11 Unmistakable Signs Your Body Might Be Battling Leukocytosis

3. Difficulty Breathing

An individual who experiences difficulty breathing may be affected by leukocytosis. The underlying cause of the leukocytosis and the high blood viscosity that results from this condition can both be contributing factors for this symptom. Certain bacterial and viral infections can cause an individual to develop the leukocytosis because white blood cells play a critical role in the mechanism the body uses to fight off these pathogens. If the infection is respiratory, the patient can experience infection associated congestion, airway constriction, shortness of breath, and pain with breathing. Certain types of allergic conditions can cause breathing difficulty and leukocytosis concurrently, including asthma, esophagitis, hay fever, and several others. Leukocytosis can cause an individual to have an increased risk of developing a blood clot in the blood vessels that supply blood to their lungs. This clot is called a pulmonary embolism. Rapid breathing, pain when breathing, coughing up fluids, and shortness of breath can all indicate a pulmonary embolism precipitated from underlying leukocytosis.

4. Fever

A fever may be indicative of leukocytosis in an affected individual. The main mechanism behind this symptom of leukocytosis is associated with the underlying cause of it. Certain bacterial infections can cause a reaction in the body that produces leukocytosis. The bacteria shown to cause this condition in affected individuals include brucellosis, rickettsia, ehrlichiosis, Staphylococcus aureus, tularemia, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and leishmaniasis. Bacteremia, an infection in the bloodstream, can also cause the development of leukocytosis and fever. While viral infections often produce a fever in the affected individual, they cause leukocytosis less often than bacterial infections do. The most common viral infections known to cause this condition with a fever are infectious cytomegaloviruses, infectious hepatitis, mononucleosis, and respiratory syncytial virus infections. Additionally, a hereditary disease that is called familial cold autoinflammatory syndrome has also been known to be the underlying cause of an affected individual's leukocytosis and fever.