Leukocytosis: What Causes A High White Blood Cell Count?

 

Leukocytosis is a condition that causes a higher count of WBC in a person's blood. Learn what causes this and more in this article. 

Leukocytes are a particular kind of white blood cells present in the human body to fight off infections and illnesses. Leukocytosis is a medical condition where the amount of leukocytes in a person's blood increases. Leukocytosis usually occurs when a person is sick, but other factors that can result in leukocytes are anxiety and stress.

 

In this article, let's look at what causes leukocytosis, its types, its symptoms, and more.

 

Types of Leukocytosis

There are generally 5 different types of leukocytosis:

· Neutrophilia

· Lymphocytosis

· Monocytosis

· Eosinophilia

· Basophilia

 

 

Causes

There are multiple causes of leukocytosis of different kinds, depending upon the type of elevated WBC.

 

Neutrophilia

Neutrophilia is caused by infections, smoking, specific types of leukemia, stress, having the spleen removed, reaction to certain medications or inhalers, or chronic diseases and inflammation, like arthritis.

 

Lymphocytosis

Lymphocytosis is often caused by allergic reactions, whooping cough or pertussis, specific types of leukemia, or viral infections.

 

Eosinophilia

Some of the causes of eosinophilia are allergic reactions or allergies, for example, hay fever, asthma, etc, parasitic infections, lymphoma, or certain skin conditions.

 

Monocytosis

Some causes of monocytosis include the Epstein-Barr virus, TB, fungal infections, having the spleen removed, or certain autoimmune conditions.

 

Basophilia

Basophilia is believed to be caused by leukemia, allergic reactions, or bone marrow cancer.

 

Symptoms

When a person has a high amount of white blood cells in their blood, the blood can become thicker, subsequently causing problems with blood flow. This thickening of blood can lead to a condition called hyperviscosity syndrome.

 

Hyperviscosity syndrome can lead to certain life-threatening conditions, including a stroke, vision issues, breathing difficulties, intestinal bleeding, etc.

 

Other symptoms also show up when a person has leukocytosis. These symptoms might be related to a specific type of WBC and its function. They include:

· Pain

· Fever

· Bruising with ease

· Wheezing

· Breathing difficulty

· Weight loss

· Itching

· Night sweats

 

A person might not experience these symptoms mentioned above if leukocytosis is caused by increased stress levels or as a reaction to certain medications.

 

 

 

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Leukocytosis can easily be detected via a blood test or a stool test. Phlebotomy on Wheels is a trustworthy mobile lab service provider VA known for its wide range of home blood draw services. They offer 24-hour mobile blood draw, paternity or pregnancy testing, collection of urine/stool samples from your home, specimen pickup/delivery, and more. Click the link to schedule your appointment, or contact them now for further details.