If a person has low white blood cells, then this can be a sign of many diseases. This condition is called leukopenia in medicine. It leads to a sharp drop in immunity. White blood cells are otherwise called white blood cells. They are responsible for the neutralization of pathogens, parasites and toxins. These cells protect our health. A person suffering from leukopenia begins to get sick more often, as his body loses its ability to resist infections.
White blood cell function
White blood cells or white bodies are blood cells. They are very important for the formation of immunity. These blood elements play a protective role. If pathogens enter the body, then white blood cells recognize foreign protein substances. White bodies quickly find bacteria and viruses, surround them, and then digest and destroy them. In the fight against infection, a large number of white blood cells die. To compensate for their deficiency, the hematopoietic system produces more and more white bodies. Therefore, with infectious inflammatory diseases, an increase in white blood cells is often noted.
However, with some pathologies, decreased white blood cells are observed. What does this indicator mean? This sign indicates that a person has weakened body protection. In a patient with leukopenia, the risk of infection with bacteria, viruses and other dangerous microorganisms increases sharply. If a decrease in white bodies in the blood is observed continuously and over a long period, then a person begins to get sick more often due to a drop in immunity.
How to detect leukopenia
You can find out the number of white blood cells in the blood by passing a routine clinical blood test. Using this study, not only the indicator of white bodies is determined, but also the level of hemoglobin, the number and sedimentation rate of red blood cells.
It is important to remember that white blood cells are divided into several types. The following types of white blood cells are distinguished:
- lymphocytes;
- monocytes;
- neutrophils;
- basophils;
- eosinophils.
If the results of a general blood test show that the leukocytes are lowered or increased, then an additional diagnostic test is prescribed. This is a white blood cell test. It shows which species of white bodies is raised or lowered.
To understand what low blood white blood cells mean, your doctor may order additional tests for infections, cancer, and thyroid hormones. This helps to identify the cause of leukopenia.
Normal performance
The norm of the content of leukocytes in the blood for adults (both men and women) is 4-9 x 10 9 g / l. In children, the number of white blood cells is usually always higher. For a child under 6 years old, the norm is the number of leukocytes from 5 to 15 x 10 9 g / l, and at the age of 12 years - from 4.5 to 13.5 × 10 9 / l. With age, this indicator decreases.
If the patient has low white blood cells, then doctors recommend a second test or a more detailed hematological examination. Sometimes the deviation from the norm is temporary and can be caused by random reasons. If a decrease in white blood cells is observed continuously, then doctors are talking about leukopenia. Next, we consider the main causes of this phenomenon.
The main causes of leukopenia
Decreased leukocytes in an adult or a child are not always associated with pathology. If a slight deviation from the norm is found in the analysis, then this may be caused by taking some medications. Such a deviation is observed during the course of treatment with antibiotics, painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs, as well as drugs for thyrotoxicosis. Leukopenia of medicinal origin is considered physiological, it is not associated with disease. However, it is necessary to inform the attending physician about a decrease in leukocytes, it is possible that dosage adjustment or drug withdrawal is necessary.
It often happens that white blood cells are lowered due to pathology. Leukopenia is not a separate disease, but it can be a symptom of various ailments. The reasons for this deviation can be divided into the following groups:
- lack of substances affecting the production of white blood cells;
- the death of white bodies or a decrease in their number in the bloodstream during infections and poisoning;
- violation of the hematopoietic system;
- diseases of internal organs leading to leukopenia.
Let us consider in more detail each of these factors.
Malnutrition
It often happens that a person is completely healthy, but his white blood cells are lowered. What does it mean? Due to insufficient or irrational nutrition in the body, a deficiency of substances necessary for the normal functioning of the hematopoietic system may form. These include the following vitamins and minerals:
- folic acid;
- iodine;
- iron;
- copper;
- zinc;
- vitamins B1 and B12.
All these substances affect the formation of white blood cells, and their lack can cause leukopenia. If this condition is caused by eating disorders, then you can fix the situation quite easily. It is necessary to include foods rich in the above substances in the diet, this will lead to normalization of the level of white blood cells. It is also useful to take vitamin and mineral complexes.
Infections and chronic poisoning
If an infection enters the body, then the white blood cells rush to fight with a foreign agent. White bodies are sent from the blood to the lesion, which is located in the tissues. White blood cells are formed in sufficient quantities, but their number in plasma is significantly reduced.
Often, when bacteria invade the body, an increase in the number of white bodies is noted. This is due to the fact that the hematopoietic system produces protective elements in an increased amount to combat microbes. However, there are cases when a person is sick with an infectious pathology, but at the same time he has lowered white blood cells in the blood. What does it mean? This phenomenon is noted with viruses, as well as with parasitic diseases (chlamydia, toxoplasmosis, helminth infestation). When trying to destroy the infection and parasites, a large number of white blood cells die.
White blood cells can fight not only infection. They neutralize and toxins entering the body. When using poor-quality products, poor ecology or smoking, toxic and harmful substances constantly enter the body. White blood cells strive to destroy and digest toxins. At the same time, a considerable number of white blood cells die.
Hematopoiesis
The most dangerous cause of leukopenia is a violation of the formation of white bodies. It is always associated with serious illnesses. A decrease in white blood cell production is noted:
- in severe poisoning with chemical compounds (toluene, lead, benzene, arsenic);
- bone marrow tumors;
- radiation sickness;
- HIV infection
- autoimmune diseases;
- treatment of cancer with chemotherapy;
- genetic disorders (Costman syndrome, myelocatexis).
With these diseases, the production of white blood cells by the bone marrow is inhibited, which causes leukopenia.
Internal illnesses
In diseases of the liver, spleen and endocrine system, the patient may have low white blood cells in the blood. What does it mean? In some cases, this is one of the initial symptoms of pathology. Diseases of the liver and spleen lead to the accumulation of leukocytes in the affected organs. As a result, the content of white cells in the blood drops.
Also, leukopenia is observed in diseases of the thyroid gland. Endocrine pathologies adversely affect the composition of the blood and can cause the destruction of white bodies.
WBC reduction in women
Sometimes in healthy women, when they take a blood test, lowered white blood cells are detected. What does such a deviation mean and why does it arise? The physiological causes of leukopenia are diverse:
- Some women experience pain during menstruation and take a large number of analgesics on critical days. Excessive and uncontrolled use of such drugs can lead to leukopenia.
- White blood cells can decrease with a change in hormonal levels. Therefore, a decrease in the number of white bodies is often observed in women taking birth control pills with estrogens.
- Leukopenia occurs in patients who follow an excessively strict diet for weight loss. In this case, the body creates a deficiency of vitamins and minerals necessary for the normal functioning of the hematopoiesis system.
These reasons are not dangerous. With the abolition of drugs and normalization of nutrition, leukopenia disappears.
During pregnancy, an increase in the number of white bodies is more often noted. But sometimes during the period of gestation, the analysis shows low white blood cells. What does such a deviation from the norm mean? If the patient is healthy, then this may be a sign of vitamin deficiency or overwork. It is imperative to pay attention to such a violation and undergo a course of treatment. Leukopenia is very dangerous during pregnancy. The body of a woman is defenseless against infections that can affect the development of the fetus.
Leukopenia in children
The content of white cells in the blood in children is usually higher than in adults. But there are times when the white blood cells in babies are lowered. What does it mean? If this phenomenon is noted in infancy, then granulocytes are most often lowered in a blood test . This is one of the varieties of white bodies. This feature is due to the fact that in infants in the body there are antibodies that come with mother's milk. They protect the baby from infections. This condition does not require treatment and does not affect health.
If white blood cells are lowered in blood in an older child, then this may be due to infection. Leukopenia is noted in the following diseases:
- measles;
- rubella;
- hepatitis;
- paratyphoid;
- brucellosis.
Often, with the slightest cold, parents give their children antibiotics. Uncontrolled intake of antibacterial agents also leads to the fact that the child has low white blood cells.
Symptoms
A decrease in white blood cells entails a deterioration in the body's resistance to various diseases. A person begins to catch a cold more often and receive foodborne toxicoinfections. He has weakness and fatigue. Often there is an unreasonable increase in temperature. Lymph nodes can grow and tonsils grow in the throat.
Every person in the body contains microorganisms, which under normal conditions do not cause any ailments. This is Candida fungus, the herpes virus and papilloma. However, with leukopenia, they become more active and become pathogenic. Such microorganisms are called opportunistic. With a decrease in white blood cells, patients often have candidiasis of the genitals or oral cavity, herpetic eruptions and warts on the skin.
Treatment
If leukopenia is caused by taking medications, you should consult your doctor about reducing the dosage or replacing the drug.
With a decrease in white blood cells associated with improper nutrition, you need to pay attention to your diet. You need to eat as many foods as possible, rich in folic acid, B vitamins, iron and copper. These include:
- lean meat;
- seafood and fish;
- cheese;
- buckwheat dishes;
- apples
- leaf crops;
- Brussels sprouts and cauliflower;
- legumes;
- walnuts;
- liver.
It is useful to supplement the diet with regular intake of vitamin and mineral complexes.
In more complex cases, treatment of the underlying disease is necessary. It is important to remember that leukopenia is not a separate ailment. A decrease in white blood cells is only a symptom of many pathologies. There is no special drug that can increase the number of white blood cells. Therefore, it is necessary to undergo a course of therapy from the disease that caused leukopenia.
What the patient needs to remember
If a person has low white blood cells, then this adversely affects the state of immunity. Therefore, the patient must protect himself from infections, poisoning, as well as from infection with intestinal parasites.
The patient with leukopenia must adhere to the following rules:
- Avoid contact with people with infectious diseases.
- During flu epidemics, use a gauze dressing and take immunomodulators and vitamins.
- Avoid hypothermia.
- Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly.
- Exclude homemade canned food from the diet in order to avoid infection with botulism.
- Do not consume expired foods.
- Subject meat and fish dishes to thorough heat treatment.
- To use water and milk only in boiled form.
Leukopenia should not be ignored. It is necessary to consult a doctor, find out the cause of the decrease in white bodies and, if necessary, undergo treatment.