Lymphocytopenia is a disease that causes a lack of white blood cells, making the immune system weaker and more susceptible to infections. It can be caused by autoimmune diseases, blood cancers, and congenital disorders. Treatment involves addressing the underlying cause and taking precautions to avoid infections. Infections must be treated as emergencies, and the long-term outlook depends on the severity of the condition.
Lymphocytopenia is a disease in which the body does not have enough lymphocytes. These are white blood cells that are produced in a person’s bone marrow and help the body fight off various infections. About 30% of all white blood cells are lymphocytes. People with lymphocytopenia have weakened immune systems and are prone to getting many unusual infections. They may also have difficulty fighting off common infections that would normally be harmless to the average person.
The most common causes of lymphocytopenia are autoimmune diseases such as autoimmune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and blood cancers. Some other underlying causes are congenital disorders such as Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome and ataxia-telangiectasia. In general, all the things that lead to lymphocytopenia cause the body to produce fewer lymphocytes or destroy lymphocytes that the body has already produced. Some cases are caused by drug reactions, and in such situations, stopping the drug should lead to a quick recovery.
If a person is diagnosed with lymphocytopenia, a doctor will generally need to do quite a few tests to find the underlying cause of the disorder. They will usually start with blood tests, but more complex tests may be needed. With so many possible causes, testing can eventually become quite extensive. Treatment generally involves focusing on the underlying cause and addressing any infections that patients may be suffering from. Some new treatments are being examined by doctors, including stem cell transplants, but they are still generally experimental.
A diagnosis of lymphocytopenia may require some major lifestyle changes. Someone with a compromised immune system will generally have to worry about infection more than other people. Some of the methods used to reduce a person’s risk of infection include avoiding people with illnesses, washing hands often, focusing on dental care, and changing eating habits. You may also need more frequent vaccinations for things like the flu.
If someone with lymphocytopenia gets any type of infection, it needs to be treated as an emergency. Even minor problems can progress much more seriously for people with this disorder than they would for people with normal immune systems. The long-term outlook for someone with lymphocytopenia is usually different depending on the underlying cause. For some individuals, the condition is very mild and will go away on its own without any treatment. Other people may be in a life-threatening situation, requiring frequent hospitalizations for different types of infections.
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