Low white blood cells
If your body is not producing enough white blood cells, you are experiencing low white blood cells. This condition increases the risk of having infections.
Reasons for a low white blood cell count
Common causalities include:
- Cancer treatments, like radiotherapy
- Antipsychotic medicines
- Hyperthyroid medicines
- Some cancers, like leukemia
- HIV or hepatitis infections
- Rheumatoid arthritis
The conditions that cause a low white blood cell count are agranulocytosis and neutropenia.
Treatments
A blood test helps identify whether or not your white blood cell count is poor. Your treatments mostly contain antibodies, and the therapy depends on what is causing this condition.
You might need a specific treatment:
- To increase your white blood cells
- If you’ve acquired an infection
Indications of an infection may include:
- An elevated temperature
- Chills and shivering
- Sore throat
- Recurring mouth sores
- Toothache
- Skin rashes
- Tiredness
- Flu resembling signs
Sometimes, infections can lead to a life-threatening condition named sepsis.
Self prevention
If an illness or medicine causes your low white blood cell count, you should consider these steps to avoid infections.
Do
- Avoid physical contact with individuals who are sick
- To avoid food poisoning, store and prepare food properly
- Maintain personal hygiene importantly, wash your hands
- Avoid shared hot tubs
Don’t
- Do not share personal things like food, cups, utensils, toothbrushes, o make-up
- Eat raw foods, like meat, shellfish, and eggs
- Do not change cat waste or handle it with an animal poo
- Avoid changing nappies
- Do not walk outdoors in a barefoot
- Restrict swimming in ponds and rivers
Reviewed by – Dr. Priyanka, MBBS MD Microbiology
Page last reviewed: 04 October 2022