What Is Considered Low For White Blood Cell Count

White blood cells are created inside the bone marrow the spongy tissue inside bones.

What is considered low for white blood cell count.

The complete blood count includes the white blood count which is an estimate of how many white blood cells there are in your blood. For example african americans tend to have lower white blood cell counts than caucasians. A low white blood cell count puts you at increased risk of infection. If there s no clear reason for a low white blood cell count your doctor will probably want to do the test again or do a differential or diff along with the cbc.

There is an estimate as to what is a typical white blood cell count and what is too high or too low. It s also not uncommon for young caucasian women to have white blood cell counts that fall slightly below the normal reference ranges. A low white blood cell wbc count is a decreased number of white blood cells leukocytes in the blood. A low white blood cell count leukopenia is a decrease in disease fighting cells leukocytes in your blood.

Leukopenia is almost always related to a decrease in a certain type of white blood cell neutrophil. In addition what would be considered a low white blood cell count for some people may be a normal finding for others. Some infections can be life threatening. Some people who are otherwise healthy have white cell counts that are lower.

A high wbc count is one sign that there is an infection inflammatory disease or an inflammatory process taking place somewhere in the body. This can lead to a low white blood cell count and this reduction can reach problematic levels if the destruction occurs faster than replenishment. In general for adults a count lower than 4 000 white blood cells per microliter of blood is considered a low white blood cell count. The white blood count is very important because these cells have a key role in defending your body against infection.

Wbcs which are produced in the bone marrow are an important part of your immune system and your body s natural weapon to fight off bacteria viruses and other germs. White blood cell creation and release in the blood are triggered and stimulated during infection. The definition of low white blood cell count varies from one medical practice to another. A low white blood cell count is often a side effect of drugs particularly chemotherapy drugs.

For children that threshold varies with age. A low white blood cell count is an unusually low number of one or more kinds of white blood cells. Given that it is a symptom in and of itself leukopenia can be accompanied by a myriad of other signs depending on what the underlying cause is. Symptoms of low white blood cell count.

Low white blood cell count.