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Leukopenia is a disease in which, in the simplest terms, the number of white blood cells (leukocytes) in the blood is reduced. According to Wikipedia, in a healthy person, there are from 4000-10000 / mm3 of them in the peripheral blood, i.e. in the blood that flows in the human circulatory system. It is important to answer the question, what are leukocytes, or white blood cells?
The basic function of leukocytes is to protect the human body against all kinds of bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms that constantly attack the human body. It is worth noting that not all leukocytes are found in the bloodstream. A large part of them is stored in the spleen, lymph nodes and, of course, in the bone marrow. When our body detects a danger, leukocytes are immediately transferred from their natural stores to the bloodstream, where they begin to fight microbes that try to destroy our body. Medicine divides leukocytes into two basic groups. These are granulocytes and agranulocytes. The former are responsible for protecting our body against bacteria, they produce free radicals and have an acidophilic and basophilic effect.
The latter, on the other hand, are responsible for the production of antibodies, the fight against viruses or even for the elimination of its own cells from the human body, which are no longer able to perform their functions.
As you can see, the role of leukocytes in the human body cannot be overestimated, and their reduced amount, which medicine calls leukopenia, can be the result of many diseases and even be dangerous for humans.
The causes of leukopenia can be various. Of the most important ones, we should mention, for example, severe stress, malnutrition or long-term use of commonly available painkillers. Leukopenia very often also occurs in diseases of the liver or spleen. The symptoms accompanying this disease are often ignored as trivial or even unnoticeable at first. These include: chronic weakness, constant fatigue, sleep problems, oral lesions, frequent infections that can even lead to pneumonia. There may also be mood swings and emotional disorders and, in the case of women, long and painful periods. If you get these symptoms, please see your GP immediately for a blood test.
Treatment of leukopenia in adults
Treatment of severe leukopenia in adults is often carried out through hospitalization and the administration of specialized drugs that contain the so-called growth factors, i.e. G-CSF granulocytes. In special cases of advanced leukopenia, even a bone marrow transplant may be necessary. However, this type of invasive treatment can be avoided if we notice symptoms in time and initiate remedial actions. First of all, you should take care of your diet and reduce stress and, of course, go to your doctor for advice. Mild leukopenia can be treated almost at home, and often it is simply enough to change the diet and diet, which I will describe later in this article.
Diagnosis and treatment of leukopenia in children
In newborns and young children, it is difficult to spot the problem and diagnose leukopenia because the symptoms are often unnoticeable or may be confused with other diseases. Therefore, it is extremely important for our youngest to perform blood tests, including a blood count, which includes the WBC (White Blood Cells) test, i.e. determining the amount of leukocytes in the child’s peripheral blood, and will give the doctor a basis for immediate action. In the case of children, treatment is pharmacological, but it should be remembered that the cause of leukopenia in a child may be taking medications, which you should inform your doctor about. Other causes of leukopenia in children include leukemia or viral hepatitis. Blood morphology in a child is a reimbursed test, but privately it can be performed for a small cost – about PLN 15. Therefore, it is not worth risking the health and life of the child and such an examination should be performed regularly, at least every 6 months.
How to prevent leukopenia with diet?
Leukopenia can be avoided by following a few simple rules. First, you need to reduce your stressors. However, the most important thing is diet and diet. If we follow a few simple rules, we will certainly reduce the risk of contracting this serious disease to a minimum. Our diet should include vegetables and products containing large amounts of such nutrients as: selenium, zinc, iron and, of course, vitamins A, B and C. It is worth eating nuts, sea fish, carrots and liver, which are a rich source of vitamin A. Vitamin B can be found, among others, in whole grain bread, milk and all its products. When it comes to sources of vitamin C, there are plenty of them, but mainly fruits from the citrus family and vegetables such as tomatoes, parsley and parsley root.
The body’s immunity is extremely important and cannot be rebuilt immediately in one or several days. Therefore, it is important to eat a healthy and varied diet every day.
While following a diet to prevent or treat leukopenia, you should, of course, avoid drinking alcohol, which washes out of the human body, e.g. vitamin C and many other ingredients necessary for the proper functioning of the immune system. Of course you should quit smoking. Over 4 substances can be found in tobacco smoke, of which about 40 are carcinogenic substances, and most of the others are extremely dangerous toxins that, after getting into the blood through the lungs, destroy our immune system and the entire body. In addition, when a doctor diagnoses leukopenia, avoid large groups of people and, of course, hypothermia, which leads to colds and complications.
To sum up, a healthy lifestyle and a properly varied and selected diet will allow us to avoid this dangerous and unpleasant disease, which is leukopenia.
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