Eosinophilia - what is it? You will find the answer to the raised medical question in the materials of the presented article. In addition, we will tell you about the reason for such a deviation, what are its symptoms and methods of treatment.
general information
Eosinophilia - what is it? In medical practice, this term refers to a special state of blood, in which a patient has an increased level of cells - eosinophils. In addition, with such a deviation, the impregnation, or so-called infiltration, of other tissues occurs. For example, with a runny nose, eosinophils are quite easily detected in secretions, with bronchial asthma - in sputum, and with pleural tumors or accumulation of blood in the lungs - in the lung fluid.
Degrees of disease
In an adult, the amount of eosinophils in the blood is considered normal from 0.02 x 109 / L to 0.3 x 109 / L. If this figure is exceeded, then the patient is diagnosed with eosinophilia. What is it, we found out. Now imagine what degrees of this deviation are distinguished:
- High degree - more than 20%.
- Moderate degree - from 10 to 20%.
- A small degree, that is, up to 10% of the total number of leukocytes.
Persistent eosinophilia is a sign of helminthic lesions, some leukemia, as well as allergic reactions.
Disease or symptom?
Eosinophilia, the treatment of which we will consider later, is not an independent disease, but just a sign of autoimmune, infectious, allergic and other abnormalities.
So, let's understand together why a person has such a pathological condition.
Eosinophilia: causes
This deviation is manifested against the background of the development of many diseases. This long list includes:
- Parasitic diseases (paragonimiasis, ascariasis, strongyloidosis, schistosomiasis, opisthorchiasis, trichinosis, filariasis, fascioliasis, malaria, hookworm infection, toxocariasis, echinococcosis, Weingarten syndrome, diphyllobothriasis).
- Skin diseases (eczema, pemphigus, lichen skin, pemphigus, herpetiform dermatitis).
- Allergic diseases (asthma, Quincke's edema, hay fever, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, urticaria, serum sickness, hay fever, eosinophilic myositis and fasciitis, eosinophilic cystitis).
- Blood diseases (Cesari syndrome, lymphogranulomatosis, true polycythemia, pernicious anemia, leukemia, family histiocytosis with combined immunodeficiency and eosinophilia).
- Lung diseases (pulmonary infiltrate, allergic aspergillosis, eosinophilic pneumonia, Leffler's syndrome, sarcoidosis).
- Autoimmune diseases (scleroderma, systemic lupus erythematosus).
- Diseases of the intestines and stomach (staph infection in children, peptic ulcer, gastroenteritis, allergic gastroenteropathy).
- Rheumatic diseases (periarteritis nodosa, rheumatoid arthritis, Wegener's granulomatosis, eosinophilic fasciitis).
- Malignant neoplasms (carcinomatosis, adenocarcinoma of the stomach and uterus, Williams tumor, cancer of the thyroid gland, vagina, skin and penis).
- Immunodeficiency states (immunoglobulin deficiency, T-lymphopathy, Wiskott-Aldridge syndrome).
- Other diseases (liver cirrhosis, premature eosinophilia, congenital heart defects, chorea, magnesium deficiency, eosinophilic syndrome, splenectomy, hypoxia, caseous lymph node tuberculosis, radiation exposure, scarlet fever, peritoneal dialysis, eosinophilic familial leukocytosis, etc.).
It should also be noted that eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome can occur while taking certain medications: drugs containing sex hormones, Aspirin, anti-TB drugs, Papaverine, Eufillina, Imipramine, Diphenhydramine, penicillin antibiotics, gold preparations, sulfonamide drugs, B vitamins, β-blockers, Phenibut, Chymotrypsin, Chlorpropamide, Miskleron.
Eosinophilia: Symptoms
Signs of such a pathological condition are caused by the diseases in which it is observed.
1. Reactive and autoimmune diseases. With such diseases, the following symptoms are most often noted:
- hepatosplenomegaly;
- anemia;
- weight loss;
- temperature rise;
- joint pain;
- pulmonary fibrosis;
- congestive heart failure;
- inflammatory lesions of veins and arteries;
- multiple organ failure.
2. Parasitic diseases. With such deviations are observed:
- hepatosplenomegaly (enlarged spleen or liver);
- myalgia (i.e. pain in muscles and joints);
- headaches, fever, weakness, nausea, dizziness, loss of appetite;
- lymphadenopathy (soreness and swollen lymph nodes);
- increased heart rate, swelling on the eyelids and face, rash on the skin, hypotension;
- Leffler's syndrome when moving larvae (chest pain, shortness of breath, cough with an asthmatic component).
3. Skin and allergic diseases:
- the appearance of itching, rash, blisters, dry skin, exfoliation of the epidermis and ulcers on the skin.
4. Gastrointestinal diseases.
- Many diseases of the digestive tract lead to disruption of the intestinal flora, which ultimately significantly slows down the process of cleansing the body of toxins and toxins. As a rule, in the future this leads to an increased content of eosinophils in the blood. With this deviation, the patient may be disturbed by pain in the umbilical region, vomiting, cramps, nausea, diarrhea and signs of hepatitis (jaundice, soreness and enlarged liver).
5. Blood diseases.
- This deviation is characterized by frequent infectious diseases, damage to the lymph nodes, enlarged spleen and liver, cough, dyspnea, cyanosis of the skin.
With lymphogranulomatosis, the patient may experience pain in the joints and bones, weakness, fever, itching on the surface of the skin, cough, lymphadenopathy, etc. Eosinophilia with lymphomas is accompanied by a decrease in motor activity and weight loss, as well as an increase in body temperature.
When a tumor appears in the abdominal cavity, signs such as thirst, intestinal obstruction, and an increase in the abdomen are noted. From the side of the central nervous system, headaches, paresis and paralysis can be observed, as well as a decrease in hearing and vision. In addition, discomfort behind the sternum often occurs, face swelling, coughing, and swallowing disorders.
What is pulmonary eosinophilia?
Pulmonary eosinophilia is the infiltration of pulmonary tissue with eosinophils. This deviation combines the following conditions:
- pulmonary infiltrates;
- eosinophilic granulomas;
- eosinophilic pneumonia;
- eosinophilic pulmonary vasculitis.
How to identify a child?
Eosinophilia in children is detected during a general blood test. It should be noted that such a phenomenon in babies is inconsistent and disappears immediately after the baby's body weight reaches normal values.
The most common causes of this deviation in young children are:
- allergic reactions;
- parasitic infestations;
- hookworm;
- eosinophilic gastroenteritis;
- hereditary diseases (for example, family histiocytosis).
Diagnosis in adult patients
Now you know: eosinophilia - what is it. It should be noted that to identify such a deviation, it is only necessary to do a general blood test. During this study, the specialist calculates the percentage ratio of eosinophils, so that the attending physician can make a diagnosis.
With this pathological condition, signs of anemia can also be observed (that is, the number of red blood cells in the blood is reduced). To identify the disease that led to eosinophilia, a biochemical blood test, as well as feces and urine, should be performed.
How to treat?
It makes no sense to treat eosinophilia as an independent disease. First, the patient should find out the true cause of this pathological condition, and only then, together with the doctor, develop an effective treatment regimen for the underlying disease, due to which such a deviation is observed.
The types and dosages of drugs that will be included in the course depend on the causes of eosinophilia, as well as the severity and stage of the disease. It is likely that the patient will need, on the contrary, refuse to take certain medications prescribed earlier.
Eosinophilia in animals
Such a deviation in cats and dogs indicates skin and allergic diseases, as well as damage by worms. Some of these diseases can be infected by a person who contains these animals at home. In this regard, it is recommended to consult with your veterinarian about the possibility of treating your pet.