What are the treatments for alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (Alpha-1)?
Treatment for Alpha-1 depends on the type of disease it causes. Your treatment options might include:
- Augmentation therapy: Doctors increase your AAT levels with donated AAT. If you have emphysema due to Alpha-1, augmentation therapy may be considered and you may be recommended to receive weekly or monthly infusions (injections into a vein). This treatment may continue for the rest of your life.
- Lung transplant: A new, healthy lung from a lung transplant can relieve respiratory problems.
- Medication: Steroids and other drugs called bronchodilators can help make it easier for you to breathe by opening airways in the lungs.
- Oxygen therapy: Receiving extra oxygen through a mask or tube in the nostrils can help you breathe more comfortably.
- Pulmonary rehabilitation: Exercises and behavioral changes can relieve breathing problems to improve your daily functioning. Such therapy allows you to do more with the lung function that you have.
What are the complications associated with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (Alpha-1)?
Complications of Alpha-1 depend on the disease it causes:
- Lungs: If you develop lung disease, complications may include emphysema or bronchiectasis (damage to the walls of the airways in your lungs).
- Liver: If Alpha-1 causes liver disease, you may experience swelling of your abdomen and legs, have a higher risk of infections, or develop liver scarring or cancer.
- Skin: In rare cases, some people with Alpha-1 develop a skin disease called panniculitis. This condition can cause painful red lumps in the skin. The lumps may break open and discharge liquid or pus.