The following story deals with the issue of elevated white blood cells and explains to you the repercussions of suffering from it.
White blood cells, also known as leukocytes, are the fighters of our body. They are the ones responsible for protecting us from the attack of infections and diseases.
Whenever any infection takes over our body or any germs enter, the WBCs will make sure that they fight back, either by producing antibodies, or by surrounding the germs and destroying them. Therefore, WBCs are an important component of our being.
Even though white blood cells are crucial for our health, lower or excessive production of the same is dangerous for the body. In this story, we will understand what it means when there are elevated WBCs in our body.
Causes
The normal count of white blood cells is about 7,000 - 26,000 in a single drop of blood. When there is a high white blood cell count in the body, this figure could rise to 50,000 in a single drop of blood. What causes the white blood cells count to rise in the body? Here are a number of reasons that could lead to this condition:
Allergic reactions of different kinds
Measles
Cluster headaches
Farmer's lung
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis
Kawasaki disease
Chronic granulomatous disease
Certain kinds of leukemia, like ―acute lymphocytic leukemia, acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), chronic lymphocytic leukemia, chronic myelogenous leukemia, and hairy cell leukemia
Certain drugs like epinephrine and corticosteroids
Myelofibrosis
Rheumatoid arthritis
Polycynthemia vera
Smoking
Tuberculosis
Whooping cough
Stress
Tissue damage
Bacterial infections
Viral infections
Chronic bone marrow diseases like myeloproliferative disorder
Conditions
Excess Count in Urine
Elevated white blood cells in urine may spell that there is a possibility of a urinary tract infection. Normally, white blood cells do not reach the urine because there is no need for or use of blood there.
The presence of white blood cells in urine could mean that there are kidney infections and stones, inflammation of the bladder, bladder infections, allergies, immune disorders, and growths of certain kinds, which leads to the elevated count of WBCs.
Diagnosed in Children
The main cause for an elevation in white blood cells in children is due to the occurrence of leukemia. When a child develops leukemia, the bone marrow and the blood stream is flooded with a large number of abnormal white blood cells.
Due to this, the normal functioning of the WBCs is hampered since they are abnormal cells. When the cancer begins to fester in the body, it starts to affect the functioning of the other blood cells as well and leads to slow deterioration of the body.
Along with these conditions, the elevation of white blood cells in pregnancy is a common phenomenon as well. The count of WBCs increases as age progresses and during pregnancy when there is a need for the body to be strong and protect the fetus and the mother-to-be against any harm and infection.
Other than these times, every other instance of elevated white blood cells in the body simply translates to diseases and disorders which spells trouble for us and should be looked into immediately.
Disclaimer - This story is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.