Selective IgA deficiency

Diagnosis

A diagnosis of selective IgA deficiency is based on a blood test that measures levels of immunoglobulins in the blood. IgA deficiency can be complete or partial.

Your healthcare professional may order an immunoglobulin blood test because you have had frequent or repeat illnesses. The test also may be a part of a series of lab tests to diagnose or rule out other conditions.

Treatment

Antibiotic treatments are prescribed as needed to treat bacterial disease. If you have had a long-term illness, such as chronic bronchitis, you may receive antibiotics as a preventive treatment. This therapy is called antibiotic prophylaxis (pro-fuh-LAK-sis).

Preparing for your appointment

You may start by seeing your primary healthcare professional. You may be referred to a specialist in immune system disorders called an immunologist.

Here's some information to help you get ready for your appointment.

What you can do

When you make the appointment, ask if there's anything you need to do in advance. Also make a list of:

• Symptoms, including any that don't seem related to the reason for the appointment.
• Key personal information, including major stresses, recent life changes and family medical history.
• All medicines, vitamins or other supplements you take, the doses of each and the reason for taking each one.
• Questions to ask your healthcare professional.

Take a family member or friend along, if possible, to help you remember information you receive.

Questions you might ask if you have experienced frequent or repeat illnesses include:

• What are the possible causes of these frequent illnesses?
• What tests will I need?
• What are possible treatment plans?
• I have other health conditions. How can I best manage them together?
• Should I see a specialist?
• Are there brochures or other printed material I can have? What websites do you recommend?

Don't hesitate to ask other questions.

What to expect from your doctor

Your healthcare professional is likely to ask you several questions, such as:

• What symptoms have you had?
• What illnesses have you been diagnosed with in the past?
• How often have you had these illnesses in the past year?
• What treatments have you had for previous illnesses?
• Is there a history of immune system disorders in your family?

Living with selective IgA deficiency?

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