Is low white blood count serious?

A low white blood cell count is a consequence of serious diseases, and it can lead to harmful health problems—including infections, slow healing, and cancer. A low white blood cell count doesn't cause symptoms, but the complications of a low white blood cell count can cause many different symptoms.

Should I worry if my white blood count is low?

The main risk of an abnormally low white blood cell count is how vulnerable it may make a person to infection. Without an adequate white blood cell response available to fight infection, the body is at greater risk that any infection (including those usually regarded as minor) may cause serious illness or death.

What is the most common reason for low white blood cell count?

Low WBC counts are often linked to bone marrow problems. Being around certain chemicals, like benzene and pesticides, as well as some types of cancer and cancer treatments including chemotherapy and radiation, can hurt your bone marrow's ability to make WBCs.

Does a very low white blood cell count mean cancer?

Why It Occurs. A person with cancer can develop a low WBC count from the cancer or from treatment for the cancer. Cancer may be in the bone marrow, causing fewer neutrophils to be made. The WBC count can also go down when cancer is treated with chemotherapy drugs, which slow bone marrow production of healthy WBCs.

How do you fix low white blood cell count?

Some sources of quality protein are fish, eggs, poultry, beef, milk, Greek yogurt and beans. If your diet is poor, or you're having trouble eating, you can take a multivitamin or supplement with vitamin B12 and folate. The body uses vitamin B12 and folate to make WBCs.

My white blood count is low: Should I Worry?

Do low white blood cells make you tired?

Can low white blood cells cause fatigue? Low white bloods cells likely aren't the cause of fatigue. If you have low WBC and are increasingly feeling fatigued, both are likely symptoms of an underlying issue.

What cancers cause low WBC?

In leukemia, your body makes abnormal blood cells that multiply and divide. The abnormal cells eventually outnumber healthy cells, including healthy white blood cells. That leaves your body with lower-than-normal levels of white blood cells or leukopenia.

Can you have low WBC without cancer?

Underlying causes for a low white blood cell count can range from benign disorders, such as vitamin deficiencies, to more serious blood diseases, such as leukemia or lymphoma. A truly low white blood cell count also puts you at higher risk for infections — typically bacterial infections.

What level of WBC is alarming?

In general, for adults a count of more than 11,000 white blood cells in a microliter of blood is considered high.

What level of white blood cells indicates cancer?

Some sources note that people with acute or chronic leukemia may have a WBC count in the 100,000–400,000 range.

What are the symptoms of having low white blood cells?

The common symptoms of a low WBC, also known as leukopenia, include body aches, chills, fever and headaches. If you have these symptoms, please schedule an appointment with your doctor and he/she may recommend a WBC count.

How can I raise my white blood cell count?

Lean meats, such as fish, eggs seafood, and skinless poultry contain high quantities of protein. Great plant based sources include lentils, beans and soy. Zinc is one of the best foods to increase white blood cells you can consume as it can help the body produce more WBCs and makes existing WBCs more aggressive.

Can stress and anxiety cause low white blood count?

In addition, stress decreases the body's lymphocytes — the white blood cells that help fight off infection. The lower your lymphocyte level, the more at risk you are for viruses, including the common cold and cold sores.

What do doctors do for low white blood cell count?

Doctors treat a low white blood cell count using: Antibiotics to treat any infections. Medicines to push your body to make more white blood cells. Treatment for any diseases that may be causing the count to be low.

What happens if white blood cells stay low?

With a low white blood cell count and, in particular, a low level of neutrophils, you're at higher risk of developing an infection. And if you develop an infection when you have a low white blood cell count, your body can't protect itself. Infection can lead to death in severe cases.

What vitamin deficiency causes low white blood cells?

Reduction in the number of white blood cells and platelets also can occur, especially when people have had vitamin deficiency anemia for a long time. The blood levels of vitamin B12 and folate are measured, and other tests may be done to determine the cause of the vitamin B12 deficiency.

What foods to avoid if you have low white blood cells?

Avoid raw milk, any yogurt or cheeses made with raw milk, and unpasteurized juice. Be sure to wash all fresh fruits and vegetables well. You may want to switch from fresh fruits and vegetables to cooked, canned, or frozen fruits and vegetables during treatment. Make sure that canned foods are safe.

Does vitamin b12 increase white blood cells?

Vitamin B₁₂ supplementation did not affect the number and percentage of white blood cells populations in blood of rats fed a control diet for 30 days. However, 30-day addition of vitamin B₁₂ to a low-protein diet almost completely reduced the negative impact of protein malnutrition.

Does low WBC mean no infection?

A low white blood cell count usually means your body is not making enough white blood cells. It can increase your risk of getting infections.

Can dehydration affect white blood count?

In a person with normally functioning bone marrow, the numbers of white blood cells can double within hours if needed. An increase in the number of circulating leukocytes is rarely due to an increase in all five types of leukocytes. When this occurs, it is most often due to dehydration and hemoconcentration.

Is a WBC of 3.7 too low?

In general, for adults, a count lower than 3,500 white blood cells per microliter of blood is considered low.

What is a normal WBC count for a woman?

Normal Results

The normal number of WBCs in the blood is 4,500 to 11,000 WBCs per microliter (4.5 to 11.0 × 10⁹/L).

Does white blood count decrease with age?

Normal values of white blood cells are 4500-10,000 in adults. In the elderly, total WBC will decrease slightly. In response to acute infection, trauma or inflammation, the number of WBCs increases and in some diseases, such as sepsis, the increase in WBC is so dramatic that resembles leukemia (leukemoid reaction).

Does exercise increase white blood cells?

Exercise causes change in antibodies and white blood cells (WBC). WBCs are the body's immune system cells that fight disease. These antibodies or WBCs circulate more rapidly, so they could detect illnesses earlier than they might have before. However, no one knows whether these changes help prevent infections.

What vitamins should I take for low white blood cell count?

Vitamin-Rich Foods

Vitamin C, A, and B9 are all very important for increasing white blood cell count. Vitamin C helps towards improving your overall immunity. Vitamin A boosts the production of lymphocytes. Vitamin B9, on the other hand, boosts the production of neutrophils.