What does a decrease in white blood cells mean?

Written by Zhang Jun Jun
Endocrinology
Updated on September 03, 2024
00:00
00:00

Leukopenia indicates a decrease in the body's resistance. The most common causes of leukopenia are: First, viral infections, which often coincide with an increase in lymphocytes and a decrease in neutrophils. The second cause is severe bacterial infections. During severe bacterial infections, there is a significant reduction in white blood cells, which may even lead to a decrease in platelets. The third cause is primarily diseases of the hematologic system, where leukopenia is often accompanied by a reduction in other red blood cells and platelets. Other possible causes include drug-induced leukopenia, as medications can also lead to a decrease in white blood cells. Therefore, the primary approach to leukopenia is to clearly identify the cause, and then determine the next steps for treatment based on that cause.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Lang Bo
Endocrinology
1min 6sec home-news-image

Is leukopenia severe?

The normal value of white blood cells in the human body is 4 to 10×10^9/L. White blood cells mainly consist of neutrophils and lymphocytes, along with some other types of eosinophilic and basophilic granulocytes. If the total white blood cell count decreases, generally falling below 4 to 10×10^9/L, it is referred to as leukopenia. Among these, neutrophils are the most related to the body's immune response. If neutrophils decrease to less than 1.5×10^9/L, it is defined as neutropenia, which is very serious. If neutropenia occurs, the resistance to infections is greatly lowered, making the body highly susceptible to various infections. Active treatment to increase white blood cells is necessary; otherwise, any infection may lead to severe conditions like septicemia and septic shock, which can even be life-threatening.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhao Xin Lan
Endocrinology
1min 2sec home-news-image

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.)

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Xiao Le
Hematology
1min home-news-image

Symptoms of leukopenia

The symptoms of leukopenia vary with the severity of the decrease in white blood cells and the disease causing the leukopenia. Mild leukopenia generally has no significant clinical manifestations. With moderate leukopenia, patients often experience symptoms of fatigue. If there is a significant decrease in white blood cells, patients often present with fever since white blood cells are the main cells in the body's defense against infections. A significant decrease in white blood cells markedly lowers the patient's resistance, thus making them more susceptible to various infections, with fever being the most common symptom of infection. Furthermore, the clinical presentations also vary with the underlying disease causing the decrease in white blood cells. For example, diseases like aplastic anemia or acute leukemia, which cause a decrease in white blood cells, may lead not only to fever but also to significant fatigue and bleeding manifestations.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Jun Jun
Endocrinology
2min 27sec home-news-image

What to eat to quickly recover from leukopenia?

There are mainly three reasons for leukopenia: the first is the impaired production of white blood cells, the second is the excessive destruction of white blood cells, and the third is the redistribution of white blood cells. Therefore, for leukopenia, the main approach is etiological treatment. If leukopenia is suspected to be caused by certain drugs or other pathogenic factors, generally, stopping the use of these drugs and avoiding contact can lead to the recovery of white blood cells to normal levels. For this kind of secondary decrease of white blood cells, we usually treat the primary disease. Once the symptoms of the primary disease are alleviated and controlled, the white blood cell count can return to normal without the need for additional medication. Moreover, the greatest risk of leukopenia is the fear of infection, but mildly reduced patients generally do not require special treatment. However, as the severity of leukopenia increases, the risk of infection increases, and at this point, some preventative measures against infection can be taken. Particularly for patients with neutropenia who are highly susceptible to severe infections, sterile isolation may be employed, and the specific sites and types of infections identified. This allows for the use of sensitive antibiotics; for viral infections, antiviral drugs can be administered. Additionally, broad-spectrum antibiotics capable of covering both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria can be used. Furthermore, while preventing infection, it is also important to promote the production of granulocytes. This typically requires ruling out serious hematologic diseases before using medications that promote white blood cell production, such as B vitamins and squalene. However, these treatments are only symptomatic. The primary focus should still be on correcting the underlying cause to maintain white blood cells within a normal range. (Please consult a doctor before using any medication and do not self-medicate.)

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Jun Jun
Endocrinology
1min 40sec home-news-image

What to check for the cause of leukopenia?

If there is a decrease in white blood cells, we mainly look at the total number of white blood cells and the absolute value of neutrophils in our routine blood test. The causes of leukopenia are inseparable from neutrophils, and can be mainly divided into three categories. The first category is a production defect of neutrophils, the second is excessive destruction and consumption of neutrophils, and the third is abnormal distribution of neutrophils. A major cause of decreased production of white cells and neutrophils is damage to hematopoietic stem cells by ionizing chemicals. Additionally, immune reactions and bone marrow diseases can also lead to decreased production. Another cause is a production defect due to maturation disorders in neutrophils within white blood cells, leading to reduced white blood cell production. Maturation disorders are mainly due to a lack of raw materials needed for white blood cell production. Excessive destruction and consumption of white blood cells are often due to immune factors. Immune factors are common in autoimmune diseases, thus such diseases can also lead to leukopenia. The last category, abnormal distribution, can be a severe infection that causes an abnormal distribution of white cells, retaining them alongside other substances, such as in patients with enlarged spleens, which can provoke leukopenia by causing granulocytes to be retained in circulation, especially in areas like the spleen.