Certain medications can also destroy white blood cells. Vitamin deficiency, excessive alcohol consumption and generally poor diet can also lower a white blood cell count. Abnormally low white blood cell levels could lead to higher risk of infection of any kind.
A low white cell count itself does not directly produce any symptoms, but a patient who is immunocompromised as the result of significant leukopenia and then develops an infection may experience symptoms associated with that infection, such as fever, localised pain, fatigue, muscle ache, loss of appetite and general malaise.
The main risk of an abnormally low white blood cell count is how vulnerable it may make a person to infection. This might include antibiotics or antifungals. Treating leukopenia may involve pausing medication or treatments.
This may be problematic if the underlying condition is serious, such as cancer, but doctors will help a person work around the condition. Getting regular blood tests helps leukopenia to be identified early and treated before it leads to complications. What are red blood cell disorders? Read on to learn more about these conditions, including the different types and examples of RBC disorders.
White blood cells fight infection. If someone has too many white blood cells, they may have an underlying condition, such as an infection or cancer…. For some types of blood tests, a person may need to fast beforehand. In this article, learn about fasting for blood tests. Troponin levels in the blood are usually very low and only increase if the heart becomes damaged.
Very high levels usually indicate that a person has…. What are coagulation disorders? Read on to learn more about these conditions, including the different types, causes, and treatments.
What is leukopenia? Medically reviewed by Alana Biggers, M. Leukopenia vs neutropenia Symptoms Causes Stages Treatment Outlook Leukopenia is a condition where a person has a reduced number of white blood cells. Lymphocytes are the white blood cells that protect you from viral infections. But if your white cell counts are very low, you may have signs of infection, including:. Different types of cancer, including leukemia, can lead to leukopenia. Cancer treatments can also cause leukopenia, including:.
Learn more about stem cell research ». Congenital disorders are present at birth. Congenital problems that can lead to leukopenia include conditions that affect how bone marrow works to make blood cells, such as:.
Autoimmune disorders that kill white blood cells or bone marrow cells, which make blood cells, can also lead to leukopenia. These include:. Learn more about mineral deficiencies ». Sarcoidosis is a systemic illness caused by an exaggerated immune response and characterized by formation of granulomas, or small areas of inflammation, in multiple systems in your body.
When these granulomas form in your bone marrow, leukopenia can result. Viral infections that affect the bone marrow or other severe infections can also lead to leukopenia. Anyone who has a condition that can cause leukopenia is at risk. So your doctor will monitor your blood cell counts carefully if you have any of the conditions that can lead to it. This means undergoing frequent blood tests. Having a low white blood cell count can help point your doctor to the cause of your illness.
Usually, your doctor will learn that your white blood cell counts are low after ordering a blood test like a complete blood count to check on a different condition. You may need other treatments to take care of any infections that develop from not having enough white blood cells. Common treatments include:. Medications can be used to stimulate your body to make more blood cells. Or you may be prescribed medications to clear up the cause of the reduced cell count, such as antifungals to treat fungal infections or antibiotics to treat bacterial infections.
Sometimes you may need to stop a treatment like chemotherapy to give your body time to make more blood cells. Treating a low white blood cell count A blood test can tell you if your white blood cell count is low. You may also need specific treatment: to boost your white blood cells if you've got an infection Signs of an infection may include: a high temperature chills and shivering sore throat mouth sores that keep returning toothache skin rashes tiredness flu-like symptoms Occasionally, infections can lead to a life-threatening condition called sepsis.
Non-urgent advice: See a GP if:.
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