Normal White Blood Cell Count – The Importance

Normal White Blood Cell Count – The Importance

A normal white blood cell count is very important in maintaining a person's health. Although the red cells are basically the ones that distribute nutrients all over the body, it is the white blood cells or WBC that fights off any bacteria that may enter the system. In fact, they are known as the "army" of the body as they strengthen the immune system and make sure that the body is protected as much as possible. Hence, fewer WBC would mean that the body is more vulnerable to diseases.

The white blood cells originate from the bone marrow and travel the body for two to three days, after which they die and new WBC take their place.

Normal white blood cell count

As most people know, WBC is so small that there are literally millions in every drop of blood. To get specific, the normal amount of WBC for every cubic millimeter is around 6000. This means that for every drop of blood, more or less 500,000 WBC's are present.

However, this doesn't mean that more white blood cells would create a stronger person. In fact, high amounts of WBC could be problematic for a person the same way having too few can be dangerous.

High or Low White Blood Cell Count

A high WBC count could be anything above 9,000 per cubic millimetre. In most cases, people who have WBC do so because of normal body changes. For example, women usually have a high WBC count when they are pregnant. Also, the body naturally produces more white blood cells when a person is battling some sort of infection. This makes sense as it takes more soldiers to battle a particularly bad infection. Some medications may also have a side effect of increased white blood cell count.

Newborn children are also noted for having a high white blood cell count. This usually lowers as they grow and finally settles on the normal ratio.

One of the most common reasons for a low white blood cell count is anemia. However, chemotherapy, viral infections, bone marrow diseases, radiotherapy, HIV and viral infections are also likely causes of a low white blood cell count. These conditions are serious and should be addressed immediately after being found. The fact is that a low white blood cell count is a sign of a weakened immune system, which can be fatal if left alone.

Check Ups for Normal White Blood Cell Count

Regular checkups to determine normal white blood cell count is very important in most individuals. It allows doctors to determine the state of a person's health and assists with the diagnosis and prognosis of various diseases. By checking the white blood cell count of a person, doctors can verify whether or not their patient is responding positively to treatment. Even when not showing signs of symptoms, checking the white blood cell count of a person may be done to spot health complications and therefore prevent them from doing too much damage to the body.