What should i do if my wbc is high?

If you’ve been to the doctor recently and they told you that your WBC count is higher than normal, fear not! While it can be worrisome, there are some things you can do to address a high white blood cell count.

Breathe (It’s Not The End Of The World)

First things first: don’t panic. A high WBC isn’t necessarily an indicator of something deadly; in fact, it’s usually just a sign that your immune system is working hard to keep you healthy! So take a deep breath and let’s dive into what this means.

Recap – What Is A White Blood Cell Count?

Before we get too far ahead of ourselves, let’s review what exactly a white blood cell (WBC) count even measures. Put simply, your WBC count tells you how many white blood cells are present in one microliter of your blood sample.

Why Is It Important To Maintain Normal Levels?

White blood cells play an essential role in defending our bodies from infections caused by bacteria or viruses. However, if the number rises above or falls below the standard range set by medical professionals – usually between 4k-11k/ml – it could signify abnormality within the body.

The good news is that most incidents resulting in elevated amounts end up being benign reactions such as allergies or inflammation.

Possible Reasons For Elevated WBCs:

There are several reasons why someone might have an over-abundance of these infection-fighting heroes kicking around:

  • Stressful events like surgery
  • Certain medications (‘cough’ steroids)
  • Autoimmune diseases (‘ahem systemic lupus erythematosus)
  • Infections (‘wink wink nudge nudge We all know who started ‘yo mamma’ jokes’)
  • Cancers (sorry to bring the mood down!)

Basically, anything that causes inflammation or infection can cause a temporary spike in your WBC count.

What Are The Symptoms Of A High White Blood Cell Count?

In most cases without any underlying cause, you may not show symptoms. But if you have an overabundance of white blood cells caused by another condition, some of the signs and symptioms that accompany it might surprise you:
– Fever
– Body aches
– Fatigue (‘yawns’ oh sorry lost my train of thought there for a minute)
These probably already sound super familiar to anyone who has come down with any type of flu-like illness – body pain and fatigue are pretty ubiquitous when we’re feeling under the weather.

What To Do Next:

If high numbers persist past fighting an illness off (coughing nervously) , then here’s what one should do:

1. Talk To Your Doctor

First things first, chat with your doctor about your results. After ‘explaining how much WebMD has helped them’ ( just kidding! Doctors would never recommend WebMD), they’ll follow up by investigating along these lines:

Physical Examination

Some doctors will conduct a physical test to see if there is any visible inflammation (‘Look ma I’m like Sherlock Holmes!’). They might check listen out for abnormalities in breathing patterns as well as looking around for inflamed lymph nodes.

Follow-Up Tests

Doctors might order additional testing like ultrasounds or X-rays so they can get deeper insight into identifying where this irregularity stem from. These only occur when fluctuations don’t settle themselves soon enough (‘Looks like we need’em ‘Fancy schmancy tests’, huh doc?’)

During this process – try not panic.

2. Get Plenty Of Sleep

Once you’ve talked to your doctor, the next best thing you can do is rest. Your immune system will appreciate the break from running on overtime! Getting a solid eight hours of sleep per night and slipping in some extra snooze time when you’re off work will promote quicker healing.

3. Incorporate Immune Boosting Foods

Like everyone has always said, food plays an immense role in powering ourselves up for anything life throws at us:

What To Include:

  • Garlic (‘Insider scoop Ancient Vampires’ worst nightmare.‘)
  • Turmeric (inflammation be gone!)
  • Spinach (‘Popeye who?’)
  • Broccoli (‘Eat it all..even the tree trunks!’)

Cod liver oil supplements or daily intake serves as alternatives if cooking doesn’t appeal.

Don’t discredit multiple cups of chamomile tea with its anti-inflammatory properties too!

4. Stay Hydrated

Drinking enough water(Guzzling Gatorade like we just won Super Bowl counts!) isn’t only good for helping with weight loss – staying hydrated is also crucial for promoting lymphatic drainage within our body which can provide relief against bloating

5. Avoid Overworking Yourself

Any kind of stress that leads to overexertion should be avoided since this negatively impacts your immune function (‘whispers conspiratorially The secret stress weapon ‘Faking illness !).

That being said – don’t forget to take care of yourself during times of high-pressure situations. Do things such as exercise regularly or grab drinks with friends after work! All come under a well-deserved self-care journey.

Conclusion

Remember, while having elevated white blood cells might initially make one tensed—remain calm and focus on taking practical steps towards addressing whatever’s causing it instead stressing over long-term implications no matter how daunting they seem!

Random Posts