One of the formed elements of human blood is white blood cells. These are white (colorless) blood cells, the level of which allows you to determine the state of the immune system. White blood cells are the main helpers of a person in the fight against all kinds of infections, in tissue repair. By determining the level of white blood cells, you can find out the general condition of both an adult and a child. When the white blood cells in the blood are lowered (leukopenia), there is a weakening of human immunity. And, therefore, a high probability of developing viral infections. What is the cause of leukopenia? We will tell about it below.
How to find out the number of white blood cells?
To determine the level of leukocytes, it is enough to take the most common general blood test in any medical institution. The analysis is carried out in the morning on an empty stomach. Infants are recommended to donate blood two or two and a half hours after feeding. An urgent analysis can be carried out within an hour. However, it is possible to determine the level of white blood cells in a shorter period of time - 15-20 minutes. The analysis does not take much time - only about 2 minutes. It is immediately worth noting that just determining the number of white blood cells is not enough to make a diagnosis. This is the beginning of a more thorough follow-up examination.
What are the symptoms of a low white blood cell count?
A low white blood cell count (below 4000 in 1 μl) - leukopenia - leads to weakening, exhaustion of the body and is manifested in the following symptoms:
- high body temperature;
- cardiopalmus;
- anxiety;
- headache;
- dizziness;
- general weakness of the body.
What are the reasons for lowering white blood cells in the blood?
So, the analysis revealed that the white blood cells in the blood are lowered. The reasons for this may vary. Possible viral infections, such as colds, flu, rubella, viral hepatitis. Also, bacteriological infections (brucellosis, typhoid fever), oncological diseases, connective tissue diseases (rheumatism, polyarthrosis, lupus erythematosus), spleen and liver diseases, and radiation sickness can also be causes of a decrease in white blood cells.
If the white blood cells in the blood are low, then the human body can not resist infections, because white blood cells produce special antibodies that protect our body from harmful microorganisms that enter it. And at their low level, a person becomes extremely defenseless against any infections.
Leukopenia Treatment
In cases where the white blood cells in the blood are lowered, treatment is necessary. However, before choosing it, you need to clearly find out the cause of leukopenia. This is due to the fact that urgent treatment is required for patients when the white blood cells in the blood are lowered due to impaired bone marrow functioning. In other cases, such a quick treatment, which consists in stimulating the formation of white blood cells, is not required. Today, there are a large number of various drugs that help cope with a low level of white blood cells. The general practitioner or hematologist determines which one is needed for a particular case.