Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsFrequent SymptomsRare SymptomsComplicationsWhen to See a Doctor
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Frequent Symptoms
Rare Symptoms
Complications
When to See a Doctor
Common variable immunodeficiency(CVID) is a disorder affecting the immune system that reduces your ability to fight infections. The hallmark of CVID is recurrent or severe infections.
Common symptoms can include chronic cough, runny nose, fatigue, fever, diarrhea, and swollen glands or lymph nodes. Exact symptoms will differ based on which type of infection a person has (respiratory vs. gastrointestinal) and which complications of CVID are present and their severity.
Learn more about the frequent and less common symptoms of CVID, and complications associated with the condition.
Verywell / Jessica Olah
The primary symptom of this disease is recurrent viral or bacterial infections. Research shows that over 90% of people with CVID have increased susceptibility to infections of the upper airway, sinuses, lungs, or gastrointestinal tract, making this the most common sign of the disease.
Symptoms will differ depending on what type of infection a person is currently facing. Symptoms may wane at times, like during the recovery stage, or worsen when a person has one or more active infections.
Some of the most commons symptoms of these infections include:
CVID and PneumoniaOver 50% of people with common variable immunodeficiency will have at least one bout ofpneumonia, an infection of the lungs, in their lifetime.
CVID and Pneumonia
Over 50% of people with common variable immunodeficiency will have at least one bout ofpneumonia, an infection of the lungs, in their lifetime.
Note that these symptoms are also commonly found in the general population when they have a cold, flu, or stomach bug. Therefore, you or your physician may not initially make the connection between these symptoms and the underlying cause of CVID.
The key difference is the frequent recurrence of infections associated with CVID. You may have a lingering cold or cough that sticks around for months, or you may have constant ear infections or bouts of diarrhea.
Over time, you may also notice that these symptoms of infection get worse and cause other complications.
Rare Signs and Symptoms
There are some rare signs and symptoms associated with CVID to look out for. These include disorders that may be diagnosed along with CVID or that lead to a diagnosis of CVID.
Joint Symptoms
About 1%–10% of people with common variable immunodeficiency will have joint symptoms that, at first glance, appear likerheumatoid arthritis.These exact symptoms can include joint swelling, stiffness, pain, and deformity.
In some cases, this arthritis is due to an infection in the synovial fluid of the joints and not due to the autoimmune process that occurs in rheumatoid arthritis.
Autoimmunity
Some CVID-associated autoimmune disorders include:
Liver Symptoms
Around 10% of people with CVID will present with either liver disease or have abnormal liver function tests.
In the majority of cases, the liver continues to function but the person may developportal hypertension. This is an increased blood pressure in the veins connecting the digestive system and the liver.
Complications are common with CVID. It is essential that they are managed promptly and properly, because they can make the condition more dangerous.
Possible complications of CVID include:
If you are constantly feeling sick, you may want to talk to your physician about common variable immunodeficiency. Long-term illnesses may include a nagging cold, waking up every morning with a phlegmy cough, frequent stomach flu, or bouts of increasingly severe respiratory infections like pneumonia that bring you to urgent care or the hospital.
A physician will order blood tests to determine your immune system function. Certain lab test irregularities may cause your physician to refer you to ahematologistor immunologist to look further into the issue. These can include vitamin deficiencies, low platelet or white blood cell counts, and immunoglobulin deficiencies.
Other ConditionsEven if you don’t have CVID, your physician can help determine what you do have and provide the proper treatment so you can start feeling better and get back to living a full life with fewer symptoms.
Other Conditions
Even if you don’t have CVID, your physician can help determine what you do have and provide the proper treatment so you can start feeling better and get back to living a full life with fewer symptoms.
A Word From Verywell
It can be challenging to differentiate CVID symptoms from symptoms commonly found in people with a cold or the flu. Remember that the main warning sign, particularly in younger people, is the recurrence of infections and their symptoms, rather than the severity of these symptoms.
It is not normal to be sick all the time. If your frequent illnesses are impacting your daily life, functioning, and well-being, then make an appointment with your physician to discuss the issue.
8 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID).Salzer U, Warnatz K, Peter HH.Common variable immunodeficiency - an update.Arthritis Research & Therapy. 2012;14(5):223. doi:10.1186/ar4032Saikia B, Gupta S.Common variable immunodeficiency.Indian J Pediatr. 2016;83(4):338-344. doi:10.1007/s12098-016-2038-xAmerican Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology.Common variable immunodeficiency: symptoms and diagnosis.Ameratunga R, Longhurst H, Steele R, et al.Common variable immunodeficiency disorders, t-cell responses to sars-cov-2 vaccines, and the risk of chronic covid-19.The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice. 2021;9(10):3575-3583. doi:10.1016/j.jaip.2021.06.019Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Appendix: Vaccination of persons with primary and secondary immunodeficiencies.Hanitsch LG, Löbel M, Mieves JF, et al.Cellular and humoral influenza-specific immune response upon vaccination in patients with common variable immunodeficiency and unclassified antibody deficiency.Vaccine. 2016;34(21):2417-2423. doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2016.03.091Cunningham-Rundles C.The many faces of common variable immunodeficiency.Hematology. 2012;2012(1):301-305. doi:10.1182/asheducation.V2012.1.301.3798316
8 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID).Salzer U, Warnatz K, Peter HH.Common variable immunodeficiency - an update.Arthritis Research & Therapy. 2012;14(5):223. doi:10.1186/ar4032Saikia B, Gupta S.Common variable immunodeficiency.Indian J Pediatr. 2016;83(4):338-344. doi:10.1007/s12098-016-2038-xAmerican Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology.Common variable immunodeficiency: symptoms and diagnosis.Ameratunga R, Longhurst H, Steele R, et al.Common variable immunodeficiency disorders, t-cell responses to sars-cov-2 vaccines, and the risk of chronic covid-19.The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice. 2021;9(10):3575-3583. doi:10.1016/j.jaip.2021.06.019Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Appendix: Vaccination of persons with primary and secondary immunodeficiencies.Hanitsch LG, Löbel M, Mieves JF, et al.Cellular and humoral influenza-specific immune response upon vaccination in patients with common variable immunodeficiency and unclassified antibody deficiency.Vaccine. 2016;34(21):2417-2423. doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2016.03.091Cunningham-Rundles C.The many faces of common variable immunodeficiency.Hematology. 2012;2012(1):301-305. doi:10.1182/asheducation.V2012.1.301.3798316
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID).Salzer U, Warnatz K, Peter HH.Common variable immunodeficiency - an update.Arthritis Research & Therapy. 2012;14(5):223. doi:10.1186/ar4032Saikia B, Gupta S.Common variable immunodeficiency.Indian J Pediatr. 2016;83(4):338-344. doi:10.1007/s12098-016-2038-xAmerican Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology.Common variable immunodeficiency: symptoms and diagnosis.Ameratunga R, Longhurst H, Steele R, et al.Common variable immunodeficiency disorders, t-cell responses to sars-cov-2 vaccines, and the risk of chronic covid-19.The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice. 2021;9(10):3575-3583. doi:10.1016/j.jaip.2021.06.019Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Appendix: Vaccination of persons with primary and secondary immunodeficiencies.Hanitsch LG, Löbel M, Mieves JF, et al.Cellular and humoral influenza-specific immune response upon vaccination in patients with common variable immunodeficiency and unclassified antibody deficiency.Vaccine. 2016;34(21):2417-2423. doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2016.03.091Cunningham-Rundles C.The many faces of common variable immunodeficiency.Hematology. 2012;2012(1):301-305. doi:10.1182/asheducation.V2012.1.301.3798316
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID).
Salzer U, Warnatz K, Peter HH.Common variable immunodeficiency - an update.Arthritis Research & Therapy. 2012;14(5):223. doi:10.1186/ar4032
Saikia B, Gupta S.Common variable immunodeficiency.Indian J Pediatr. 2016;83(4):338-344. doi:10.1007/s12098-016-2038-x
American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology.Common variable immunodeficiency: symptoms and diagnosis.
Ameratunga R, Longhurst H, Steele R, et al.Common variable immunodeficiency disorders, t-cell responses to sars-cov-2 vaccines, and the risk of chronic covid-19.The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice. 2021;9(10):3575-3583. doi:10.1016/j.jaip.2021.06.019
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Appendix: Vaccination of persons with primary and secondary immunodeficiencies.
Hanitsch LG, Löbel M, Mieves JF, et al.Cellular and humoral influenza-specific immune response upon vaccination in patients with common variable immunodeficiency and unclassified antibody deficiency.Vaccine. 2016;34(21):2417-2423. doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2016.03.091
Cunningham-Rundles C.The many faces of common variable immunodeficiency.Hematology. 2012;2012(1):301-305. doi:10.1182/asheducation.V2012.1.301.3798316
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