Most Common Cause Of Low White Blood Cell Count – A low white blood cell count is a condition where the number of white blood cells in your body becomes too low. White blood cells (also called leukocytes) are part of the immune system, and they are the cells that protect your body against infections from bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. A low white blood cell count is also known as leukopenia.

White blood cells are very important for health. Life is impossible without them. Microorganisms that cause disease are literally everywhere, but most people don’t get sick because they have enough white blood cells to provide protection. A low white blood cell count often means there is a problem in the body, so it is not considered normal.

Most Common Cause Of Low White Blood Cell Count

There are several types of white blood cells. Each has its own specialized goals and different lifespans. There are monocytes (transform into other white blood cells), lymphocytes (release antibodies, regulate immunity and kill infected human cells), basophils (initiate inflammatory reactions), eosinophils (kill parasites and cause allergic reactions) and neutrophils (major killers of bacteria and fungi).

White Blood Cells (human Anatomy): Picture, Functions, Diseases, And Treatments

Our body continuously produces millions of different white blood cells to replace worn out or dead ones. This is why their numbers remain relatively stable most of the time. The immune system is adept at regulating the number of white blood cell activity, increasing or decreasing the number of a particular type according to the needs of the situation. Even at times when we put ourselves at risk, such as eating dirty or spoiled food, breathing in dust laden with microorganisms, staying in crowded places, or being in places like airplanes, gyms, or hospitals, we often don’t get sick because we have a good supply of white blood cells that kill pathogens before they cause infection.

If we do get sick, the immune system will initiate a series of actions to stop the growth or kill invading pathogens, as well as destroy infected or dying cells in the body. The infection often causes a dramatic increase in the white blood cell count. Doctors can easily tell if you have an infection if they see that your white blood cell count is higher than normal. Increased white blood cells give the body a better chance of stopping the infection.

Of course, there are times when the white blood cell count drops. In most cases, it requires a thorough investigation, as it is often associated with health problems, some of which are serious. A low white blood cell count is not a diagnosis or a health condition. This is just a finding after a routine blood test.

The correct term for a blood test or examination is called a complete blood count or CBC. Doctors often order a CBC because it analyzes the number of cellular components, including white blood cells. The normal threshold for the number of white blood cells can be different. The Mayo Clinic states that normal ranges are 3.5 billion to 10.5 billion cells per liter of blood. Meanwhile, MEDLINE Plus states that the normal 4,500 to 11,000 white blood cells per microliter (mcL).

Leukocytes In Urine

A CBC is the only way to determine the number of white blood cells in the body. Your doctor may order several CBC tests to monitor your blood cell count.

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The main purpose of white blood cells is to protect the body against infection by microorganisms. If their numbers get too low, you can become vulnerable to infections. Most people don’t actually experience any symptoms unless their white blood cell count gets very low.

If you have a low white blood cell count for a while, you may have an increased frequency of illness or infection than usual.

Basophils: Function & Ranges

All microorganisms, except HIV, are unable to directly attack white blood cells. Meanwhile, killing microorganisms is the main purpose of white blood cells. The body also naturally produces more white blood cells in case of infection or inflammation. This explains why infections cause an elevated white blood cell count.

As mentioned earlier, our body produces white blood cells continuously. White blood cells are produced in the bone marrow, just like other blood components. Having a low blood cell count means that there is something wrong with the production of white blood cells.

In most cases, a low white blood cell count is the result of an illness. Some treatments can also cause it as a side effect. Malnutrition and nutrient deficiencies can also cause the white blood cell count to drop.

A low white blood cell count is often associated with disease. Among the most common causes is a serious infection that can use up white blood cells faster than they can be produced. A severe infection can develop if the disease is not treated or does not respond to treatment. It often occurs in infants, very young children, or the elderly.

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A low white blood cell count is often a feature of an immunodeficiency or compromised immune system. As you learned in school, white blood cells are the workhorse of the immune system. A low number of specific white blood cells on a CBC can often reveal the cause of the immunodeficiency. Some of the most common conditions that cause immunodeficiency include systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus), tuberculosis, dengue virus infection, rickettsia, psittacosis, Sjogren’s syndrome, Lyme disease, and Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

HIV infection is also a common cause of low white blood cell counts. The human immunodeficiency virus mainly targets the CD T4 helper cells, the very ones that trigger the immune system to act against the infection. HIV causes the number of white blood cells to decrease over time. Once the white blood cell count becomes too low, opportunistic bacteria and viruses will invade the body and cause infection, leading to the many serious health problems that define AIDS. The presence of diagnosed or undiagnosed HIV infection is a very common cause of low white blood cell counts in both developed and developing countries.

A condition called sarcoidosis can also cause a number of white blood cells to be damaged. Sarcoidosis is an inflammatory disease characterized by the formation of lumps called granulomas in the lungs, skin or lymph nodes. The cause of sarcoidosis is often unknown, but doctors suspect that it may be caused by problems in the immune system; granulomas in the lungs may be caused by an immune reaction to something breathed into the lungs. Sarcoidosis may not cause symptoms. It is often found after a chest X-ray. In most cases, sarcoid goes away on its own without any treatment.

The shock caused by sepsis, a condition caused by a severe infection that leads to widespread and destructive inflammation throughout the body, often causes a dramatic decrease in white blood cells. Some cases of sepsis cause very low white blood cells, sometimes as low as 4,000 per microliter.

Neutrophil Blood Test: What High And Low Levels Mean

The bone marrow can become infected by viruses, causing a drop in the production of white blood cells, resulting in low blood cells. Infection of the bone marrow is uncommon, but can occur due to infection making its way into the bloodstream or from injuries near the bone (including bedsores). Some of these viruses cause disease, including parvovirus B19, dengue, hepatitis viruses, Epstein-Barr virus, cytomegalovirus, and human immunodeficiency virus.

In cancer patients, low white blood cell counts are often caused by chemotherapy. Drugs used to treat cancer work by killing rapidly dividing cells that build tumors. The problem is that the cells in the bone marrow also divide very quickly and so are also targeted by chemotherapy drugs. The radiation therapy used to kill the cancer cells also kills the bone marrow, causing a low white blood cell count. During cancer treatment, your doctor will order several CBC tests to monitor your white blood cells and try to prevent them from getting too low. Your healthcare provider will also monitor you for signs of infection.

It should also be noted that some cancers damage the bone marrow and affect your white blood cells. Any cancer can do this once it affects the bones. One specific type of cancer, called acute myeloid leukemia, starts in the bone marrow and can affect the cells that make white blood cells. Another cancer, multiple myeloma, also causes low white blood cells because it interferes with the production of blood components.

Another cause is genetic or congenital problems that cause reduced bone marrow function, also known as hereditary bone marrow failure. It is caused by a problem in the genes. Some of these conditions do not show symptoms until adulthood. These conditions include Fanconi anemia, dyskeratosis congenita, Shwachman-Diamond syndrome, Diamond-Blackfan anemia, severe congenital neutropenia, and congenital amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia. The good thing is that these conditions are relatively rare.

Lymphoma: Symptoms, Causes And Treatment

A low white blood cell count can be caused by taking certain antibiotics. This is a side effect reported with many penicillins and cephalosporins, including penicillin-G, cefazolin, cefoxitin, and cephalothin. It is relatively rare.

If your white blood cell levels are low, one of the focuses of treatment is preventing infection. Having a low white blood cell count means your defenses against infections are also low. You should stick to seemingly simple but vital

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