Is there a way to measure one's immune system strength? (infections, blood tests)

[snowmountains]

I guess if you rarely get sick then you may assume you have a strong immune system. And if you have certain diseases then you know you have a compromised immune system. But otherwise, is there a way to measure the strength of one's immune system?

[WannabeCPA]

One test I can think of is a "immunodeficiency Panel 2", which is what I took recently. I was told people with HIV take these tests a lot but my doctor ordered it for me since I was feeling fatigued for a long time. Not sure how useful it is for measuring your overall immune system but it measure T-cells, natural killer cells and other cells that fight infections.

Or you could just talk to an immunologist, they would probably know if you can take any tests. Were you concerned with something in particular or just curious, as most people don't take tests to specifically measure their immune system unless they have symptoms?

Usually for my annual checkups I just get a CBC and Complete Metabolic profile blood test to make sure everything is ok.

[snowmountains]

I am just curious, and also because this phrase 'immune system' is frequently mentioned in discussion of diseases, infections and prevention, yet it seems so abstract, unlike, say, blood pressure, or blood count. For example it's easy to comprehend "If you have high blood pressure (which you know yes or no), you are more likely to have heart attack", but not something like "Whether you will be infected or not depends on your immune system".

[WannabeCPA]

If you do take a test to check your immune system just remember that these tests often have wide ranges. You could be at the bottom of the normal range and the doctor will say nothing is wrong with you. You could also be out of the range and the doc will say it's still ok. For example I haven't been feeling good for a while but most of my blood tests are "normal". There are some things that blood tests can't detect.

If you're immune test comes back normal, which I think they would if you're healthy I'd just concentrate of living a healthy lifestyle. IMO I don't think there's a need for any kind of an immune test if you're healthy.