High White Blood Cells: What Do Elevated White Blood Cells Mean? Symptoms, Causes and Treatment

A high white blood cell count is not a specific disease, but it can indicate another problem, such as infection, stress, inflammation, trauma, allergy, or particular conditions.

This is why a high white blood cell count generally requires more investigation. The blood test measures your white blood cell count. If your white blood cell count is high, you should talk to your doctor.

What are the symptoms of an elevated white blood cell count?

The only way to determine if your levels are too high is to have a blood test done at your doctor’s office.

People with a high white blood cell count, a condition called leukocytosis, usually do not have specific symptoms. Still, they may have a medical condition responsible for raising white blood cell levels.

The specific number for high white blood cell count varies from one laboratory testing facility to another. Still, a general rule of thumb is that a count of more than 10,500 leukocytes in a microliter of blood in adults is generally considered high, while 4,500- 10,500 is considered within the normal range.

Since a high white blood cell count can be a symptom of another underlying problem, you may experience symptoms associated with that condition.

However, people with high leukocytosis may also experience a combination of these symptoms:

 

  • Fever.
  • Fainting.
  • Hemorrhage.
  • Hematomas.
  • Weightloss.
  • General pain

What are the causes of high white blood cells?

There are a few reasons you may have a high white blood cell count.

These include:

Infection: As the bacteria or viruses that cause diseases to multiply in the blood, the bone marrow makes more white blood cells to fight the infection. The infection can also lead to inflammation, which can increase the number of white blood cells.

Smoking or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): Essentially, COPD means you have a lung and airway disease, such as emphysema or chronic bronchitis, that blocks proper airflow.

It is most commonly caused by smoking, which causes inflammation in the lungs and airways. As inflammation increases in your lungs and airways, your body will make more white blood cells to fight it.

Leukemia: Leukemia is a type of cancer that dramatically increases the number of white blood cells. Leukemic leukocytes are often non-functional, increasing the risk of infection in these cancer patients.

Immune system disorders: Some autoimmune disorders like Crohn’s or Graves’ disease can raise your white blood cell levels. If you have one of these conditions, your doctor should monitor your white blood cell levels.

Finally, emotional or physical stress can also cause elevated white blood cell counts. The good news is that your white blood cell levels will return to normal once the pressure subsides.

Treatment

What types of foods will help lower your elevated white blood cell count?

What you eat also affects your white blood cell count. To keep your levels under control, avoid eating foods high in fat, calories, sugar, and salt (such as fast foods).

Aim for foods high in antioxidants like vitamins C and E, fiber, calcium, fish oils, monounsaturated fats, and low on the glycemic index.

Some foods that have been shown to reduce inflammation include garlic, grapes, herbs and spices, soy protein, nuts, olive oil, green and black teas, and vinegar. Try to eat at least six servings of fruits and vegetables per day, which will benefit much more than your white blood cell levels.

Other specific nutrients to increase in your diet include:

Omega-3 fatty acids: Omega-3 fatty acids are a type of polyunsaturated fat (or PUFA) known to improve heart health and increase the activity of phagocytes, a variety of white blood cells that protects it from bacteria foreign.

Omega-3 PUFAs are found mainly in fatty fish such as trout, herring, salmon and walnuts, and flaxseed. Studies have shown that PUFAs significantly increased white blood cell count in women on a controlled diet.

Antioxidants – Antioxidants are molecules that protect our cells against harmful molecules called free radicals, which damage cells, proteins, and DNA (for example, free radicals cause peeled apples to turn brown).

Eating more phytochemicals helps protect against this type of damage. Phytochemicals with antioxidant capacity include allyl sulfides (found 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 help support a healthy immune system.

Vitamin C: Vitamin C helps the body make more white blood cells, which in turn helps the body fight infection. All citrus fruits contain vitamin C, including oranges, lemons, and limes.

You can also get vitamin C from other fruits, such as:

  • Berries
  • Papayas.
  • Piñas.
  • Guayaberas.
  • Vegetables (carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and bell peppers).