What are the symptoms of leukopenia?

Written by Tang Zhuo
Endocrinology
Updated on September 23, 2024
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Leukopenia is a common hematological disorder that can occur at any age. It is defined as leukopenia when the total number of white blood cells in the peripheral blood consistently falls below four times ten to the ninth power per liter. The onset of this disease is usually gradual with mild symptoms such as fatigue, palpitations, dizziness, low fever, prone to pharyngitis or mucosal ulcerations, and also includes loss of appetite, limb fatigue, insomnia with frequent dreams, and a cold stomach and backache. It makes one more susceptible to viral and bacterial infections such as colds. If leukopenia is caused by an infection, common symptoms include high fever, chills, and body aches. If the total number of white blood cells is significantly reduced, with an absolute neutrophil count below 0.5 times ten to the ninth power per liter, it is referred to as neutropenia. In such cases, the patient may experience chills, high fever, sore throat, headache, joint pain, and in severe cases, even coma and death.

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Treatment methods for leukopenia

First, it is necessary to identify the cause of leukopenia. Common causes include viral infections and poor bone marrow hematopoiesis, and some medications can also cause this condition. Therefore, symptomatic treatment mainly involves the use of medications that increase white blood cells. For mild leukopenia, oral medications commonly used include Li Xuesheng, squalene, and Vitamin B4 to promote the proliferation of white blood cells. In more severe cases, granulocyte colony-stimulating factors may be used. Of course, the main method of treatment still depends on the different causes of each patient. Once leukopenia occurs, it is necessary to go to the hospital for an examination to clearly determine the cause of the decrease in white blood cells, so that targeted treatment can be provided. (Please use medications under the guidance of a professional physician and do not self-medicate.)

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What are the symptoms of leukopenia?

The most common cause of leukopenia is viral infections, along with some severe bacterial infections. Common symptoms of viral and bacterial infections include dizziness, headache, nausea, vomiting, chills, fever, cough, expectoration, abdominal pain, diarrhea, urgent urination, and frequent urination. Generally, further examinations can be conducted through blood draws and routine tests of blood, urine, and stool cultures. If there is an accompanying hematological disease, such as thrombocytopenia, symptoms can include general weakness, body aches, and bone pain; further bone marrow examinations should be conducted.

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Can you eat pumpkin with leukopenia?

Leukopenia has no significant relation to consuming pumpkin. The main nutritional contents of pumpkin are starch, which ultimately breaks down into fructose and glucose, and pumpkin also contains a large amount of cellulose. Fructose, glucose, and cellulose do not cause leukopenia, so it is safe for people with leukopenia to eat pumpkin. The primary causes of leukopenia are usually related to disturbances in the hematopoietic function of the bone marrow, such as myelodysplasia or bone marrow suppression caused by radiation therapy. Additionally, it can be caused temporarily by certain medications. Therefore, it is important to actively treat any underlying diseases causing the leukopenia.

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Endocrinology
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What causes leukopenia?

When the white blood cell count in the surrounding blood continuously remains below 4.0*10^9/L, we call this condition leukopenia. Typical symptoms of leukopenia include dizziness, fatigue, limb soreness, reduced appetite, and listlessness, although some patients may not exhibit any obvious clinical symptoms. The causes of leukopenia are very complex and can be classified into two main categories: primary and secondary. Primary leukopenia refers to cases where the cause is unknown, while secondary leukopenia refers to cases potentially caused by acute infections or physical and chemical factors, or diseases of the hematopoietic system, connective tissue diseases, allergic diseases, or genetic diseases, all of which may lead to a reduction in white blood cells.

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How to treat leukopenia?

The treatment plan for leukopenia primarily depends on the cause of the decreased white blood cells. If the cause is related to blood cancer, further examinations like bone marrow biopsy are needed, followed by treatment of the primary disease. The second most common scenario is liver cirrhosis, which can lead to a decrease in all three blood cell lines, causing reduction in white blood cells, platelets, and hemoglobin. In such cases, treatment options may include splenectomy or the use of oral medications that increase white blood cell count. However, these treatments only address the symptoms and not the root cause, which is liver cirrhosis, thus the primary disease still requires treatment. The third scenario involves severe bacterial and viral infections, where a decrease in white blood cells indicates a serious condition, necessitating further antiviral or anti-infection treatments. (Please follow the guidance of a professional physician for medication use, and do not self-medicate.)