Low White Blood Cells
Causes for Low White Blood Cells in your System
Leukopenia is the scientific term for low white blood cells in your body, a condition which may be indicative of serious problems. Conferring with your physician will be your optimal source of accurate information regarding your health; however, there is a basic guide to inform individuals of why this may occur.
White blood cells are chief elements in the body’s immune system. It can be said that our bodies are forever on guard against attack by foreign substances, such as toxins, parasites, viruses and bacteria; our own all inclusive army, as it were. Any of these foreign substances have the ability to attack, destroy and conquer different areas in our bodies when certain conditions exist and if there is no safeguard in place. That is where our immune system steps in. In order to keep our systems safe and able to perform their prescribed functions, they must continually battle infections and invasions from the toxins we are exposed to on a daily basis. The immune system is composed of many cells that build our “army”; the majority of which are white blood cells. It is their duty to act as our defensive mechanism by fighting infection, and ward off any of those foreign substances constantly threatening our health. The white blood cells, just like the red, have their beginnings in the stem cells of our bone marrow.
There are times when your doctor will advise having a WBC, or white blood count, performed. A complete blood count is often ordered as part of a routine medical exam; a segment of which is the white blood count. When health conditions warrant it, however, your doctor may have the WBC tested on a regular basis to monitor your status.
The test is relatively simple and painless, requiring blood being drawn from a vein. The purpose of the test is to determine how many white blood cells you have; during times when your body is fighting an infection, more white blood cells than normal will be present. When the test indicates that you have low white blood cells, the condition is called leucopenia. The possible causes for the condition could be:
1) Problems with bone marrow (possible viral infection)
2) Collagen-vascular diseases (example: lupus erythematosus)
3) Liver or spleen diseases
4) Radiation (as in treatment for cancer)
5) Autoimmune disorders
6) White blood cell destroying medications
7) Severe allergy reactions
8) Hyperthyroidism
9) Vitamin deficiencies
10) Infections (example: typhoid, tuberculosis, virus disorders)
Other diseases and disorders could also be attributable to a low count of white blood cells; again, this is merely a guide to possible causes. It is always advisable to discuss your condition with your doctor for an accurate diagnosis.
Symptoms of low WBC
For an otherwise healthy person that has a low WBC, the symptoms of the condition may very well be mistaken for those of the flu. People who have chronic conditions that have created the low WBC need to be aware of the symptoms that may occur. This could indicate that their medication is not working at the level it should. Fever, stomach cramps, diarrhea, canker or other mouth sores, coughing, sneezing, headache or body aches may all be indicative of infections. For those with an already weakened immune system and no way to fight off the infection, these illnesses could pose an extremely dangerous situation for them. Intravenously administered antibiotics may be deemed necessary to assist in building up the white blood cell count that will effectively fight off the infection.
In the world of white blood cells, there exist five sub-types present in the human body; each with its own functions. When a condition involving low white blood cells is diagnosed, generally only one of these types of cells exhibits decreased levels; the type whose specific purpose is to fight off a particular type of infection. In most cases, all of the other while blood cell types remain in the normal range. It is for this reason that symptoms of the condition can vary, not only from person to person, but also from incident to incident within the same person. (continued...)