WBC count – Understanding the blood count

WBC is white blood cells in the body that is helpful in fighting against infections, germs, bacteria, and virus in the body. It is important to understand how the WBC count works and how it affects the body’s immune system. A normal WBC count varies anywhere between 3,500 to 10,500 in adults.

What if the WBC count is more than the normal range?
It is seen that a lower white blood cell count can cause a number of health issues.

WBC count – Understanding the blood count
This is one of the reasons that an elevated level of WBC count is often neglected as people think that it is not a matter of concern. However, a high WBC count does not specifically indicate the symptom of a disease but can be related to other issues such as:

  • Stress
  • Inflammation
  • Trauma
  • Allergy
  • Infection

So, it is important to go for a Complete Blood Cell (CBC) test that will also include a WBC count. In case, if the count differs from the normal WBC count, then it is better to consult the doctor.

What does a low WBC count signify?
WBC or white blood cells are produced in the bone marrow. A flexible tissue, bone marrow is found in some of the bones of the body. A low white blood cell count can be caused by a number of reasons that affect the functioning of the bone marrow. Some of these are:

  • Viral infections
    It is known that viral infections affect the working of the bone marrow. This, in turn, weakens the immune system by momentarily disrupting the functioning of the bone marrow.
  • Congenital diseases
    Certain congenital disorders, which are disorders present at birth, might also cause the bone marrow to dysfunction.
  • Medications
  • Cancer
  • Autoimmune disorders that affect the production of white blood cells

Let us look at the symptoms of an abnormal WBC count
In case the WBC count lower than the normal WBC count range then the person might experience one or a few of the following symptoms. These signs can be a warning as to the body’s immune system is weak, and there is an underlying medical condition that needs to be taken care of.

A low WBC count can lead to:

  • Headaches
  • Fever
  • Body aches

Generally, a higher WBC count does not show any symptoms, but this does not mean that it should be ignored. Any underlying medical condition can be a cause of a higher WBC count as well.

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