What is Primary Immune Deficency?

Primary Immund Deficiency (PID) is a genetic disorder that is passed along family lines. Many of the How's and why's of the disease are still unknown. PID is actually a term that refers to many different types of Immune Deficiencies. Some of these PID's are more serious than others. We have a lot of work to do on overcoming these disorders, but we must (and will!) find a way of reversing the effects in our own bodies and preventing it in our children.

There are actualy over 70 recognised primary immune deficiencies. Some which only affect the immune system, while others are actually a combination of other disorders with an immune deficiency. Some deficiencies are easily treated while others are so seviere that affected individuals may not live out their teenage years. One of the most amazing things about PID's is that they are more common than many think. about 1 in every 500 individuals have some sort of deficiency. In many of these cases the deficiency is so small that the individual only shows a higher incedence of illness that the average person with out a PID. In many others, (far too many) the actual disorder is never diagnosed due to the lack of an informed medical comunity. Many parents have reported that they heard about PID's and brought up the possibility to their child's doctors before the diagnosis is made. The message is starting to get out but we still have a big fight to get the information out to doctors, parents and patients alike.