Posts Tagged ‘White Cells’

Leukemia FAQs

Comments: 0October 9th, 2011 by admin



Leukemia occurs when the bone marrow produces abnormal white blood cells, which do not function properly and eventually crowd out normal white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets. It is basically a cancer of the white blood cells. Leukemia has increased at an alarming rate amongst people in the US. Many people are not even aware of the basic facts and symptoms of this life threatening disease. Often it is seen that lack of adequate information pertaining to leukemia leads to erratic and discriminative behavior against people suffering from this disease. Since people are scared of contracting the disease themselves, the most common question that is asked is with respect to its contagious nature by way of touch or social interaction.

When a person suffers from leukemia the family members or friends may have a number of queries relating to the disease. The person suffering would also want adequate and satisfactory answers to the various questions that come up in his mind. Normal persons looking for information on the disease may also ask questions. These frequently asked questions might relate to the causes for leukemia, the signs and symptoms of the illness and the preventive measures that can be taken to avoid it. Queries relating to the improved technologies used as a cure, survival rate with such treatment may also be asked. Since it is a life threatening disease, a person suffering from leukemia might also ask for the general life expectancy that is prescribed. Leukemia is divided into two main types i.e. acute and chronic. Since both types vary considerably, detailed information regarding the same may also be inquired.

Treatment for leukemia is a complicated procedure that is spread over a long period of time. Before undertaking such treatments, a person may want to know about the best possible treatment available, the cost of such treatment and the side effects that may possibly crop up. With the increasing use of the Internet, knowledge and information regarding leukemia can be easily obtained. Along with this a number of organizations also help people suffering from the disease and provide accurate information regarding the disease.

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Child Leukemia – Generalities, Symptoms and Treatment

Comments: 0June 7th, 2010 by admin



Leukemia interferes with the body’s production of white blood cells. These cells are supposed to fight infections with viruses or bacteria, and when someone has leukemia, they are defective and their number is largely increased, but because they are not fulfilling their role any more, although their number can increase ten times the body’s defense system is seriously weakened and any infection can be very dangerous.

Unfortunately leukemia can affect young children too, and the number of child leukemia cases keeps increasing.
There are two types of leukemia – acute leukemia – a cancer that develops and evolves very fast and it affects all the white blood cells, and chronic leukemia – it develops slower and healthy white blood cells can still be found.

More than 95% of the child leukemia cases are acute leukemia. Acute leukemia can also be divided into acute acute myelogenous leukemia and lymphocytic leukemia acute myelogenous leukemia because there are two types of blood cells, and each type of leukemia affects a different kind of blood cells. More than half of the children with leukemia have acute lymphocytic leukemia.

The symptoms of acute leukemia start with fever, and continue with many infections, because the child is weak against any damaging foreign microorganisms.
When the disease advances the child becomes anemic and begins to have a pale color. He will always feel a sensation of weakness and fatigue which will prevent him from playing outdoors.
All leukemia patients, including children can be bruised very easy, and the often bleed for no reason. When bleeding occurs it cannot be stopped for a long time because leukemia affects the cells responsible for healing wounds.

If the illness is not discovered and it is left untreated it starts spreading through the body and it can reach the brain, affecting some of the senses and causing headaches.

In order to diagnose child leukemia the child must go through a series of special tests. If the result is positive then therapy must begin as soon as possible. First some new tests must be performed to determine what kind of therapy works best. In most cases chemotherapy is used because it has the highest survival rate. Chemotherapy is also accompanied by drugs.
The purpose of the therapy is to heal the bone marrow, the organ that produces the defective blood cells and to kill all the malfunctioning cells from the body. If the therapy is successful it must still be continued because the cancer can re-appear.
In some more severe cases a bone marrow transplant is needed.

The good news is that therapy is getting better and better and most of the children survive this illness, but the survival rate depends on how far the cancer has advanced and on what form of it the child has.

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Canine Leukemia

Comments: 0May 16th, 2010 by admin



Leukemia is one type of cancer that affects the blood. This disease is characterized by a significant increase of the leukocytes, popularly called white blood cells.

The first symptom is a large number of these cells in the blood marrow or even in the circulation. Leukemia is a result of a genetic malfunction, a mutation that happens inside the bone’s marrow. This disease has several types. It is classified taking into consideration the type of the white blood cells that are involved and also the way in which the disease is progressing.

Leukemia can derive from the bone marrow and it is called myelogenous or granulocytic leukemia and also lymphocytic leukemia when it involves the lymph nodes.

Leukemia disease can either be chronic or acute. It all depends on the kind of white cells that are affected. The chronic one is named chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) or chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). The CLL in pets like dogs and cats has a lot of similarities with the human disease but still some major differences too.

The ALL, or acute lymphoid leukemia is a disease that progresses quite rapidly. A few of the symptoms include fever, anemia, random bleeding, loosing the appetite, swollen lymph nodes, panting, anxiousness, vomiting, pale gums, shifting limb lameness, lack of coordination, some infections that appear because of the week immune system. All these symptoms can cause death if the disease is not treated.

At a clinical examination, if the dog has fever or a bigger than usual spleen or liver, it is a good sign of the disease. Many mature animals develop the acute lymphoid leukemia rather then the young. This is a difference from the human disease which is quite common in children. Another important fact is that this disease can cause some ocular lesions in dogs.

The chronic leukemia has many cancer white cells that are affecting the body’s ability to fight the infections. The disease progresses slowly and it is fatal. It suppresses the immune system and then the bone marrow fails to function. The bag cells then infiltrate the other organs. The disease easily spreads into the blood, the lymph nodes, liver or spleen and into the central nervous system. The disease doesn’t create solid tumors or other solid masses. The death can be quite painful.

Discovering the leukemia can be done ding a simple blood examination and then, if there are suspicions, a bone marrow analysis.

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What is Aplastic Anemia? – Its Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Comments: 0January 1st, 2010 by admin



When your body stops producing enough new blood cells you may have Aplastic Anemia. Aplastic Anemia can happen to anyone at any age and is a serious condition. Bone marrow requires a sufficient number of cells to be able to replenish blood cells effectively. When marrow is not functioning as it should be this is called ‘Aplastic’.

Anemia refers to a low blood cell count. In individuals that have a reduction in red blood cell concentration in their blood would be diagnosed with Anemia. On the other hand, in Aplastic Anemia all three blood cell types are affected, they have a lower count of platelets along with lower counts of red and white blood cells.

Causes of the Condition

Bones marrow has a function that is very critical. It contains stem cells that produce red cells, white cells and platelets. If something ends up damaging your bone marrow then Aplastic anemia will develop. Exposure to toxic chemicals can cause damage resulting in Aplastic anemia.

Exposure to a chemical known as benzene, found in gasoline, is the main cause of the aplastic anemia, although researchers have found that it can differ depending on the patient. Leukemia can develop as a result of people being exposed to benzene and they do not even know it. Drugs, dyes, gasoline and certain synthetic rubbers contain benzene also.

Symptoms and Treatment

There are several symptoms that go along with Aplastic anemia. Some of the conditions are mentioned below:

* Excessive bruising

* Extremely pale skin tone

* Higher risk of infection

* Fatigue

Without treatment, the condition can be fatal. Patients are given medicine on a daily basis by their doctors to suppress the immune system from attacking cells in your bone marrow. There have been many cases where patients have been given a bone marrow transplant because it is seen as a possible cure.

If you feel you may have been around benzene you need to contact an experienced lawyer that knows your rights and will guide you in the right direction. You may be suffering from Aplastic anemia and a lawyer can help you.

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Hemoglobin and Blood Cell Count Tests – The Basics

Comments: 0April 10th, 2009 by admin



When your blood is drawn and sent to a laboratory for testing, a specially trained lab tech will test your blood. Lab techs typically have either a Bachelor’s college degree in Medical Technology, or an Associate’s degree. To be certified, they must take and pass a national examination. A phlebotomist (blood drawer) or a lab aide will typically draw your blood. Sometimes a nurse will draw your blood and send it to the lab for testing.

The most common blood test that doctors order is called the CBC-the Complete Blood Count. Some labs refer to it as an ABC-Automated Blood Count. The lab counts the cells in your blood-the red cells (RBC’s), white cells (WBC’s), and platelets. This is done in the Hematology department of the lab with sophisticated machines that the lab techs run, maintain, and troubleshoot.

Normal values given here are average ranges. Different laboratories use different methods, yielding slightly different results.

The CBC (ABC) consists of the following tests:

Red Blood Cell count (RBC count). Normal value for males is 4.2-5.6 million/mcl of blood. Normal value for females is 3.9-5.2 million/mcl of blood. Hemoglobin (hgb). This is a protein in rbc’s that binds oxygen to carry the oxygen throughout the body. Normal value for males is 14-18 grams/dl of blood. Normal value for females is 12-16 grams/dl of blood. Hematocrit (hct). This is the percentage of red cells in your blood. About half of your blood is a liquid called plasma made up mostly of water, and the other half is cells. Most of these cells are red cells, which give your blood its red color. If your hct is low, you are anemic. Normal value for males is 40-54%. Normal for females is 37-47%. If your hct is about 40%, that means about 60% of your circulating blood is plasma. White Blood Cell count (WBC count). Normal value is 5,000-10,000 white blood cells/mcl of blood. Differential-a lab tech differentiates the five types of WBC’s. The percentage of certain types of WBC’s is higher in bacterial infections, other types are higher with allergies or parasitic infections, and another type is higher with viral infections. Today, this is usually done by a machine, but if the machine finds anything abnormal, a lab tech will recheck it under a microscope before reporting out a final result. Platelet count-counts the number of platelets in your bloodstream, which help function in the clotting process. Platelets are very tiny-the smallest of the blood cells. Normal range is 130,000-400,000/mcl of blood.

These are the basic tests of the CBC (ABC). Other values have to do with various parameters of the red blood cell. This test is done in the Hematology department of the laboratory.

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