‘Immunocompromised’ is a big word. You can make sense of it better by breaking it down into two parts: ‘immuno,’ referring to the immune system, and ‘compromised,’ meaning weakened.
Doctors and health authorities like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) consider a person immunocompromised if their immune system is weaker than a healthy person’s. Many illnesses, diseases, medications and treatments can cause a person to become immunocompromised or immunosuppressed (when medications reduce the immune system’s ability to fight off infections).
It’s important to understand whether you fall into either of these categories because immunocompromised and immunosuppressed people face a higher risk of contracting infections like COVID-19, influenza, shingles, and many others.
What can compromise the immune system or cause immunosuppression?
Age is a major factor in how well the immune system functions. A newborn’s immune system is not fully developed; babies are born with antibodies from the mother (and also receive them with breastmilk) that offer some protection until the immune system matures.
Advanced age is the most common cause of an impaired immune system. With age, the immune system does not respond as well as earlier in life to germs (bacteria, viruses and other pathogens) and abnormal cells (such as cancer cells). Defects in the immune system can lead to stronger, more frequent infections, as well as cancer and autoimmune disorders.
Besides aging, any illness, disease, medication, or medical treatment that lowers a person’s immune system response can lead to them being immunocompromised or immunosuppressed. The list of such conditions, drugs and treatments is very long.
A few common diseases that can weaken the immune system include:
- Cancer
- Diabetes (types 1 and 2)
- HIV
- Lupus or any other autoimmune disorder
Some medicines that can suppress the immune system include:
- Biologic medications to treat autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis or psoriasis
- Corticosteroids
- Immunosuppressive drugs to treat conditions like HIV, and drugs to prevent organ transplant rejection
Treatments that can result in immunosuppression include:
- Bone marrow transplant
It’s important to know if you are immunocompromised.
People with a weak immune system cannot effectively fight off infections. For example, for a person in the middle of bone marrow transplant, even the slightest exposure to the common cold virus can be devastating, since that person has few or no immune system cells to attack and destroy the virus.
People who are immunocompromised for any reason face a higher risk of contracting an illness like COVID-19 and, when they get infected, they tend to become sicker because they lack a robust immune response. If you take immunosuppressive drugs or have a chronic health condition like heart disease, COPD, or diabetes, ask your doctor if you are considered immunocompromised. Blood tests may help determine how well your immune system can function.
Take extra precautions if you are immunocompromised.
If you are immunocompromised or you know you have an immunodeficiency, taking extra precautions may help you stay well. Start with these strategies:
- Always wear a mask or face covering in indoor public spaces (and outdoors if you cannot maintain a social distance of at least six feet).
- Avoid crowded spaces, especially indoors.
- Avoid touching public surfaces or your face.
- Don’t linger in place too long when out and about; keep moving, which lowers your potential exposure to airborne germs.
- Focus on your nutrition, since eating a healthy diet can boost your immune response.
- Keep extra medicine on hand, if possible, in case you must self-isolate due to illness.
- Stay at least six feet away (and farther is better) from other people.
- Wash your hands frequently and dry them thoroughly; use hand sanitizer if a wash basin with soap is not available.
- Keep your vaccinations up to date, including the flu shot and the MMR, pneumococcal, Tdap (whooping cough), and shingles vaccines. COVID-19 vaccines are also available, and the CDC recommends a booster shot for immunocompromised people.
If you are immunocompromised and develop symptoms of illness, such as fever, call your doctor’s office for instructions on what to do. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you’ve recently been out in public or have traveled.
Many people with a compromised immune system are able to live healthy, active lives by taking extra precautions to avoid exposure to germs. If you limit your trips out in public and take additional precautions, you can avoid any complications of immunocompromise.
