Symptom 2: Recurrent Infections
Infections, while a common part of growing up, take a different dimension for children with WAS. Ear infections, for instance, are not just sporadic occurrences but might become relentless companions, causing persistent discomfort. And it’s not just the ears that bear the brunt.
The compromised immune system of these children struggles to fend off both bacterial and viral invasions, resulting in recurring and often severe infections. Skin infections can become frequent visitors, often demanding extended and intensive treatment to resolve. And when it comes to internal infections like pneumonia, the challenges multiply, leading to complications that can be arduous to manage.
Delving deeper into the why, it’s the very foundation of their immune response that’s affected. The body’s inability to produce certain proteins essential for immunity means that these children are always on the back foot, trying to play catch-up with diseases that come their way.
It’s not just the frequency of these infections but also their persistence and resistance that sets WAS patients apart. An ailment that might take a few days to resolve in a healthy child can linger, morph, and evolve, demanding extensive medical interventions for those with WAS.
Rounding off, the recurrent infections are not merely health challenges for these children. They are battles, constant reminders of the body’s internal struggles, demanding empathy, understanding, and rigorous medical care. (2)
