In frequent cases, the percentage of neutrophils is lowered in the blood with the development of a serious disease or inflammatory process. In order to detect neutropenia, it is necessary to carry out a thorough diagnosis and pass a general clinical blood test. Cells are produced in the bone marrow. Neutrophils counteract pathogens, viruses and fungi. If a virus enters the body, the number of neutrophils increases.
Main varieties
There are several types of neutrophils. Band-shaped have a continuous and rod-shaped core. Segmented - segmented and mature neutrophils.
Normal rate
To determine the level of neutrophils in the blood, it is necessary to pass a general blood test and decipher the obtained indicator using a special table. It is important to consider the age of the patient.
In children from birth to one year, neutrophils make up 35-49% of leukocytes. As a person grows older, their amount in the blood increases. In an adult, a value from 46 to 69% is taken as a normal indicator. If there is a deviation from the norm, one can indicate a reduced percentage of neutrophils.
There are several varieties of this pathological condition. These include:
- congenital neutropenia;
- acquired neutropenia;
- unexplained neutropenia.
As medical practice shows, in many children, pathology can develop in a chronic form, while it has a benign character. Over time, the indicator returns to normal. Cyclic neutropenia is quite common. Only the doctor can determine the form and severity of the disease after examining the patient.
Why are neutrophils lowered?
Most often, neutrophils are reduced due to the occurrence of an inflammatory disease, with a viral infection and radiation exposure. Quite often, the following factors provoke the appearance of neutropenia:
- poor environmental conditions;
- the use of certain medications (Sulfanilamide, Analgin and Levomycetin);
- inflammatory process in the body.
A reduced percentage of neutrophils is not an independent disease. This is only the result of the development of another disease, which can be detected after a thorough medical examination. If the results of laboratory tests are unsatisfactory, you must visit a hematologist. After a thorough study, the specialist prescribes complex therapy.
Ban on vaccinating children with low neutrophils
It is forbidden to vaccinate children with a reduced percentage of neutrophils. It is only necessary to carry out the procedure after the hematologist has approved the procedure, as complications and health problems may arise.
Most common causes
There are some of the most common diseases that trigger a decrease in the number of neutrophils. Namely:
- With an autosomal recessive hereditary disease, severe neutropenia develops. In this case, infectious lesions occur on the skin. An abscess, a boil, a carbuncle may appear. In the process of the development of the disease, a lung abscess or pneumonia is possible.
- Benign neutropenia is a family disease that does not manifest itself at the initial stage of development. A reduced percentage of neutrophils in the blood appears from time to time. Until the onset of the attack, the patient has a normal indicator of these blood components. When they disappear, and the number of eosinophils and monocytes increases, neutropenia develops.
- When a bacterial infection of a localized nature occurs. These include: appendicitis, osteomyelitis, acute otitis media, pneumonia, acute pyelonephritis, purulent and tuberculous meningitis, tonsillitis, acute cholecystitis, thrombophlebitis.
- With a severe burn or inflammatory process.
- Malignant tumors, gangrene, myocardial infarction, acute rheumatic fever provoke a decrease in the percentage of neutrophils in an adult.
- With exogenous intoxication with toxic substances (lead, toxins, snake venom).
- With endogenous intoxication (gout, diabetes, acidosis, Cushing's syndrome, epilepsy).
- With the occurrence of erythremia, chronic myelogenous leukemia.
- With a bacterial infection (tuberculosis, tularemia, paratyphoid, bacterial endocarditis).
- With the occurrence of influenza, measles, rubella, infectious hepatitis.
Many people care if the percentage of neutrophils is lowered, what does this mean? But not everyone knows that only after examining the patient the doctor will be able to make a diagnosis.
In the process of developing acute leukemia, doctors recommend taking a blood test regularly. It is important to control the level of neutrophils in the blood, since they reliably protect the body from an infectious disease. Experts believe that when the level of neutrophils decreases, the patient is more often sick and his general health condition worsens. The gastrointestinal tract may be disturbed and a strong inflammatory process will appear.
Experts are of the opinion that after taking cytostatics and immunosuppressants, the level of neutrophils also often decreases. And in the process of treating malignant tumors, these types of drugs are often prescribed to the patient.
Before starting treatment, first of all, the doctor must find the reason that provoked a decrease in the percentage of segmented neutrophils in the blood. With timely treatment, the risk of complications is minimal. In the process of diagnosis, the specialist takes into account age, hereditary factors, the presence of other diseases (since they affect the level of neutrophils).
How is the treatment?
In the event that a reduced level of neutrophils is observed for more than 13 days, then this indicates that there is a risk of developing an infectious disease. The pathological condition lasts more than a month - most likely a serious illness develops in the body.
If the level of neutrophils decreased due to a disease that "ate" the already formed leukocytes, then during treatment it is necessary to stop its symptoms. An individual method of treatment is selected by the doctor depending on the specific clinical picture. To begin with, it is important to carry out a complete medical examination of the patient.
When sick people recover and their condition returns to normal, the white blood cell count normalizes over time. With timely treatment, this occurs within 2 weeks.
Quite often, the level of neutrophils decreases due to a deficiency of substances that are responsible for the birth of new cells. In this case, it is necessary to balance the diet and take the medications prescribed by the attending physician.
What drugs are prescribed by doctors?
As a rule, experts prescribe B vitamins and those medications that contain folic acid. In some cases, bone marrow tissue damage is among the provoking factors. In such circumstances, the patient is prescribed medication. Most often, the doctor offers the patient "Filgrastim" and "Lenograstim."
Many are interested in why the percentage of neutrophils is reduced, and the lymphocytes are increased? In some cases, this indicates that the body is in the process of removing dead cells.
Doctor's recommendations
If the patient has a low neutrophil level, the doctor informs the patient about the lifestyle during the treatment process. First of all, it is necessary to reduce the risk of developing other diseases. It is worth paying attention to the diet. A person who has a low neutrophil count should not eat poorly processed meat products. The first time you need to boil milk before use. Farm products should be excluded from your diet. It is better to buy goods from supermarkets, since pathogenic microorganisms often appear in products from the market.
Note to patient
It is important to observe and basic hygiene rules. Wash hands before eating. In crowded places it is necessary to wear a protective mask. This will help prevent the development of diseases. It is advisable not to communicate with people who have respiratory infections.
If, with low neutrophils, the patient's general health condition worsens and body temperature rises significantly, then treatment is carried out in a hospital under the strict supervision of a physician. In this case, it is forbidden to self-medicate, since this can cause the development of serious complications and worsen the general health of the patient.
Now you know that if in the analysis results the percentage of neutrophils is lowered and the percentage of lymphocytes is increased, then several factors could influence these indicators. And only after a full examination of the patient can we precisely answer what exactly provoked this phenomenon.