What causes infection in white blood cells?
The following conditions can cause white blood cell counts to be high: Viral or bacterial infection. Inflammation. Excessive physical or emotional stress (such as fever, injury, or surgery)
What happens when white blood cells are infected?
Infection—As infection-causing bacteria or viruses multiply in the blood, your bone marrow produces more white blood cells to fight off the infection. Infection can also lead to inflammation, which can in turn cause the number of white blood cells to increase.
Which white blood cells show infection?
The bone marrow then stores an estimated 80–90% of white blood cells. When an infection or inflammatory condition occurs, the body releases white blood cells to help fight the infection….Normal ranges.
| Age | Normal range |
|---|---|
| 2-week-old infant | 5,000–20,000 |
| Adult | 4,500–11,000 |
How do you treat a white blood cell infection?
Treatment
- Antibiotics: Used to treat bacterial infections.
- Antiparasitic drugs: Used to treat parasitic infections that cause eosinophilia.
- Whole blood transfusion: Used to replenish the blood supply when there aren’t enough healthy blood cells.
What diseases affect white blood cells?
A number of diseases and conditions may affect white blood cell levels:
- Weak immune system. This is often caused by illnesses such as HIV/AIDS or by cancer treatment.
- Infection.
- Myelodysplastic syndrome.
- Cancer of the blood.
- Myeloproliferative disorder.
- Medicines.
When should I be worried about white blood cells?
On its own, leukocytosis is usually not harmful. An abnormally raised white blood cell count is not a disease condition, but can point to another underlying cause such as infection, cancer or autoimmune disorders. An abnormally high white blood cell count should always be considered for its possible causes.
What causes your white blood cells to be high?
Causes of an elevated white blood cell count include infection, abnormalities in the bone marrow, smoking, chronic lung disease, immune disorders, inflammatory or allergic reactions or even physical and emotional stress.
How do you get your white blood cells up?
Most people turn straight to vitamin C after they’ve caught a cold. That’s because it helps build up your immune system. Vitamin C is thought to increase the production of white blood cells, which are key to fighting infections. Almost all citrus fruits are high in vitamin C.