How do i know if i have leukemia?

If you’re reading this, chances are you’re feeling a bit under the weather and wondering whether your symptoms could be signs of leukemia. First things first: take a deep breath and relax. You don’t want to get worked up over nothing (or worse yet, start imagining the worst-case scenario). In this article, we’ll explore what leukemia is, how it presents itself in different forms, and what to do if you suspect that you might have it.

What Is Leukemia Anyway?

Leukemia is a type of cancer that affects blood cells. Normally, our bodies produce white blood cells (which fight infections) and red blood cells (which carry oxygen around our bodies), but when we have leukemia this process goes off-kilter. The bone marrow starts producing too many abnormal white blood cells – known as blasts – which crowd out healthy white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets.

There are several types of leukemia depending on which type of cell has become cancerous:

  • Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)
  • Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL)
  • Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML)
  • Chronic myelogenous leukaemia CML)

While there are some similarities between these four main types of leukemia (such as horror movie-level tiredness) they present differently in each case.

Signs & Symptoms

Many people with early-stage leukemias will not experience any symptoms at all. Others may find their symptoms come on suddenly or more gradually over time. Just like each version feels slightly different from the other ones (kinda like hip hop sub-genres) , so do their respective symptom lists:

Fatigue or Weakness

Aside from usual tiredness caused by day-to-day awesomeness-taking activities (Because clearly ‘chores’ doesn’t exist in our vocabulary) , leukemia patients often say that they feel drained for no specific reason. One thing you can do at home to track your symptoms is notice how soon after waking up you start feeling tired during the day (Are we getting lazier or what?)

Fever and Chills

Leukemia cells in some people cause a rise in their body temperature, accompanied by sweating through night even with slight fluctuations.

Shortness of Breath

Basically, why walk around when you can let shortness of breath pass over like waves.

Frequent Infections

Infections are common in leukemia because there are fewer healthy white blood cells to fight them off.

Swollen Lymph Nodes

The lymphatic system forms an integral part of the immune system and also plays an important role in detoxification. When there’s obstruction due to abnormal growths, it leads to swelling (especially neck region), manifested with painless lump/s under arms or groin region as well.

Consult Your Doctor(s) for Diagnosis

It’s critical not to rely solely on self-diagnosis if you think something could be wrong – only medical tests will provide a comprehensive diagnosis. Speak with your primary care doctor right away if any concerning signs happen more than once or twice (or thrice). They might refer you onto a haematologist – which is sorta like hematologist but not quite? (We really liked his jokes). depending on where specific tests lead them.

Tests might include:
– Aspiration/biopsy of bone marrow sample
– Blood tests
– Imaging studies e.g ultrasound/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)/computerised tomography scan

Treatments for leukemia depend largely on the type and stage of cancer but surgery, chemotherapy along with stem cell transplants remain viable options throughout most stages . Additionally hospitals may offer psychiatric assistance/counseling services further down treatment road(In case everything stops making sense)

Conclusion

Here’s the summary:
– Leukemia is a type of cancer that affects blood cells.
– Different types of leukemia present in different ways (we’re talking symptoms) so no one experience may be exactly the same.
– Unfortunately, it’s impossible to diagnose leukemia without medical testing; therefore if concerned about your health, make an appointment with your doctor as soon as possible for personalized testing and treatment options.

(In case you were looking for answers at this point – sorry couldn’t help) The important thing is not feeling overwhelmed or intimidated by all these new terms (especially haematological jargon) Just remember that knowledge is power 🙂

Random Posts