My doctor just called and said my white blood cell count is 17.7 and I should have it checked out. Does this just mean I have an infection of some sort, or is something seriously wrong? (I don't feel very sick.)
2007-07-18 05:22:37 · 8 answers · asked by MountainChick 3 in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Infectious Diseases
I'm 7 months pregnant and that's why I had the blood drawn in the first place. Could that affect my count?
2007-07-18 05:32:08 · update #1
Answer:
White blood cells (leukocytes) help fight infection in your body. A normal white blood cell count is between 4,500 and 10,000 cells per microliter. A high white blood cell count (leukocytosis) isn't a specific disease. But it may indicate an underlying problem that requires medical evaluation. Causes of a high white blood cell count include:
* Infection
* Use of certain medications, such as corticosteroids, antibiotics or anti-seizure drugs
* Severe physical or emotional stress
* Chronic bone marrow diseases such as a myeloproliferative disorder
* Acute or chronic leukemia
* Tissue damage, such as from burns
Hope this helped.
2007-07-18 05:28:32 · answer #1 · answered by Ryan W 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Blood Count Too High
2016-12-16 06:26:12 · answer #2 · answered by goslin 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm a nursing student and this is the site I use to get a lot of info on lab tests/results for my course. Pretty reliable!
Why get tested?
If your doctor thinks that you might have an infection or a disease that affects the production of white blood cells, and to monitor treatment
An elevated number of white blood cells is called leukocytosis. This can result from bacterial infections, inflammation, leukemia, trauma, or stress.
Is there anything else I should know?
Eating, physical activity, and stress can cause an increased WBC count.
Pregnancy in the final month and labor may be associated with increased WBC levels.
If you have had your spleen removed, you may have a persistent mild to moderate increased WBC count.
The WBC count tends to be lower in the morning and higher in the late afternoon. WBC counts are age-related.
On average, normal newborns and infants have higher WBC counts than adults. It is not uncommon for the elderly to fail to develop leukocytosis as a response to infection.
There are many drugs that cause both increased and decreased WBC counts.
2007-07-18 05:27:06 · answer #3 · answered by ~brigit~ 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It depends how high the white blood count is. It could signify some kind of infection, or something worse, like cancer. Get checked out asap.
2007-07-18 05:26:59 · answer #4 · answered by Meow 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Like "Steve C" said, an elevated white count can mean a lot of things....or it can mean nothing. Smokers tend to have an elevated white count. I'm not implying that you smoke but you see what I mean by "it can mean nothing"? Additional diagnostic tests should be run to confrim or rule out.
I don't understand what your doctor meant by you "should have it checked out". Did you mean your doctor wants to run those additional tests? I think you need to follow up on this with your doctor and find out what she/he has in mind.
2007-07-18 07:28:04 · answer #5 · answered by TweetyBird 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It could mean several things, and needs to be checked out. I wouldn't worry about it yet.
2007-07-18 05:24:57 · answer #6 · answered by Steve C 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
you probably have an infection somewhere like bladder or vaginal infection. doctors dont call unless they think it is warranted.
2007-07-18 05:27:40 · answer #7 · answered by Donna 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
IT CAN MEAN YOU HAVE AN INFECTION OR SOME TYPE OF LEUKEMIA OR THE SPECIMEN WAS TO OLD WHEN THEY RAN THE TEST...YOU HAVE TO GO IN FOR A RE-DRAW
2007-07-18 05:26:58 · answer #8 · answered by CCRIDER69 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋