Cause Of High White Blood Cell Count – Medically Reviewed by Suzanne Falck, M.D., FACP – Lori Smith, MSN, BSN, WHNP-BC – Updated January 3, 2023
White Blood cells help fight infection and are essential for health and well-being. Changes in the level of white blood cells can occur during infections, in pregnancy and in some forms of cancer.
Cause Of High White Blood Cell Count
A high white blood cell Count may mean that the immune system is trying to fight off an infection.
Overview Of White Blood Cell Disorders
It can also be a sign of physical or emotional stress. People with certain blood cancers may also have high white blood cell counts.
A low white blood cell count may mean that an injury or condition is destroying cells faster than the body is producing them, or that the body is producing too few of them.
White blood cells make up about 1% of all blood cells and are essential for the proper functioning of the immune system. White blood cells are also known as leukocytes.
The bone marrow is constantly producing white blood cells. They are stored in the blood and lymphatic system until they are needed to fight infection or disease in the body.
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Normally, there are between 4,500 and 11,000 white blood cells in each microliter of blood, although this can vary by gender, age, and race.
When needed, monocytes travel to other organs, such as the spleen, liver, lungs, and bone marrow, where they transform into a cell called a macrophage.
The 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 usually occurs in response to the following conditions:
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Certain respiratory diseases, such as whooping cough or tuberculosis, can cause an increase in the level of white blood cells.
In some cases, all white blood cells are affected. However, some people have a special disease where only one type of white blood cell is affected.
If the level of a certain type of white blood cell increases, it may be due to a specific trigger:
Sometimes there is no identifiable cause for an increase in white blood cells. This is known as idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome. It can cause serious complications such as damage to the heart, lungs, liver, skin and nervous system.
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The level of white blood cells increases significantly during a healthy pregnancy due to the physical stress that the body endures during this time. The level begins to rise in the first trimester and continues to rise in the third trimester.
Of white blood cells in each microliter of blood. This is a response to the physical stress and trauma of childbirth.
If the levels of white blood cells are lower than normal, this may be a sign that the person has reduced immune activity.
A lack of white blood cells is why people with diseases or medications that suppress the immune system have an increased risk of infection.
Types Of White Blood Cells: What The Numbers May Mean
These develop when too many immature blood cells are produced, causing an imbalance. Myeloproliferative disorders are rare conditions that may or may not become malignant.
The exact effects of a high white blood cell count depend on the condition or factor that is causing it.
After any symptoms are detected, your doctor can use a blood test to assess your white blood cell count, but often further tests and examinations will be needed to pinpoint the cause of the problem.
A high white blood cell count can indicate several things, such as the immune system trying to fight off an infection, a sign of physical or emotional stress, or a certain type of cancer.
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Pregnancy also leads to a high white blood cell count, as levels usually rise from the first trimester to the third. The level of white blood cells will also increase in the hours after delivery due to the severe stress the body is exposed to.
Meanwhile, a low white blood cell count can signal that an injury or condition is destroying cells faster than the body is producing them. It can also mean that the body is not producing enough of them.
Although symptoms depend on the cause of the high white blood cell count, a fluctuating white blood cell count may not cause any symptoms.
Medical News Today has strict sourcing guidelines and draws only from peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We avoid using tertiary references. We link to primary sources – including studies, scientific references and statistics – in each article and also list them in the sources section at the bottom of our articles. You can find out more about how we ensure that our content is accurate and up-to-date in our editorial policy. During pregnancy, your blood volume increases by up to 50%. With the decrease in the level of hemoglobin and hematocrit in the percentage of red blood cells (erythrocytes) in the blood (especially in the last trimester), the number of platelets also decreases slightly. However, the number of white blood cells (WBC) in the blood increases after pregnancy, which is called leukocytosis.
High White Blood Cell Count Causes
Leukocytes or white blood cells are divided into agranulocytes (lymphocytes and monocytes) and granulocytes (eosinophils, neutrophils and basophils), which form the body’s immune system and fight against infections (1).
Read this post to learn more about the causes of high WBC count in pregnancy and the complications associated with this condition.
After pregnancy, there is a gradual increase in the normal number of white blood cells (leukocytosis) with a slight shift towards an increased percentage of neutrophils.
Leukocytosis begins in the first trimester, continues throughout pregnancy, peaks during labor, and usually normalizes after four weeks (1) (2).
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XA pregnancy condition characterized by high blood pressure, protein in the urine and water retention and gestational diabetes mellitus
(GDM) (3) (4). Therefore, the leukocyte count must be correctly interpreted and correlated during your antenatal visits and postnatal care (1).
During pregnancy, white blood cells are often checked to look for signs of infection or inflammation in the body. The level of white blood cells rises from eight to forty weeks of gestation. As can be seen in the graph below, they peak around week 32 and begin to decline (12).
Even in a healthy pregnancy, it is normal for a woman’s white blood cell count to increase, especially towards the end of pregnancy. However, if this elevation is accompanied by any signs of infection or other medical conditions, further testing and evaluation will likely be necessary.
Types Of White Blood Cells And Their Functions
Specific causes of elevated white blood cell counts include bacterial or viral infections, leukemia, rheumatoid arthritis, tuberculosis, certain medications (such as epinephrine
Hormone XA as well as the neurotransmitter responsible for the body’s fight-or-flight response or corticosteroids), severe allergic reactions and even severe stress. Any bacterial or viral infection in the body can cause a person’s white blood cell count to increase.
Due to the physiological stress caused by pregnancy, however, you may have a higher white blood cell count even during a normal pregnancy. Therefore, the maternal white blood cell count cannot be the primary screening technique for detecting serious complications in pregnancy (5). Conversely, an increased number of white blood cells in a urine sample indicates a urinary tract infection (UTI) (6).
X A complex system of hormone-producing glands and organs, metabolic processes, and the genital system undergo many changes to nourish the developing fetus and prepare the body for labor and delivery. As your pregnancy progresses, this physiological and emotional stress increases your leukocyte count as the leukocytes receive stimulatory impulses (7).
What Does A Low White Blood Cell Count Mean? The Answer Isn’t Simple
During a healthy pregnancy, leukocytosis is generally referred to as an increased percentage of neutrophils in the blood. However, there are many types of white blood cells, and elevated levels of other white blood cells can mean different diagnoses (1) (8).
The increase in the number of WBC is mainly due to the increase in the number of neutrophils and lymphocytes (1).
Studies have shown that lymphocyte counts decrease in the first and second trimesters and increase in the third trimester (1).
Routine blood tests during pregnancy, such as a complete blood count (CBC), usually measure the white blood cell count. Your doctor may perform diagnostic tests for hemoglobin, white blood cell count, and platelet count at almost every prenatal visit to detect conditions that could complicate pregnancy (6).
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An elevated white blood cell count may not have any symptoms during pregnancy. However, symptoms of a high white blood cell count in people who are not pregnant usually include (9)
If you experience any of these symptoms during pregnancy, contact your healthcare provider as they may be a sign of infection or underlying medical complications.
While leukocytosis is common during pregnancy, it can also be the result of an underlying problem that typical prenatal white blood cell count tests cannot detect, necessitating additional testing. In the first trimester, higher levels of platelets and white blood cell counts are associated with a higher risk of miscarriage, highlighting the importance of monitoring these markers for possible pregnancy complications (5) (10).
A high white blood cell count during pregnancy, also known as leukocytosis, is a result of the physiological stress of pregnancy. A moderate increase in the number of white blood cells during pregnancy is normal. However, if the white blood cell count increases abnormally, it may indicate an underlying disease or infection (8).
Eosinophils: What Are They, What Do They Do, And More
Routine blood tests performed by health professionals during pregnancy help monitor any abnormalities and ensure the well-being of both mother and baby. However, you can take general precautions such as maintaining hygiene, staying hydrated, eating a well-balanced diet, and religiously following your prescribed medications to reduce
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