Neutropenia is a blood disorder where the body has a low count of neutrophils, which can cause severe infections. It can be difficult to diagnose and is often caused by other diseases or medications. Treatment involves addressing the underlying cause and managing infections.
Neutropenia is a hematologic disease, or blood disorder, in which the affected individual has an abnormally low number of a particular type of white blood cell called neutrophils. Neutrophils are the most abundant and most important type of white blood cell and are essential for the immune system to function properly. The symptoms of neutropenia are varied and are usually related to infections that become severe due to a lack of neutrophils; these include stomach ulcers, fever, and other symptoms typically associated with infection. Symptoms of neutropenia can be acute, lasting only a short time, or chronic, lasting more than three months.
Minor infections of various forms are not very uncommon, so despite the presence of symptoms of neutropenia it can, at times, be difficult to diagnose the condition. Symptoms that indicate a minor infection, however, may be magnified in people with the disorder, or infections in general may occur more frequently. Infections that occur more regularly or more severely are usually limited to commonly infected areas such as the skin, oral cavity, gastrointestinal tract, urinary tract, and genitals. However, in more severe and prolonged cases of neutropenia, infections can spread to the lungs or other organs, often with serious consequences.
Neutropenia can be caused by a variety of other diseases, disorders, and medications, so your symptoms may be accompanied by additional symptoms that indicate another problem. Many bone marrow disorders, for example, can cause neutropenia in addition to a wide range of other symptoms, including excessive bruising or bleeding, flu-like symptoms, and weight loss. Radiation therapy can have a variety of harmful side effects including reducing the number of neutrophils, so symptoms of neutropenia may again be accompanied by symptoms indicative of other problems. In general, treating the underlying problems causing the low neutrophil count is enough to return the body to a healthy state and relieve the symptoms of neutropenia.
Treating the symptoms of neutropenia almost always relies on treating the underlying condition causing the neutropenia. In some cases, however, particularly when the infections resulting from the disorder become severe, the specific problems that arise also need to be treated. Simply restoring the neutrophil count to a healthy level is usually not enough to completely eradicate a well-established infection, particularly if it has spread through the body to infect major organs. During treatment, various preventive measures may be taken to reduce the risk of possible infection before the neutrophil count returns to normal.
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