What Diseases Can Be Caused by High or Low White Blood Cell Counts?

White blood cells are also an important component of human blood, and their main function is to resist the invasion of bacteria and viruses. However, the number of white blood cells should also be controlled within the standard range, because both excessive and insufficient white blood cells may cause health issues. For instance, excessive white blood cells may be related to inflammatory infections. Below are some diseases that can be caused by high or low white blood cell counts.

The most common reason for increased white blood cell counts in humans is infection. For example, when the body experiences infection or inflammation caused by trauma or a certain viral disease, it may trigger an emergency response from the immune system, resulting in a significant increase in white blood cell counts. However, not all inflammatory and viral diseases can be resolved through white blood cells. Excessively high white blood cell counts may lead to the accumulation of necrotic tissues and waste, causing more severe infections.

White blood cells mainly exist in our blood, using it as a carrier. When the immune system of the body is triggered at a certain location, a large number of white blood cells will be attracted to address the issue. However, abnormally high white blood cell counts may be caused by blood diseases, such as leukemia. Acute leukemia can destroy the human immune system in a short period of time, affecting one's life and health.

White blood cells can respond to the presence of not only bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens invading the body, but also malignant cells that they are responsible for clearing. Therefore, when a person is diagnosed with a malignant tumor disease, also known as cancer, the white blood cell count in the body may also abnormally increase. This is because the immune system is actively fighting against cancer cells, but the proliferation and division speed of cancer cells is very fast, and it is difficult for the body's immune system to effectively combat them alone.