white_blood_cells

White blood cells play an important role in your torso'due south allowed system, searching the blood for invading viruses, bacteria, and fungi. When a foreign virus or bacteria enters your claret, the white blood prison cell (aka leukocyte), recognizes and destroys the invading particle earlier it can crusade disease. In that location are several dissimilar types of white blood cells, each with their ain function. Some straight destroy the strange bacteria, while others attack your own cells that are infected by viruses. Other types of white blood cells tin even play a role in allergic reactions!

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What happens when you take elevated white blood cells?

Since white blood cells fight off infection, people tend to think that elevated levels are actually benign. This is not necessarily the case! A high white blood cell count isn't a specific illness in itself, but information technology tin signal an underlying problem, such as infection, stress, inflammation, trauma, allergy, or certain diseases. That'due south why a high white blood cell count unremarkably requires further investigation. The InsideTracker blood analysis measures your white claret cell count, and volition tell you whether it is in the optimal zone for yous. If your white blood cell count is elevated, yous should speak with your doc.

In addition to your full white claret cell count, InsideTracker likewise measures the different types of white blood cells, which tin give clues as to what may be causing the elevated white blood cell count. The types of white blood cells include: neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils and basophils. Neutrophils, which account for about 70% of white blood cells, tin increase in response to bacterial infections also as to physical or emotional stress. A high lymphocyte count may occur when there is a viral or bacterial infection. Increased monocytes tin can indicate chronic inflammation. Elevated levels of basophils and eosinophils may occur when there is an allergic response or in cases of a parasitic infection.

What are the symptoms of elevated white blood cell count?

The only way to truly determine if your levels are also high is to get your blood tested, past your dr.'s office or through InsideTracker. People with high (above normal) white claret cell count, a condition called leukocytosis, typically don't have whatsoever specific symptoms, but may accept a medical condition that is responsible for raising white claret prison cell levels. The specific number for high (higher up normal) white blood cell count varies from one lab testing facility to some other, just a general dominion of pollex is that a count of more than than 10,500 leukocytes in a microliter of claret in adults is mostly considered to be high, while 4,500-10,500 is considered within the normal range. Since a high (above normal) white blood prison cell count can be a symptom of some other underlying problem, you might experience symptoms that are associated with that condition. Notwithstanding, people with leukocytosis may also experience a combination of these symptoms: fever, fainting, bleeding, bruising, weight loss, and general pain.

What are the causes of elevated white claret cell count?

There are a few reasons why yous might have high (above normal) white claret jail cell count:

Infection—As infection-causing bacteria or viruses multiply in the claret, your bone marrow produces more white blood cells to fight off the infection. Infection tin can too lead to inflammation, which tin can in turn cause the number of white blood cells to increase.

Smoking or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)—Essentially, COPD means that you accept a lung and airway disease like emphysema or chronic bronchitis that blocks proper airflow.  It is commonly caused by cigarette smoking, which results in inflammation in the lungs and air passages. As you gain more inflammation in your lungs and airways, your torso will produce more white blood cells to fight it off.

Leukemia—Leukemia is a type of cancer that dramatically increases your number of white blood cells. Leukemic white blood cells are oftentimes non-functional, which may increase the risk of infection in these cancer patients.

Immune organization disorders—Some auto-immune disorders similar Crohn'due south or Graves' affliction can elevate your white blood prison cell levels. If you take one of these conditions, your medico should monitor your white blood cell levels.

Stress—Finally, emotional or physical stress tin can also crusade elevated white blood cell counts. The adept news is that white blood cell levels will return to normal later on the stress is gone.

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How does exercise bear upon your white claret cell count?

If you got your blood tested right after working out, you lot might not take to worry—your trunk actually increases your white blood cell count during exercise! In fact, this increment in the activity of your white claret cells might actually allow your trunk to identify disease-causing organisms more quickly than under normal circumstances, which is yet another benefit of exercise. Immediately afterwards exercise, your levels of white blood cells increase in proportion to the intensity and duration of the workout. One written report showed that runners' white blood jail cell levels triple during a marathon. Since the amount of white blood cells so drops to its normal level afterwards do, you should ideally await one day after a heavy workout session to get your blood tested.

What types of foods will help to decrease your elevated white blood jail cell count?

What you eat also has an effect on your white blood prison cell count. To keep your levels in bank check, avert eating foods that are loftier in fatty, calories, sugar, and salt (such as fast foods). Aim for foods that are loftier in antioxidants similar vitamins C and E, fiber, calcium, fish oils, mono-unsaturated fats, and low on the glycemic index. Your InsideTracker Plan will give you recommendations for a diversity of foods that satisfy your preferences and provide yous with the nutrients you demand. Some foods that have been shown to accept an event on lowering inflammation include garlic, grapes, herbs and spices, soy poly peptide, nuts, olive oil, blackness and greenish teas, and vinegar. Aim to eat at least six servings of fruits and vegetables per 24-hour interval, which will benefit much more than your white blood cell levels.  Other specific nutrients to increase in your diet include:

Omega-three fatty acids—Omega-3 fatty acids are a type of polyunsaturated fat (or PUFA) that is known to increase heart health and elevate the activity of phagocytes, a type of white claret cells that protect y'all from strange bacteria. Omega-iii PUFAs are constitute mainly in fat fish like trout, herring, and salmon, simply also in walnuts and flaxseed. Studies have shown that PUFAs significantly increased white blood cell counts in women on a controlled diet.

Antioxidants—Antioxidants are a type of a molecule that protects our cells confronting harmful molecules called free radicals, which damage cells, protein, and DNA (for instance, free radicals crusade peeled apples to plough dark-brown). Eating more than phytochemicals helps protect confronting this type of damage. Phytochemicals with antioxidant capacity include allyl sulfides (institute in onions, leeks, and garlic), carotenoids (in fruits and carrots), flavonoids (fruits and vegetables), and polyphenols (in tea and grapes). While they don't specifically work to increase white blood cell count, they aid to back up a salubrious allowed organisation.

Vitamin C—Vitamin C helps the body to produce more white blood cells, which in plough helps the trunk to fight infections. All citrus fruits—including oranges, lemons, and limes—comprise vitamin C. Y'all tin also get vitamin C from other fruits, such every bit berries, papayas, pineapples and guavas, and vegetables, such as carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and bell peppers.

In addition to these nutrients, you may desire to invest in some non-alcoholic beer! Believe information technology or not, one study showed that drinking 1 to one.5 liters of non-alcoholic beer for iii weeks before and 2 weeks after running a marathon helps to reduce both inflammation and white blood cell count!

Whether or not you are an athlete, use InsideTracker to find out your white blood cell levels so you tin can optimize your performance and your overall well-beingness by taking the proper activeness if you find out they're besides high! Don't forget to view the free InsideTracker demo here!