Low White Blood Cell Count – Low Count, High Risk

The human body is a complex structure made up of several major and minor components. Apart from the major organs like the heart, the brain, the kidneys and several others, even the minute cells, arteries and veins play a significant role in the smooth functioning of the body. Cells especially perform a fundamental role in maintaining the health of the individual. An imbalance in the cells can cause major health disorders.

Effects of Low White Blood Cell Count

There are two kinds of blood cells in the human body, namely, the red blood cells and the white blood cells. White blood cells (WBC) are important for maintaining the resistance power of the body. They form the basis of the immune system in the human body. The white blood cell count must be just right to have the immune system in the body work just right.

If the white blood cell count becomes too high then the individual can suffer from grave disorders like infection, hypersplenism, bone marrow depression and primary bone marrow disorders such as leukemia. In another way, if the white blood cell count decreases, the individual's resistance power depletes to an incredibly low level. A low white blood cell count can result in the individuals suffering from several outside infections. It also leads to increase in the organisms within the body which would normally be controlled by the body's resistance power. The accepted number of white blood cells which are required for a strong immune system is between 4,300 to 10,800 cells per cubic millimeter.

Ensuring that an individual has a low white blood cell count is very difficult. However, there are a few symptoms which can be good indicators of a low white blood cell count in the body. If the individual has a high temperature along with extreme chills or cold and abrupt pain in some body part without any reason, he needs to get his white blood cell count checked up. Some other symptoms of a low WBC is sore throat and a sore mouth along with a white coating inside the mouth and on the tongue. Bladder infection can also be a symptom of a low white blood cell count. Chemotherapy forms the basic form of treatment for a low WBC count. After a few sessions of chemotherapy, the individual can be given medicines like Filgrastim, Peg – Filgrastim and Sargramostim.

This shows the importance of the exact count of white blood cells in the body. A change in this count can affect the health of the individual to a great extent, even to the point of fatality.

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