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Page: Symptoms
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Damage to the bone marrow, by way of displacing the normal bone marrow cells with higher numbers of immature white blood cells, results in a lack of blood platelets, which are important in the blood clotting process. This means people with leukemia may become bruised, bleed excessively, or develop pinprick bleeds (petechiae).
White blood cells, which are involved in fighting pathogens, may be suppressed or dysfunctional, putting the patient at the risk of developing infections.
Finally, the red blood cell deficiency leads to anemia, which may cause dyspnea. All symptoms may also be attributable to other diseases; for diagnosis, blood tests and a bone marrow examination are required.
Some other related symptoms
* Fever, chills, night sweats and other flu-like symptoms
* Weakness and fatigue
* Loss of appetite and/or weight
* Swollen or bleeding gums
* Neurological symptoms (headache)
* Enlarged liver and spleen
* Easy Bruising
* Frequent Infection
* Bone Pain
* Joint Pain
* Swollen Tonsils
The word leukemia, which means 'white blood,' is derived from the disease's namesake high white blood cell counts that most leukemia patients have before treatment. The high number of white blood cells are apparent when a blood sample is viewed under a microscope. Many times, these extra white blood cells are immature or dysfunctional.
Some leukemia patients do not have high white blood cell counts visible during a regular blood count. This less-common condition is called aleukemia. The bone marrow still contains cancerous white blood cells, and they are disrupting the normal production of blood cells. However, they are staying in the marrow instead of entering the bloodstream, where they would be visible in a blood test. For an aleukemic patient, the white blood cell counts in the bloodstream can be normal or low. Aleukemia can occur in any of the four major types of leukemia, and is particularly common in hairy cell leukemia.
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Important notice:
The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other
qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
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