If an infection of a pathological nature penetrates the human body, then lymphocytes are activated in it , the main purpose of which is to protect the immune system. Such defenders every day several times check every cell in the body, and also if they identify an old or dying one, they immediately eliminate it from the body or destroy it. The amount of work that a lymphocyte does is difficult to overestimate, given that about 1 percent of the total number of body cells in the human body is lymphocytes. In the case of an increase in their number, it should be determined why lymphocytes are increased in the general blood test.
The role of cells in the human body
All lymphocytes in the human body are divided into the following types: T, B and NK. Each of the presented cells has its own functionality and tasks, but they all work for one result - to provide the human body with strong immunity, which will not allow the development of any disease. As long as everything in the body is stable and pathogenic organisms are inactive, lymphocytes almost do not perform any actions, do not secrete active components, do not multiply, but are only carriers of receptors that can recognize the infection.
When examining the state of all human cells, it is the lymphocytes that are the first to detect the presence of a pathological infection and give a signal to the brain, after which the process of protecting the body and suppressing foreign agents in it begins immediately.
Targeted cell exposure
Lymphocytes help maintain the state of cellular and humoral immunity in the body. This is a complex mechanism that nature has created to protect the human body from dangerous processes that are activated by the spread of harmful bacteria.
In their structure, lymphocytes can be of the following type:
- large (NK-type), which are responsible for the quality of cells in the body and help eliminate dead cells or cells that differ in anomalous structure;
- small (T- and B-type) - help destroy the infection that penetrates the human body.
Immunity protection
Such cells perform a large number of actions aimed at the comprehensive protection of human immunity from pathogens:
- identification of foreign microorganisms;
- separation of pathogens into previously encountered and unfamiliar;
- attack and attack on dangerous microorganisms;
- destruction of foreign agents;
- memorizing at the cellular level information about a new source of danger and transmitting it to new generations (creating a stable immunity to previously transferred diseases).
Methods for identifying a disease
The number of lymphocytes in human blood can be absolute (measured in units per liter), as well as relative (indicated in percent):
- the absolute norm is 1-4.5 * 10 9 / l;
- the relative norm is 20-37 percent.
Normal indicators for men and women are on the same level, but for women a minimum excess of indicators may be allowed due to physiology. The decoding of a general blood test for elevated lymphocytes is done by the doctor.
The procedure for detecting the number of lymphocytes in the body is a general blood test. During the procedure, a certain amount of blood is taken from the patient. To do this, he comes to the doctor in the morning on an empty stomach.
If the examination is carried out according to the old method, through a microscope, then only a few drops of blood are enough for the procedure. Modern devices that automatically count the number of lymphocytes in the blood have one major drawback - they cannot work with a small amount of blood.
For this reason, for such an analysis, a person will have to give at least five ml of blood from a vein.
If there are diseases and a pathological process in the body, it will not be possible to determine the state of health with one general blood test, for this you need to use a more in-depth examination to identify the number of cells of a certain type (for example, T- and B-type).
Such tests are carried out using more sophisticated equipment, so the tests are quite expensive and not every laboratory conducts them.
Elevated Lymphocytes
Elevated lymphocytes and monocytes during a general blood test indicate an active process of confronting the human immune system infection, which can cause both acute respiratory viral infections and a more serious disease. The main causes of lymphocytosis are experts:
- toxoplasmosis, which leads to parasites in the body;
- the spread of a viral infection (herpes, infectious hepatitis, mononucleosis and flu);
- bronchial asthma;
- damage to the body by a bacterial infection (syphilis, tuberculosis, brucellosis);
- prolonged use of oral contraceptives;
- bearing a child;
- intoxication of the body with arsenic, lead or tetrachloroethane;
- strong feelings, depression, stress;
- excessive stress on the thyroid gland;
- problems with the state of the immune system;
- the beginning of menstruation;
- side effect of taking certain medications;
- leukemia;
- problems with the metabolic process;
- lymphoma
- recent surgery.
Lymphocytes are significantly increased and neutrophils are lowered during the general blood test during infection of the body. In some cases, a person after such processes retains immunity for life. It is chickenpox, rubella, measles and whooping cough. Lymphocytosis can occur against the background of an increase in the size of the liver, lymph nodes, as well as the spleen.
When carrying a child
In the early stages of pregnancy, the woman’s body activates the natural mechanism of immune suppression. Such a process can be explained by the fact that at this moment it is very important to protect the embryo from rejection, since a piece of the biological material of the father by the immunity of a woman can be considered as a foreign body.
Inhibited mainly those types of lymphocytes that are responsible for the elimination of foreign elements in the body and the production of antibodies that help reduce the aggressiveness of other cells.
At the last term of bearing a child, the norms of lymphocytes in the body are restored. Despite the fact that the total number of lymphocytes in the blood test reaches 20-40 percent, which is considered a normal indicator, they are becoming less and less.
If a pregnant woman with a general blood test has increased lymphocytes and ESR, then this may indicate the presence of various complications of the course of pregnancy, including a possible miscarriage.
The main symptoms of the lesion
Given exclusively external symptoms, it is almost impossible to accurately determine if there are problems with the number of lymphocytes in the body, since this is not a disease, but a blood condition indicator that reports the presence of diseases in the body and helps determine if the body has a protective reaction.
Therefore, when the condition worsens, all symptoms will correspond to a disease that is present in the body.
Common similarities
With all the variety of diseases, there are common symptoms that arise as a result of an increase in the level of lymphocytes in the body:
- sudden increase in body temperature;
- the appearance of perspiration, increased sweating;
- feeling of malaise, severe tiredness, drowsiness;
- headache, dizziness;
- partial or complete lack of appetite;
- an increase in the size of lymph nodes, which, when palpated, are characterized by tuberosity;
- upon palpation, the patient feels pain, as well as the investigated area of the body turns red.
Danger state
It is impossible to determine exactly how dangerous an increase in the level of lymphocytes in a person’s blood is, since such a state alone does not mean anything concrete. Everything will directly depend on the reason that led to the process. That is why it is important to consider the blood test completely, to correlate it with the results of other studies and the patient's symptoms of damage.
If a blood test showed an increased number of lymphocytes, this means that there are some problems in the body, but how dangerous they are, the specialist will say after deciphering the results of the tests and conducting additional examinations. In no case should you try to make your own diagnosis and self-medicate.
This can provoke a worsening of the condition, the transition of the disease into a chronic form, and sometimes lead to death.
The increase in lymphocytes in a child
Elevated lymphocytes in a child with a general blood test - what does it mean? Age-related lymphocytosis most often refers to the natural physiological process in the body, in which the child’s immune system develops and strengthens. This condition does not need to be treated, as it goes away on its own when the baby is growing up.
But if the lymphocytes in the blood during the general analysis are significantly increased in the child, which does not correspond at all to this age, then the doctor must determine the exact cause of this condition.
There are two types of lymphocytosis:
- malignant - the number of lymphocytes increases due to cancer cells developing in the body;
- reactive - a symptom appears as a result of a reaction to the action of an irritant in the body: bacteria, fungi and viruses.
When is it important to treat?
Malignant lymphocytosis occurs quite rarely, but it can even appear in a child younger than one year old, so this condition cannot be ruled out. An accurate diagnosis can be made after carrying out diagnostic measures, if the specialist has reasons, he will confirm the presence of pathology. The following symptoms may indicate the malignant nature of lymphocytosis:
- pallor of the skin;
- regular nosebleeds for no reason;
- general weakness;
- drowsiness;
- an increase in the size of the lymph nodes;
- increase in body temperature;
- frequent infectious diseases;
- joint pain.
In most cases, the lymphocytes in the blood of a child increase as a result of the fact that he began an infectious process or was transferred not so long ago. These processes include infectious diseases of the following nature:
- viral;
- bacterial;
- parasitic.
The level of lymphocytes in a child increases especially with infectious mononucleosis. But other diseases cannot be ruled out. Only the doctor can determine the exact cause.