White blood cell disorders occur when you have too many or too fewwhite blood cells.
They are produced in thebone marrowand play an important role in your immune system.
Doctors can measure these cells with a test called awhite blood cell (WBC) count.
Verywell / Laura Porter
This article will discuss the different types of white blood cell disorders and how to recognize them.
It will also look at the causes, diagnosis, and treatment.
Types
A disorder refers to any condition that disrupts the normal functioning of the body.
White blood cell disorders fall into quantitative or qualitative disorders.
The first means that normal cells appear in abnormal numbers; the second means the cells themselves have changed.
If symptoms develop, they can often be non-specific.
There can even be an overlap in symptoms between leukopenia and leukocytosis.
Some are entirely idiopathic, meaning of unknown origin.
People diagnosed withEpstein-Barr virus(and infectious mononucleosis) also may experience it.
This test measures all of the different types of blood cells in a sample of blood.
It also measures the proportion of individual blood cells, which can help narrow the possible causes.
The lab results are compared to a reference range of high and low values.
Treatment
The treatment of white blood cell disorders differs according to the cause.
Others still are used to relieve symptoms or help normalize the white blood cell count.
Possible treatments include:
Neutrophils can be selectively collected and given as a transfusion to patients that would benefit.
There are other specialty cellular therapy products, such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy products.
There are even cases in which the cause is unknown.
White blood cell disorders often require extensive tests to uncover the underlying cause.
The treatment of a white blood cell disorder varies by the cause.
Some conditions are readily treatable, while others may have no known cause or symptoms.
If your white blood cell count is abnormal, try not to jump to conclusions.
Instead, work with your doctor to reach a diagnosis.
There aren’t any foods or supplements that are proven to increase your white blood cell count.
Your healthcare providers can recommend a balanced diet if there is a nutritional cause for your condition.
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