Causes of low lymphocytes and how to overcome them

White blood cells (leukocytes) are part of the immune system that tracks and fights disease-causing foreign bodies in your body. When your white blood cells are low, you may develop a condition called leukopenia. One type of leukocytes whose levels also decrease when you have leukopenia are lymphocytes. What are lymphocytes? What does it mean if the lymphocyte levels are low in the body?

What are lymphocytes?

Lymphocytes are white blood cells that are also part of the immune system. There are two main types and functions of lymphocytes, namely:

• B cells, which produce antibody molecules that destroy viruses or bacteria.
• T cells, which attack germs and form cytokines (substances that help activate other parts of the immune system).

The normal level of lymphocytes in the adult body is between 1,000-4,800 per microliter of blood (mcL). Meanwhile, the normal level of lymphocytes in the body of children is between 3,000-9,500 per microliter of blood.

About 20-40% of your white blood cells are made up of lymphocytes. Your lymphocytes are said to be low (lymphocytopenia) if:

• Lymphocytes less than 1,000 / mcL of blood in adults
• Lymphocytes less than 3,000 / mcL of blood in children

Quoted from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, most people with low lymphocytes have low T cell counts.

In general, there are several things that cause low lymphocytes, namely:

• The body doesn't make enough lymphocytes
• The body destroys lymphocytes
• Lymphocytes get stuck in the spleen or lymph nodes

Causes of low lymphocytes

There are various things that can cause a low lymphocyte count. However, in general, the causes of low lymphocytes are divided into two groups, namely those that occur due to family history (inherited) and are caused by certain diseases.

It is not fully known why certain diseases can cause your lymphocyte levels to be below normal. In fact, some people have a low lymphocyte count without an underlying cause.

Several health conditions or diseases that cause low lymphocytes, include:

• Infectious diseases, such as AIDS, viral hepatitis, tuberculosis, and typhoid fever
• Autoimmune diseases, such as lupus. Autoimmune disease occurs when the body's immune system mistakenly attacks the body's cells and tissues)
• Steroid therapy
• Leukemia or other blood disorders, such as Hodgkin's disease and aplastic anemia
• Cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation

Apart from certain diseases, hereditary (genetic) diseases can also cause you to have low lymphocyte levels. Some of the following conditions are rare, namely:

• DiGeorge anomaly
• Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome
• Severe immunodeficiency syndrome
• Ataxia-telangiectasia

A low lymphocyte count may not show any symptoms. This condition will usually be caught when you are tested for other diseases, such as typhus or AIDS.

If you have unusual infections, recurring infections, or infections that don't go away, your doctor may suspect that you have lymphocytopenia.

How to deal with low lymphocyte levels?

Low lymphocyte levels that are classified as mild and without a cause may not require treatment and go away on their own.

However, if you have an infection that is unusual, recurring, or doesn't go away while your lymphocyte count continues to drop, you may need treatment to get rid of the infection.

There are several treatment options that can be done to treat low lymphocyte levels, namely:

1. Treat the infection

Low lymphocyte levels make it more difficult for the body to fight infection. You may be more prone to infections caused by viruses, fungi, parasites, or bacteria.

Treatment for infection will depend on the cause. If your infection is caused by a bacterial infection, you will be given antibiotics. After the infection clears, you may need further treatment to prevent the infection from recurring.

Children with serious bacterial infections may be recommended a drug called an immune globulin. These drugs help boost the immune system and fight infections.

2. Treatments for the causative disease or condition

Many conditions and diseases can cause lymphocytes to be below normal levels, including AIDS, blood disorders, to aplastic anemia. To increase your lymphocyte count, your doctor will treat the underlying disease first.

You may need to have regular complete blood counts to determine whether the treatment was successful or not. If the treatments that treat the underlying disease are successful, your lymphocyte levels may increase.

3. Other treatments

Other treatment options for treating lymphocytopenia are being investigated by scientists. Researchers are looking for ways to increase lymphocyte production in lymphocytopenic patients with serious underlying conditions.

Several studies are looking at stem (stem) and marrow cell transplantation as a means of treating low lymphocytes. This procedure helps treat and treat several conditions that can cause the lymphocyte count to be below normal.

Apart from those mentioned above, you can also do the simple ways below to avoid infection due to your low lymphocytes, namely:

• Avoid sick people and crowds
• Avoid foods that have the risk of exposing you to bacteria, such as raw or undercooked foods
• Wash your hands regularly
• Keep your teeth and mouth clean and have regular checkups to reduce the risk of oral and dental problems
• Talk to your doctor about whether you need the annual flu vaccine or the pneumonia vaccine

You need to recognize signs of infection, such as fever. Check your symptoms here. Tell your doctor right away if you think you have an infection.