Is leukopenia very harmful?

Written by Zhang Jun Jun
Endocrinology
Updated on September 23, 2024
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Leukopenia primarily depends on the extent of the decrease in white blood cells, which can be classified into mild, moderate, and severe levels.

Mild leukopenia generally means less than 4.0 X 10⁹/L, and if granulocytes are decreased, it typically means an absolute value of granulocytes less than 2.0 X 10⁹/L. A lack of granulocytes indicates a more severe condition, usually less than 0.5 X 10⁹/L. For patients with mild leukopenia, special preventive measures are generally not necessary. However, for moderate and severe leukopenia, the greatest risk is an increased chance of infection, as white blood cells are a marker of our ability to defend against external threats. With fewer of these defensive guards, the probability of resisting infections and the chance of acquiring infections significantly increase. Therefore, for patients with moderate leukopenia, their rate of infection increases, and it is important to take precautions, reduce visits to public places, maintain hygiene, and eliminate chronic infectious foci.

For patients with severe leukopenia, aseptic isolation measures should be adopted. For patients who have infections, it is crucial to find sensitive antibiotics, preferably broad-spectrum antibiotics. If there is a concurrent fungal or viral infection, antifungal or antiviral medications should also be used, as the decrease in white blood cells can destroy a person's immune capacity, lowering immunity and increasing the chance of infections and the invasion of pathogenic bacteria, which in severe cases could even lead to sepsis or septic shock.

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Written by Zhang Jun Jun
Endocrinology
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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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Written by Yang Li
Endocrinology
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Why does pneumonia cause a decrease in white blood cells?

When the severity of pneumonia is very severe, there can also be a decrease in white blood cells, which often suggests a higher possibility of severe pneumonia. Additionally, another scenario is viral pneumonia, where a decrease in white blood cells can also occur due to viral infections. Furthermore, there are special cases of infection, such as tuberculosis or infections caused by Mycoplasma or Chlamydia, where the use of anti-infection medications might also lead to a decrease in white blood cells. Another situation is when a patient inherently has a low white blood cell count, leading to weakened immunity and subsequently contracting pneumonia. In such cases, white blood cell counts might also not be high. Hence, severe bacterial pneumonia and decreases in white blood cells are relatively common in viral infections.

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Written by Zhang Jun Jun
Endocrinology
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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.

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Written by Tang Zhuo
Endocrinology
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What are the dangers of leukopenia?

Leukopenia is a relatively common hematological disease that can occur at any age. It is characterized by a persistent peripheral blood white blood cell count below 4×10^9/L. The onset of the disease is mostly slow, with mild symptoms. Common symptoms include fatigue, palpitations, dizziness, and pharyngitis, making individuals more susceptible to pharyngitis or mucosal ulceration. Other symptoms include reduced appetite, limb soreness, insomnia, and frequent dreaming. Individuals with leukopenia are also more prone to viral and bacterial infections. Some infections can lead to severe symptoms such as high fever, chills, and body aches. However, if there is a significant decrease in the total number of white blood cells, with the absolute neutrophil count dropping below 0.5×10^9/L, this condition is referred to as neutropenia. In such cases, symptoms may include chills, high fever, sore throat, headache, joint pain, and in severe cases, it can even lead to death.

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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.)