Common Causes
What Does a Low White Blood Cell Count Mean. A low white blood cell count is known as leucopenia. A low white blood cell count can mean a number of different things. It could mean that person is fighting off an infectious disease. It can also indicate the presence of other serious health problems such as leukemia, aplastic anemia and hyperthyroidism.
Related Conditions
- Redness.
- Swelling.
- Pus formation (at the site of an injury or incision)
- Cough.
- Sputum.
- Nasal drainage (from a sinus or respiratory infection)
What does it mean to have a low white blood cell count?
The most serious complications of low blood cell counts include:
- Infection. With a low white blood cell count and, in particular, a low level of neutrophils, you're at higher risk of developing an infection. ...
- Anemia. A low red blood cell count is anemia. The most common symptoms of anemia are fatigue and shortness of breath. ...
- Bleeding. Low numbers of platelets in your blood can cause bleeding. ...
What are the side effects of low white blood cells?
What is a dangerous white blood cell count? It can vary by age and gender, but you are considered to have a low white blood cell count with less than 4,500 white blood cells per microliter of blood. The lower this number goes, the more susceptible you are to infections.
What are the dangers of low blood count?
What is a dangerous white blood cell count?
Is low white blood count serious?
If the neutrophil count is very low, fewer than 500 neutrophils in a microliter of blood, it is called severe neutropenia. When the neutrophil count gets this low, even the bacteria normally living in a person's mouth, skin, and gut can cause serious infections.
What disease causes low white blood cells?
A low white blood cell count can be an indicator of certain conditions, including lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, vitamin deficiencies, or a side effect of cancer treatment.
What happens if your white blood cells are low?
White blood cells are produced by your bone marrow to help your body fight infection. If you have fewer than normal white blood cells, you have a higher risk of getting an infection. When you have a low white blood cell count, your immune system isn't working as well as it should. Doctors call this immunocompromised.
How can I raise my white blood cell count?
Some sources of quality protein are fish, eggs, poultry, beef, milk, Greek yogurt and beans. If your diet is poor, or you're having trouble eating, you can take a multivitamin or supplement with vitamin B12 and folate. The body uses vitamin B12 and folate to make WBCs.
How do you fix low white blood cell count?
How do doctors treat a low white blood cell count?Antibiotics to treat any infections.Medicines to push your body to make more white blood cells.Treatment for any diseases that may be causing the count to be low.
What cancers cause low WBC?
Low white blood cell count. These types of cancers include leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma.
Should I be worried about low white blood cell count?
A truly low white blood cell count also puts you at higher risk for infections — typically bacterial infections. But viral infections also may be a concern. To help reduce your infection risk, your doctor may suggest you wear a face mask and avoid anyone with a cold or other illness.
What foods to avoid if you have low white blood cells?
Avoid raw or undercooked eggs, meat, poultry, fish, home-canned foods, and foods from bulk bins, salad bars, delicatessens, buffets, potlucks, and sidewalk vendors.
What is an alarming white blood cell count?
In general, for adults a count of more than 11,000 white blood cells (leukocytes) in a microliter of blood is considered a high white blood cell count.
What vitamins should I take for low white blood cell count?
Vitamins B6, B12 & Folic Acid (Folate) Folic acid and vitamins B6 and B12 help to produce white blood cells in the body. Foods rich in vitamin B6 consist of sunflower seeds, chicken, turkey, dried nuts, avocados, spinach, and bananas.
Does vitamin D increase white blood cell count?
Vitamin D therapy did not have any significant effect on total WBC count nor on the lymphocyte/neutrophil ratio. We detected small but significant increases in the platelet and monocyte counts after vitamin D therapy (P < 0.04 and 0.03 respectively).
Can low white blood cells make you tired?
Can low white blood cells cause fatigue? Low white bloods cells likely aren't the cause of fatigue. If you have low WBC and are increasingly feeling fatigued, both are likely symptoms of an underlying issue.
What to do if your white blood count is low?
Follow-up Tests. If there's no clear reason for a low white blood cell count, your doctor will probably want to do the test again, or do a differential or "diff" along with the CBC. This other test gives a lot more detail. There are normal ranges for each of the five kinds of WBCs, and some problems only affect one type.
What to do if your WBC is low?
When your WBC count is very low, you may need to take steps to avoid an infection. Your doctor may ask you to see a hematologist. This is a specialist who has extra training for diagnosing and treating blood count problems.
How many white blood cells are there in a microliter?
How many white blood cells (WBCs) someone has varies, but the normal range is usually between 4,000 and 11,000 per microliter of blood. A blood test that shows a WBC count of less than 4,000 per microliter (some labs say less than 4,500) could mean your body may not be able to fight infection the way it should.
What causes bone marrow to be damaged?
Being around certain chemicals, like benzene and pesticides, as well as some types of cancer and cancer treatments including chemotherapy and radiation , can hurt your bone marrow's ability to make WBCs. Autoimmune disorders: Some autoimmune diseases, like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, will tell your body to attack and destroy its own WBCs. ...
What is the function of white blood cells?
White blood cells, also called leukocytes, fight infection. They move throughout your body in your blood, looking for invaders. And your body is continuously making a fresh supply. Your doctor measures how many of these cells you have by sending some of your blood to a lab to do a complete blood count, or CBC. ...
Does HIV kill WBCs?
HIV kills a specific kind of white blood cell. Medicines: Some drugs, including antibiotics, can destroy WBCs. Nutrition: Not eating well or low levels of certain vitamins, such as folic acid and B12, can affect how your body makes WBCs . Alcohol abuse can mess with the nutrients in your body and with WBC counts, too.
Is WBC normal?
Many times, a repeated test will show that your WBC count is normal. Your doctor may want to do more tests, based on the symptoms you have. For instance, you might get checked for strep throat or mono. Other blood tests can look for a viral infection, inflammation, or allergies.
What does it mean when your white blood count is low?
A low white blood cell count can be an indicator of certain conditions, including lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, vitamin deficiencies, or a side effect of cancer treatment.
How to minimize the chances of certain diseases and a low white blood cell count?
To minimize the chances of certain diseases and a low white blood cell count: Practice good hygiene. For instance, wash your hands after using the bathroom and before cooking. Be careful around pets and other animals that might transmit infections.
What does it mean when you have too many white blood cells?
If a person has too many—or too few—white blood cells in the body, it may mean that there is a disorder of some kind. A white blood cell count of less than 4,000 cells per microliter of blood is considered low.
Why do doctors order a blood count?
The doctor may order a complete blood count test on a regular basis to check on a patient who has certain conditions, such as an infection or immune system disorder. Other information from the complete blood count will help your doctor come up with a list of possible diagnoses.
How many white blood cells are produced in the human body?
White blood cells help the body identify and fight a variety of diseases and infections. The human body produces about 100 billion white blood cells each day. There are five major types of white blood cells: Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission.
What are the causes of cancer?
Cancer (caused by chemotherapy treatments) Bone marrow disorders or damage. Autoim mune disorders (problems with the immune system in which the body attacks itself), such as lupus. Infections (including tuberculosis and HIV) Immune system conditions. Crohn’s disease.
Why do I have a low white blood cell count?
ANSWER: A low white blood cell count almost always is related to a decrease in a type of infection-fighting white blood cell called neutrophils. When you have a low level of neutrophils, the condition is known as neutropenia. There are many causes of neutropenia, ...
What is it called when you have a low neutrophil count?
When you have a low level of neutrophils, the condition is known as neutropenia. There are many causes of neutropenia, and some medications can lead to this problem. Birth control pills, however, typically are not linked to a decrease in neutrophils.
What causes neutrophils to grow faster?
Neutropenia also may be triggered by an underlying medical disorder, including viral infections — such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, cytomegalovirus and HIV — and sepsis, an overwhelming bloodstream infection that uses up neutrophils faster than they can be produced.
What causes neutropenia in children?
Rare causes of neutropenia in children include Kostmann’s syndrome, a congenital disorder involving low production of neutrophils, and myelokathexis, a congenital disorder involving failure of neutrophils to enter the bloodstream.
Why do people have neutropenia?
The most common reason people develop neutropenia is as a side effect of chemotherapy medication to treat cancer.
Can neutropenia cause a blood test?
When the condition is severe, even the normal bacteria in your mouth and digestive tract may trigger serious illness. For most people who have neutropenia, though, the condition doesn’t cause any obvious symptoms. Many find out about it when they have a blood test done for another reason.
Can low white blood cells cause neutropenia?
In some cases, no cause can be found for persistently low white blood cell counts — a condition known as “chronic idiopathic neutropenia.”. Talk to your health care provider about what your low white blood cell count might mean. You may need additional tests or procedures to uncover the cause. In the meantime, because neutropenia can make it harder ...
What causes low white blood cell count?
Diseases and disorders that can cause a low white blood cell count. A low WBC count can be due to a variety of different conditions that either destroy WBCs or inhibit their production in the bone marrow. These include:
Why is my WBC low?
A low WBC count is often linked to problems with the bone marrow and the inability to make enough white blood cells. Autoimmune diseases that attack your white blood cells can also lead to a low WBC count. Several different prescribed drugs, including chemotherapy, are known to decrease WBC production or destroy WBCs.
What is a low WBC?
A low WBC count is generally below 3,500 WBCs per microliter of blood, but this number varies depending on the medical laboratory, the particular test used, and the individual medical practice. The significance of a low WBC count varies and may be more (or less) serious depending on your medical history, overall health, and the underlying disease, ...
What happens if you have a low WBC?
If you have a low WBC count, you will probably be advised by your medical professional to avoid situations that expose you to infectious and contagious diseases. Seek prompt medical care if you have a low WBC count and have signs of an infection, such as a fever, swollen lymph nodes, sore throat, or skin lesions.
Why is low WBC count dangerous?
A low WBC count can be serious because it increases your risk of developing a potentially life-threatening infection. Seek prompt medical care if you have a low WBC count and have signs of an infection, such as a fever, swollen lymph nodes, sore throat, or skin lesions.
What diseases affect the spleen?
Overactive spleen that destroys white blood cells. Radiation exposure. Rheumatoid arthritis (chronic autoimmune disease characterized by joint inflammation) Systemic lupus erythematosus (disorder in which the body attacks its own healthy cells and tissues) Viral infection that affects bone marrow function.
Is low WBC count life threatening?
A poorly controlled or untreated low WBC count can be serious and even life threatening due to increased vulnerability to potentially life-threatening infectious diseases, such as: Life-threatening complications of these diseases include:
Why is my white blood count low?
Low blood count causes of this kind include: Damage to you bone marrow due to chemotherapy, radiation therapy, toxins, and drugs.
What causes low blood cell count?
Destruction of red blood cells due to hemolytic anemia, sickle cell anemia, thalassemia, or an abnormality in the red blood cell membrane. Kidney disease causes your kidney to produce too little erythropoietin, which can lead to low blood cell counts. Failure of your bone marrow or other damage done to your bone marrow.
What is the function of white blood cells?
The other part of your blood is made up of white blood cells, which have the main function of fighting infections, and platelets to help your blood clot. There are a few symptoms of low blood counts that you may notice; when you notice them, it is important to consult your doctor for a proper treatment plan.
What causes low platelets?
Below you will find some of the most common causes of low blood count in terms of platelets. Medical conditions which affect the bone marrow: Aplastic anemia. Vitamin B12 and iron deficiencies. HIV, Epstein-Barr virus, and other viral infections. Cancer treatments. Imbibing in alcohol. Cirrhosis.
What causes a large amount of blood loss?
Hemolysis, also known as RBC destruction, can occur after a transfusion, injury to a blood vessel, or other causes. Sudden acute or chronic bleeding in the digestive tract or other areas that may cause large amounts of blood loss.
What is the disease that affects the plasma cells in the bone marrow?
Failure of your bone marrow or other damage done to your bone marrow. Multiple Myeloma which is also a cancer, but it affects the plasma cells in the bone marrow. Other bone marrow disorders such as leukemia, myelodysplasia, lymphoma, or any other cancer which may spread to the bone marrow.
What causes blood loss?
Sudden acute or chronic bleeding in the digestive tract or other areas that may cause large amounts of blood loss. Chronic inflammation or other medical conditions. Pregnancy. Many drugs can also lower your red blood cell count, such as chemotherapy drugs, chloramphenicol, quinidine, and hydrations.