Index
White blood cells are essential for your body’s immunity. They play a vital role in protecting against invasion by parasites and bacteria.
There are five types of white blood cells present in your body, and eosinophils are one of them. When we talk about the eosinophil count, we are concerned about the number of eosinophils in your body.
A particular blood test is done to measure the eosinophil count. If you have recently passed this test and your eosinophil count is low, you must be thinking about why this happened to you.
Ideally, you should have fewer than 350 eosinophilic cells for every microliter of blood. But if your eosinophil count is meager, you are likely to develop problems.
What is the function of eosinophils?
Also called acidophilic leukocytes, eosinophilic leukocytes, eosinophils, oxyphilic cells, and oxyphilic leukocytes, 1 to 4% of the white blood cells in your body are eosinophils.
These cells have two important roles to play in your body’s immune system:
- First, they destroy any invading germs like parasites, bacteria, and viruses.
- Second, they create an inflammatory response against allergies. If you have a low eosinophil count, it may indicate alcohol intoxication or excessive cortisol production. It is a steroid that your body produces naturally.
Although low eosinophil count is not of great concern, you can treat it after identifying the cause.
Symptoms
There are no visible symptoms of low eosinophils. If you have a blood test and the results are not in the normal range, your doctor may recommend more tests to resolve the problem.
If this happens in a white blood cell differential test, another blood test called an absolute eosinophil count might be done.
This test may also be obtained if your doctor thinks you have a particular type of disease.
What are the causes of low eosinophils?
Extreme allergic reactions and their treatment
If you have an extreme allergy to any substance, you may show signs of a runny nose, red eyes, shortness of breath, wheezing, persistent cough, rash, hives, swelling of the face, tongue, lips, etc.
Your doctor may prescribe certain antihistamines to keep your allergic reaction under control. Some of these medications slow or stop the production of white blood cells in your body, so your eosinophil count may drop too low.
Therefore, this will be the most likely reason if you have been detected with low eosinophil levels and are currently taking antihistamines to keep your allergy under control.
Steroids
Steroids are drugs that are known to have extreme anti-inflammatory consequences. Your doctor may prescribe steroids to reduce your pain, swelling, and redness if you have inflammation.
Bodybuilders and elite athletes can also take steroids, although it is illegal. Steroids can be taken in different forms, including pills, inhalers, nasal sprays, ointments, and creams.
If you have been using steroids to treat your inflammation or manage painful conditions like lupus and arthritis for too long, then your eosinophil count may be too low.
Your doctor may suggest that you stop or reduce your steroid intake, depending on how low your eosinophil count is.
What are the causes of low eosinophils – steroids?
Cushing’s syndrome
Cushing’s syndrome occurs when there is excess production of cortisol in your body. This is a hormone produced by the middle layer of the adrenal cortex.
Signs of high cortisol levels in the body include increased urination, increased thirst, and calcification of the skin.
Too much cortisol can restrict the immune system, causing the eosinophil count to drop too low.
Tumor of the adrenal cortex
If there is a tumor in the adrenal cortex, it begins to produce too much of the hormone cortisol in your body, leading to a lower eosinophil count. Under this condition, you may be prescribed certain medications that can lower your eosinophil count further.
Other symptoms that you will notice if this is the case include the following:
- High temperature, fever.
- A lump will likely appear in the abdomen area.
- Loss of appetite and always packed.
- Weightloss.
- Asthma.
Asthmatic patients commonly suffer from a low eosinophil count, as they tend to accumulate eosinophils in their lungs, which is why it is not appropriately produced in the body. These cells release toxins to fight off intruders and other foreign substances.
They also cause damage to the tissues within the patient’s lungs, leading to a reduction in the level of eosinophils in their body.
Asthmatic patients are also prescribed steroids and antihistamines, due to which their eosinophil count is further lowered due to asthma treatment.
You will notice that this is the reason for your low eosinophil count because you will also have the following symptoms:
- Wheezing chest.
- Chest tightness
- To.
What are the causes of low eosinophils in asthma?
Blood disorder
Eosinophils are white blood cells that are cellular components of your blood. If you have a blood-related disorder such as anemia, leukemia, blood cancer, platelet disorder, or others, your eosinophil levels are also likely to be affected.
Therefore, if you have been detected with a low eosinophil count, check yourself for the conditions mentioned above and ensure that you do not suffer from any of these blood-related disorders.
Other causes
Besides these, certain other conditions can be responsible for the low eosinophil count in your body. Such conditions may include the following:
- Endocrine problems: Addison’s disease can also cause a low eosinophil count. You will also notice darkening of the skin, weight loss, and extreme weakness.
- Parasitic infestations: Also known as parasitosis, this reason can have different symptoms due to the different reactions of the body to each parasite. The most common is Toxoplasma gondii or Plasmodium.
- Infectious Diseases: If you have an open wound that has been infected and has not been adequately treated, then you also have a high chance of developing Eosinopenia.
- Immune disorders: Diseases such as pemphigus or dermatitis can also cause a low eosinophil count.
- Drug Interactions: If you take medications like Prednisone, pain relievers like Tricyclic, Adderall, or Medrol can cause it.
If your eosinophil count has been detected as low in your blood test, then perhaps one of these is your reason.
How to treat low eosinophils?
Some treatments, according to the causes.
Allergic reaction:
If you have any allergy symptoms, your doctor may prescribe antihistamines to control the allergic reaction. As a result, antihistamines stop or slow down the production of eosinophils, along with other white blood cells.
Because of this, the eosinophil count can be meager. Therefore, if your cause of low eosinophil levels is an anti-allergy drug, then you should stop taking it or ask your doctor for an alternative, such as alternative remedies for seasonal allergies:
- It has laurel.
- Chamomile tea.
- Increase your vitamin C intake through citrus fruits, white tea, and eucalyptus.
- Add honey to your tea.
Anemia
Eosinophils are the type of components in our blood, and if you have anemia, you will have a low amount of blood in your body, and consequently, you will also count a low level of eosinophils.
If you suffer from anemia and have also been found to have low eosinophil levels, you should eat healthily and bring your blood back to normal levels. S
Your doctor may prescribe iron supplements and advise you to increase your iron intake in the form of red meat, fish, spinach, broccoli, and other iron-rich foods.
In extreme cases, a blood transfusion can be carried out to bring iron levels back to normal and thus treat low eosinophil levels. You can also help your condition with these tricks to treat iron deficiency anemia at home.
Cushing’s syndrome
Cushing’s syndrome is a hormonal disorder caused by high cortisol levels in your body. Cortisol is a steroid hormone responsible for carrying out various processes in your body, including immunity and metabolism.
When cortisol levels rise in your body, your immunity is restricted, and the eosinophil count goes down. If the cause of your low eosinophil count is Cushing’s syndrome, you need to look for ways to lower the hormone cortisol level in your body.
Treatment procedures may include reducing the use of corticosteroids, surgery to remove the tumor that may cause Cushing’s syndrome, radiation therapy, or medications to reduce cortisol production.
Besides that, you can also try the following at home to improve your condition faster:
- Eat a balanced diet free of fat and sugar.
- Avoid processed foods and refined products like rice, bread, and sweets.
- Consume fish oil.
- Keep hydrated.
- Use anti-stress supplements like vitamin B, vitamin C, magnesium, zinc, and chromium.
Asthma
Patients with asthma usually have low levels of eosinophils, probably because eosinophils accumulate in the lungs and the body does not produce them effectively.
The lungs also go through a phase of damage, due to which the eosinophil count is too low in the body. If you have been experiencing chest tightness, coughing, wheezing, and low eosinophil count, then asthma is more likely to be caused by it.
Asthma patients also take antihistamines and steroids, which lower the eosinophil count. Therefore, if your cause of low eosinophil count is asthma, you should keep it administered with some alternative medications, but always under the supervision of your doctor:
- Ginger tea.
- Granada juice.
- Take omega-3 fatty acids.
- Clove and honey tea.
- Add turmeric to your diet.
- Play sports.
Other ways to reduce low eosinophil count
There are other possible reasons why you may have a low eosinophil count that will require completely different treatment than those listed above:
- Medication used to treat certain diseases can cause a low eosinophil count. These cannot be treated beyond the prescribed treatment for the specific disease. These are Tumors of the adrenal cortex, diseases that require Prednisone, Tricyclic, and Adderall.
- Parasitic infestations such as Toxoplasma fondii or Plasmodiuim can also cause low eosinophil counts that must be treated under careful medical supervision.
- In the case of low eosinophil count due to dermatitis, it can also help you with certain foods that will improve irritation on your skin. Some home remedies can help improve seborrheic dermatitis.
- In the event of a low eosinophil count caused by pemphigus, you will need to follow the wound care that your doctor will prescribe. You can help your health by improving your intake of calcium and vitamin D and avoiding abrasive foods like onion or garlic.
- Addison’s disease is another cause of low eosinophil count. However, only medical treatment will help you increase your count, although you can alleviate its symptoms with the help of Ashwagandha root to increase cortisol levels.
