Another test, called a blood differential , measures the amount of each type of white blood cell. A white blood count is most often used to help diagnose disorders related to having a high white blood cell count or low white blood cell count. A white blood count can show if the number of your white blood cells is too high or too low, but it can't confirm a diagnosis. You may need this test if you have signs of an infection, inflammation, or autoimmune disease.
Symptoms of infection include:. Symptoms of inflammation and autoimmune diseases will be different, depending on the area of inflammation and type of disease. You may also need this test if you have a disease that weakens your immune system or are taking medicine that lowers your immune response. If the test shows your white blood count is getting too low, your provider may be able to adjust your treatment.
Your newborn or older child may also be tested as part of a routine screening, or if they have symptoms of a white blood cell disorder. A health care professional will take a blood sample from a vein in your arm, using a small needle.
After the needle is inserted, a small amount of blood will be collected into a test tube or vial. You may feel a little sting when the needle goes in or out. To test children, a health care provider will take a sample from the heel newborns and young babies or the fingertip older babies and children. The provider will clean the heel or fingertip with alcohol and poke the site with a small needle. The provider will collect a few drops of blood and put a bandage on the site.
After a blood test, you may have slight pain or bruising at the spot where the needle was put in, but most symptoms go away quickly. There is very little risk to your baby or child with a needle stick test. Your child may feel a little pinch when the site is poked, and a small bruise may form at the site. This should go away quickly. If you are already being treated for a white blood cell disorder, your results may show if your treatment is working or whether your condition has improved.
Learn more about laboratory tests, reference ranges, and understanding results. White blood count results are often compared with results of other blood tests, including a blood differential. Error Email field is required. Error Include a valid email address. To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information and to understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your e-mail and website usage information with other information we have about you.
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A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: verify here. It may also be a sign of physical or emotional stress. People with particular blood cancers may also have high white blood cells counts. A low white blood cell count can signal that an injury or condition is destroying cells faster than the body is making them, or that the body is producing too few of them.
White blood cells are also known as leukocytes. The bone marrow continuously produces white blood cells. They are stored within the blood and lymphatic systems until they are necessary for fighting an infection or disease in the body. White blood cells are components of the blood that protect the body against disease and foreign invaders.
There are normally between 4, and 11, white blood cells in every microliter of blood, although this can vary according to sex, age, and race. When necessary, monocytes travel to other organs, such as the spleen, liver, lungs, and bone marrow, where they transform into a cell called a macrophage. A macrophage is responsible for many functions, including removing dead or damaged tissue, destroying cancer cells, and regulating the immune response.
An increase in white blood cells is known as leukocytosis. It typically occurs in response to the following conditions:. Certain respiratory conditions, such as a whooping cough or tuberculosis , may cause the levels of white blood cells to increase. In some cases, all white blood cells become affected. However, some people have a specific disease in which only one type of white blood cell is affected.
If levels of one particular type of white blood cell increase, this may be due to a specific trigger:. There is, on occasion, no identifiable cause for the increase in white blood cells. This is known as idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome. It can lead to serious complications, such as damage to the heart, lung, liver, skin, and nervous system. White blood cell levels increase significantly during healthy pregnancy because of the physical stress the body endures during this time. The levels start to rise within the first trimester and continue to rise into the third trimester.
During labor and in the hours following delivery, white blood cell levels may surge again, to between 9, and 25, white blood cells in every microliter of blood.
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