, symptoms, healthy living, medicines and how to get help (British National Health Service).
- Medscape
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- Pharmaceutical Journal
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- Healthline
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- Medical News Today
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- WebMD
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- Cleveland Clinic
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- Mayo Clinic
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- Drugs.com
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- National Organisation of Rare Diseases
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- Verywell Health
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- Fit for Travel
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- DR Axe
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