1. What White Blood Cells Do
White blood cells are the body's protection against infection and disease. They do not necessarily operate inside the bloodstream so much as they use the bloodstream to travel to where they need to go to be useful. White blood cells squeeze through the walls of blood vessels so that they can directly attack any invader that threatens the body's homeostasis. White blood cells are also released where there is any kind of histamine or allergy reaction and where inflammation exists. There are five types of white blood cell, each with a specific function in the prevention and fighting of disease.
2. How Few is Too Few
Adequate levels of white blood cells are essential to keeping a healthy system. A normal number of white blood cells is 5,000 to 10,000 per cubic millimeter of blood. There are two types of white blood counts that can be used as diagnostic tools. Modern tests can measure the percentage of white blood cells relative to the rest of the components of blood, or they can measure the percentage of a certain type of white blood cell called a leukocyte. This can be valuable information as it may indicate the presence of a certain disease.
3. Underlying Conditions
Low white blood counts are almost always secondary to another condition happening within the body at the same time. Infections require white blood cells (WBC) to fight off whatever bacteria is invading the body. While infections may initially cause WBC production to spike, as the infection progresses and the cells are used up, overall levels in the body may drop. Blood is produced in the spleen, bone marrow and lymph nodes. If a disorder affects any of these organs, production of white blood cells can be diminished.
4. Symptoms of a Low White Count
A low white blood cell in a routine test often is not cause for concern if the rest of the blood values are normal. It can, however, be dangerous to have too few white blood cells, and you must be medically evaluated if a lab test proves that this condition exists. Symptoms of low white blood counts include fatigue, decreased appetite, mouth ulcers, fevers, swollen lymph glands, abdominal tenderness, skin infections, face rashes and gum disease.
5. Low White Blood Counts and AIDS
T-cells are a type of white blood cell that directly attack microorganisms, transplant tissue and tumors. T-cell counts indicate how vulnerable an HIV positive person is to infection. Extremely low T-cell counts generally indicate the progression of HIV toward full-blown AIDS. T-cell counts are used in treatment of the HIV positive person to determine the course of action his treatment will take.
