White blood cells or white blood cells play a decisive role in our lives, responsible for protecting the body from infections and foreign agents that can harm human health. When their number decreases, an extensive medical examination is necessary to determine the source of the problem. Many are interested in what is the normal number of white blood cells in the blood? The article provides an answer to this question.
White Blood Cell Functions
What are white blood cells responsible for? These are motile cells that are able to leave the vascular bed, penetrating into the tissues of the human body, where they perform the functions assigned to them.
The main role of white blood cells is protective. They struggle with various dangerous pathogens, foreign elements, cell breakdown products, taking an active part in the immune response of the human body. White blood cells are produced in the bone marrow.
They are divided into two broad categories, focusing on how they are stained with dyes during the analysis. There are granular and non-granular white blood cells. They also have alternative names, for example, granulocytes and agranulocytes, respectively. In addition to granularity in granulocytes, the division of the cell nucleus into segments is noted.
White blood cell count
This value, even in absolutely healthy people, can vary somewhat for various reasons. The norm of white blood cells in an adult differs by fluctuations in the following range: from 4 to 9 * 10 9 per liter of blood. But this is the total number of all white blood cells. In the human body there are several types. In order to get the most complete information about the state of the body from the analysis, you need to know about the percentage ratio of all groups of these blood cells. This is a leukocyte formula.
The norm of white blood cells in women in the blood, as a rule, does not fundamentally differ from that of the stronger sex, that is, gender differences are not traced. In children, this indicator depends on age.
Normal values of all types of white blood cells
Standard indicators of individual groups of these blood elements are:
- Neutrophils should be between 48 and 78%. Moreover, among them young neutrophils cannot be more than 0.5%. Stab cells do not exceed 6%, and segmented cells - 72%.
- Eosinophils, as a rule, account for up to 5% of the total number of leukocytes.
- Basophils are in the range up to 1%.
- Lymphocytes range from 20 to 37%.
- Monocytes make up from 3 to 11%.
The number of leukocytes in the blood is normal in women
Normally, the number of these elements can vary, depending on the physiological state of the female body and age, for example:
- In girls up to a year, the indicator is from 12 * 10 9 / l.
- Under the age of sixteen, from 4.5 to 12, 5 * 10 9 / l.
- Up to twenty years from 4.5 to 10.5 * 10 9 / l.
Low white blood cells in women are quite common.
After reaching the age of twenty, normal indicators of the number of white blood cells remain relatively at the same level and range from 4 to 9 * 10 9 / L. During pregnancy, this indicator can vary up to 15 * 10 9 / L. Knowledge of the indicators of such a laboratory study allows the doctor to correctly interpret the results.
Norm in men
In representatives of the stronger sex, the normal indicator of this blood element varies in the same range as in women. But the value also depends on age:
- From twelve to eighteen years from 3.5 to 8 * 10 9 / l.
- From eighteen to twenty five from 4 to 9 * 10 9 / l.
- From twenty five to forty years from 4 to 7 * 10 9 / l.
- Over forty from 3 to 7 * 10 9 / l.
In what cases is a low white blood cell count? About it below.
Low White Blood Cells: Causes
In fact, all factors of low levels of white blood cells can be divided into two categories. The first is directly related to excessive destruction in the peripheral blood. And the second - with a violation of the formation of elements. The destruction of white blood cells is observed in the following cases:
- In the presence of a chronic focus of infection, there may be a constant expenditure of these elements, resulting in weakened immunity, and with severe infection, there is no reserve. What low blood white blood cells say, everyone should know.
- Against the background of a difficult, protracted infectious process, when the body can not cope with the production of the required number of white cells.
- In case of invasion by pathogens, white blood cells from the blood migrate to the sites of accumulation of parasitic forms in the tissue (often found in chlamydia, trichinosis). Why are there still low white blood cells in men and women?
- With viral pathologies, a certain redistribution occurs in the form of an increase in lymphocytes and a decrease in neutrophils. In addition, some viruses are able to settle in the lymph nodes, disrupting the differentiation of immunocompetent elements.
- Another reason for low white blood cells is the presence of a high content of thyroid hormones with thyrotoxicosis, which is detrimental to blood cells. At the same time, low hemoglobin is also characteristic.
- Liver diseases can affect the content of these cells. With certain types of pathology, deposition occurs in these organs together with enhanced destruction of white elements. This is possible in the presence of cirrhosis of the liver, syphilis, lymphogranulomatosis, viral hepatitis. Also, with liver ailments, platelets and hemoglobin are lowered.
- White blood cells are below normal for autoimmune diseases, in case of rheumatism or lupus erythematosus.
- Long-term medication. In particular, sulfonamide antibiotics with chemotherapy drugs can adversely affect the number of white cells, while acting on mature forms and inhibiting their formation.
- In the case of critical conditions of the body (with any type of shock), intense destruction of white blood cells occurs. Other uniform elements may suffer at the same time.
The causes of low white blood cells should be determined by the doctor. This is done through laboratory research.
Reasons for a decrease in white blood cell formation
Less white blood cells can form for the following reasons:
- The patient has congenital diseases, for example, Costman's syndrome.
- Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. The fact is that with AIDS, the formation and differentiation of all white cells is disrupted.
- The development of autoimmune pathologies in which the activity of lymphocytes is directed to their own bone marrow.
- The effect of radiation in large doses, in which chronic or acute radiation sickness occurs. This may explain the low levels of white blood cells in women and men.
- Oncological diseases of the bone marrow (in the form of myelosarcoma) and metastases from other organs (often with oncology of the lungs or prostate gland).
- Vitamin B deficiency. In this situation, not only the white blood cell count, but also other formed elements will become low in the analysis. In the event of a deficiency of these vitamins, the differentiation from the progenitor cells in the bone marrow is disturbed.
Consider how low levels of white blood cells in women and men are manifested.
Symptoms
Leukopenia is often a symptom of other diseases. Therefore, the patient will be disturbed by signs of ailments that lead to a deficiency of white blood cells. Leukopenia in people can be accompanied by the following manifestations:
- Increase or decrease in temperature.
- The occurrence of weakness or malaise.
- Lack of appetite, weight loss.
- Increased sweating.
- The occurrence of headaches.
- Swollen lymph nodes and tonsils.
- The appearance of pustules on the body, on the limbs and on the face.
- Symptoms of the common cold and viral infections.
- Enlarged liver and spleen.
- The occurrence of pain in the joints.
- The appearance of tachycardia and discomfort in the heart.
As you can see, the symptoms are varied. Also, the asymptomatic option is not excluded. But in the event that leukopenia is recorded in the analysis, then its causes can be fully assumed. To clarify them, a number of necessary studies are performed to diagnose a specific pathology.
We will study how to detect low white blood cells in an adult and the pathologies associated with this.
Diagnostics
Diagnostic search is aimed at identifying the root cause of leukopenia. It should be noted that the pathology in patients can be absolute and relative. This directly depends on whether all forms of white blood cells are reduced or only a certain number of neutrophils.
The presence of concomitant thrombocytopenia and erythropenia is also important, which reports a suppression of hematopoiesis. Agranulocytosis is a decrease in white blood cells below 0.7 * 10 9 / L. This indicates a serious blood disease.
As part of the diagnosis, data taken from biochemical analysis to assess liver function will help. It will not be superfluous to do an analysis on thyroid hormones. Also, during the diagnosis, the presence of rheumatoid factor and antibodies in the blood is determined. An ultrasound examination of the heart and a cardiogram will not hinder if there are symptoms of heart failure, and it is also required to examine the abdominal cavity and small pelvis. According to the testimony, magnetic resonance imaging of the spine and sternal puncture are performed.
How to pass the analysis
To identify the causes of low white blood cells, it is necessary to pass certain tests. Counting the number of these cells is usually carried out during a clinical study of biomaterial. To do this, a small amount is taken from the finger using a special pipette. Blood is introduced into a special solution, in which cells are then counted.
The determination of the number of leukocytes is performed in a diagnostic laboratory using an analyzer or by counting cells under a microscope. To obtain a reliable analysis result, it is very important to carry out several simple preparatory tips, which include:
- The delivery of biomaterial should be carried out on an empty stomach (the fact is that after eating food, a physiological increase in the number of white blood cells occurs). The analysis is usually carried out in the morning. Before this, you can not have breakfast, only water without gas is allowed.
- The last meal should be eight hours before the study. For dinner, do not eat fried and fatty foods, as well as alcohol. These contribute to an increase in the number of white cells.
The correct implementation of the relevant recommendations along with the study using a special analyzer make it possible to obtain the most reliable results.
Additional studies in case of deviation from the norm
A low level of white blood cells indicates a possible formation of a pathological process in the human body. To clarify the general nature and localization of the ailment, the doctor prescribes additional studies, which include:
- Calculation of the leukocyte blood formula with the determination of the ratio of different types of white blood cells to their total number.
- Determination of erythrocyte sedimentation rate.
- Performing a study of the cellular composition of bone marrow after its puncture.
- Determination of the degree of activity of different classes of specific antibodies that are formed against pathogens of various infectious and parasitic pathologies.
- Different methods of visualizing the possible presence of a tumor in the body (radiography, computed, magnetic and resonance imaging, ultrasound).
The doctor makes an initial conclusion after determining the number of leukocytes in the blood based on the data of clinical examinations, which includes taking an anamnesis, examining a patient, palpation of soft tissues and lymph nodes.
What are the causes of low white blood cells in young patients?
Leukopenia in children
A similar pathology is also possible in childhood. So, in babies, transient leukopenia may develop. Its causes are due to circulating in the blood and transmitted during pregnancy, the woman’s antibodies to the white blood cells of the baby. At the same time, there is no clinical manifestation, and the norm is restored to four years.
At an older age, the cause of leukopenia can be past infections, such as rubella, viral hepatitis. Other causes are hormonal disorders and heredity. Such children are much more likely than others to get colds, lag behind their peers in their physical development.
It is worth noting that measles in children very often causes leukopenia. It will also not be amiss to mention the hypersplenism development syndrome, against which the spleen enlarges in the child. At the same time, platelets in the blood are reduced.
We will figure out what treatment is required if the white blood cells are very low.
When to see a doctor
If a person does a blood test during the course of the disease, then white blood cells below the norm will be necessarily detected. Doctors usually prescribe a blood test when patients have the symptoms mentioned above.
Only a specialist will be able to determine what is the cause of low white blood cells. With such indicators, health is under serious threat, as the body loses its ability to fight pathogenic microorganisms.
Therapeutic activities and diet
Treatment of the underlying disease is the main principle in the fight against leukopenia. However, this is far from always possible, for example, when using chemotherapy against the background of cancer. Also, some autoimmune and hereditary pathologies cannot be cured. For such patients, it is very important to conduct preventive measures in conjunction with proper nutrition, treatment of concomitant ailments and medical supervision.
Food must be balanced. It must contain a sufficient number of B vitamins and folic acid. It is advisable to consume a lot of seafood for these purposes. Mandatory is the presence of fresh herbs and legumes in the diet. Fatty fish and meat should be limited.
Regarding medical treatment aimed at increasing immunity, there are two groups of drugs. The drugs of the first group stimulate metabolic processes, enhance cell regeneration, thereby restoring immunity. For example, it is worth using Methyluracil.
The second category includes fairly serious drugs, such as Sargramostim, Lenograstim, and macrophage stimulants, for example, Likopid. In milder cases, in order to support immunity, it is sufficient to use tincture of eleutherococcus or echinacea.
Alternative medicine successfully complements the treatment, which helps to increase white blood cells. A mummy is endowed with an excellent effect for stimulating hematopoiesis. Also well established tincture of rhizome of barberry. You need to take 50 g of rhizome, pour them with 100 ml of vodka and stand for 18 days in a cool dark place. Take such a tincture of 15 ml three times a day. You can add honey to her taste.
Summing up, we can conclude that leukopenia requires mandatory medical intervention. Accurate diagnosis of the causes of pathology and the appointment of adequate treatment are extremely important. Do not forget to strengthen your immunity. You need to protect your health from a young age.