Leukocytosis - what is this disease?

A variety of pathological and physiologicalprocesses in the human body can be accompanied by a condition such as leukocytosis. What it is? This disease, in which there is an increase in the level of leukocytes in the blood. Their number may exceed 9x10⁹.

Forms of the disease

1. Physiological leukocytosis.If in the background of habitual life situations the level of leukocytes is elevated, the leukocytosis in this case is called physiological. This condition can be caused by excessive physical exertion, cold or hot baths, mental or emotional stress, the second half of pregnancy.
2. Pathological leukocytosis.Leukocytosis is pathological if it indicates the development of any disease. The causes of this disease can be otitis media (inflammation of the middle ear), meningitis (inflammation in the spinal cord or brain), pneumonia, bronchitis, erysipelas (skin inflammation).
3. Short-term leukocytosis.What it is? This condition is caused by a sudden release of leukocytes into the blood from tissues or from the bone marrow, for example, under a stressful situation. The disease is not permanent and disappears after eliminating the cause that caused it.
4. Zosinophilic leukocytosis.This type of disease is characterized by accelerated formation and release of zosinophils from the bone marrow to the blood. Allergic reactions to medicines or vaccines can trigger this condition.
5. Basophilic leukocytosis. This condition is characterized by an increase in the production of basophils in the blood, which can be caused by pregnancy, allergic reactions, ulcerative colitis.
6. Lymphocytic leukocytosis.What it is? This is a condition in which there is a marked increase in lymphocytes in the blood. It accompanies some acute (viral hepatitis, whooping cough) or chronic (brucellosis, syphilis, tuberculosis) infections.
7. Monocyte leukocytosis.This species is very rare. It can be observed in tumorous diseases (ovarian cancer, sarcoidosis, diffuse connective tissue diseases), with bacterial infections (brucellosis, tuberculosis).

Leukocytosis - what is this disease, and what are its symptoms?

Common signs of the disease are:

• impaired vision;
• difficulty breathing;
• dizziness;
• increased sweating;
• weakness;
• causeless fatigue;
• frequent formation of streaks or bleeding;
• increased body temperature;
• tingling or pain in the hands and feet;
• a sharp decrease in weight.

However, very often leukocytosis occurs without manifestation of symptoms, or only signs of the underlying disease are present.

Therapy of leukocytosis

Treatment of the disease, first of all, is aimed at eliminating the causes that caused it. To identify the disease will require a blood test. Leukocytosis is treated with the following means:

• antibiotics to prevent and eliminate infection;
• steroid preparations to reduce or relieve inflammation;
• antacids to reduce the level of acid in the urine for the period of treatment of the disease.

A procedure such asleukapheresis. The process consists in extracting leukocytes from the blood. After the procedure, the blood can be transferred back to the patient or left for laboratory tests.