A low white blood cell count is usually found when a doctor orders blood tests. White blood cells, or leukocytes, attack foreign cells and prevent them from causing an infection. A low count of white blood cells is a symptom of an illness, but is not an illness or disease in itself. The treatment will depend on what is causing the low blood cell count. Common causes of a low white blood cell count include a viral or other infection, cancer, autoimmune diseases and medications you are taking that destroy leukocytes.
Infection
The treatment for an infection that affects the number of white blood cells being produced will depend on the organism responsible for the infection. Merck states that some viral infections can be treated with antiviral drugs, but will not respond to antibiotics. Conversely, bacterial infections can often be treated with antibiotic therapy. If you have an infection, your doctor will give you the appropriate medications to treat it.
Cancer
Cancer can cause a low white blood cell count. There are many different types of cancers, and several different treatment options. The National Cancer Institute lists several common treatments. These include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgery, lasers and biological therapies. If you have cancer, you should watch for signs of infection that may be more common due to your low leukocyte count. These signs include fever, sore throat, ear pain, headache, swelling and rashes.
Autoimmune Diseases
An autoimmune disease is a disease in which the body begins to attack its own cells. These diseases can lower your white blood cell count, and make you susceptible to organ damage, infection and painful symptoms. Some examples of autoimmune diseases, according to Lab Tests Online, include lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, Guillian-Barre syndrome and celiac disease. Treatments vary depending on your individual needs and which disease you have. There are medications available that can treat your symptoms as well as prevent infection and organ damage.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy can temporarily lower your leukocyte levels. If this happens, your doctor might decide to postpone your next treatment in order to let your white blood cell count rise. There are also medications that your doctor can give you to raise your white blood cell count.
BreastCancer.org suggests taking precautions to minimize the chance that you will develop an infection due to your low leukocyte count. These include frequent hand washing, avoiding large crowds, being careful not to cut yourself and eating a healthy diet to try to boost your immune function.
