A complete blood count test is a diagnostic, assessment and management tool for many conditions. For example discovering blood disorders or diseases, which can cause some serious problems.
Red and white blood counts can indicate some other general health problems with:
- allergies
- infections
- blood loss
- dehydration
- blood clotting issues
- blood cell production, destruction
Anemia is the condition used to refer to lower than normal red cell counts. Several diseases, disorders or conditions can cause a reduced production or premature destruction of red blood cells, including:
- cancer
- leukemia
- hemolysis
- hemorrhage
- kidney disease
- aplastic anemia
- G6PD deficiency
- sickle cell anemia
- multiple myeloma
- pernicious anemia
- rheumatoid arthritis
- lupus erythematosus
- iron deficiency anemia
- hereditary spherocytosis
- myelodysplastic syndrome
- autoimmune hemolytic anemia
- human immunodeficiency virus infection
- bone marrow failure ~ radiation, infection, tumor
- malnutrition ~ iron, folate, vitamin B12, vitamin B6 deficiencies
When your body is in the state of a low red blood cell count, it causes low oxygen level symptoms of:
High red blood cell counts, or a high hematocrit, can be caused by:
- smoking
- dehydration
- kidney disease
- severe diarrhea
- low blood oxygen level ~ heart disease, pulmonary fibrosis
Neutropenia is when your blood is low in a certain type of white blood cell that protects you against bacterial infections. Causes for this low white blood cell count include:
- HIV
- leukemia
- liver disease
- spleen disorder
- aplastic anemia
- Fanconi anemia
- benzene poisoning
- lupus erythematosus
- idiopathic myelofibrosis
- myelodysplastic syndrome
Low white blood cell count causes symptoms like:
A high white blood cell count, or leukocytosis, is typically caused by:
- leukemia
- infectious diseases
- severe physical stress
- tissue damage ~ burns
- inflammatory disease ~ rheumatoid arthritis, allergy
Blood counts really do count for assessing the state of your health. So don’t hesitate to get poked.
