I was informed by my son's doctor that his white blood cells were low; anemic or something else?

Question

He is 16 years old and I was wondering if this could be dangerous. His doctor told me to give him a multiple vitamin. Is that enough or is he just not telling me the other possible causes?

Answer 1

There is a lot of difference between low white cell count and anemia.
In low white cell count there is decline of number of neutrophils, monocytes, lmphocytes etc. below the count of 3500, also known as "leukopenia" (you can search out with word).
Anemia is concerned with red cells, (RBC) they can be normal at times or decrease depending on the disease.
He should be investigated properly as he has whole life ahead of him, as at times they prove dangerous. O
Causes of leukopenia are:
The following medical conditions are some of the possible causes of Leukopenia. There are likely to be other possible causes, so ask your doctor about your symptoms.

* Leukemia
* Aplastic anaemia
* Medications
* Chemotherapy
* Vitamin deficiency
* Nutrition deficiency
* Infection
* Autoimmune diseases
* Idiopathic
Hope answered your question.
Type word "Leukopenia" in search box.

Answer 2

Anemia has to do with Red Blood Cell count not white blood cells. What your son has is Leukopenia (leuko - White, penia- Low), he is at increased risk of infections and these are some of the causes:
* Infections, such as viral infections and HIV
* Autoimmune disorders, such as lupus
* Certain medications, especially those used in chemotherapy and some antibiotics
* Radiation therapy
* Bone marrow disease, such as leukemia or myelodysplastic syndromes

Have your son checked further, and please DO NOT relly on vitamins....Change Doctors

Answer 3

for anemic person the primary problem is the low red blood cells, if your son has very low wbc it might be Leukopenia the principal function of white cells is to combat infection, a decrease in the number of these cells can place patients at increased risk for infection.

Answer 4

Though you did not provide your height and weight, we can assume that your total blood volume and hematocrit/hemoglobin were acceptable for a double red cell collection by apheresis. This is the most likely cause for your decreased hemoglobin/hematocrit, since each red cell unit collected is expected to drop your HCT by 2-3%. Hemoglobin drop is anticipated to be 1% per unit collected. It can be difficult for women to maintain Hgb/Hct values acceptable for volunteer blood donation. Menstrual blood loss and diets low in iron are frequently associated with mild anemia. In your case, even though your counts were acceptable for donation, it may be best to go back to whole blood donation rather than double red cells. Additionally, a simple store brand one-a-day multivitamin with iron should increase both Hgb/Hct within 4-6 weeks. However, please speak with your personal physician prior to starting any iron supplementation. Do not be concerned about your white cell count. The "normal" range is the middle 95% of a bell curve, representing white cell counts in "normal" patients. By definition, 2.5% of "normal" individuals will have counts above and below this "normal" range. Thank you for such a generous gift.

Answer 5

this is non-negligible but not dangerous. It may be due to illness in immediate past. if not cured for long, it is a caution b coz it reduces immunity. best is to have a proper diet & clean stomach.
beats, tomatoes, spinach r among the best. have at least 3 & preferably 4 meals. This is b coz, initially the WBC count may fluctuate.

Answer 6

White blood cells help fight infections. Here is a great web page discussing why you might have a low white blood cell count:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/low-white-blood-cell-count/AN00726