Can a High TLC Count Be a Sign of
Cancer? What You Should Look Out For
TLC stands for Total Leukocytes Count and an increase in TLC in our blood usually indicates an infection.
What is TLC Test
White blood cells are also called leukocytes.
They are an important part of our immune system and help in fighting any infection or disease.
White blood cells have five parts
1) Neutrophils
2) Eosinophils
3) Basophils
4) Lymphocytes
5) Monocytes
Together these five make our leukocytes i.e. white blood cells.
In the TLC test, we see the total value of these five. When TLC is increased or decreased, it is a symptom of some diseases.
Why is TLC Test Done
TLC test is a part of Complete Blood Count (CBC) and it is done to detect the following diseases
1) Infection
2) Auto-Immune Disease
3) Any problem with blood
4) Weak immune system
5) Side effects of cancer treatment
6) Any problem in bone marrow
7) Inflammation in the body
What is the Normal Range for TLC Test
The normal value of TLC in our blood is 4,000 micro-liters to 11,000 micro-liters.
Being above or below this is a sign of disease.
Why TLC is Increased in the Body
TLC can increase due to many reasons like
1) Infection
2) Fever
3) In case of injury
4) Pregnancy
5) Asthma
6) Being allergic to something
7) Due to being under more stress
8) Due to blood loss
9) Due to a heart attack
10) Blood cancer
11) If there is a tumor or cancer in the bone marrow
12) In case of inflammation
13) When there is swelling or inflammation in the veins
What are the Symptoms of High TLC
1) Fever
2) Fatigue
3) Body aches
4) Difficulty in breathing
5) Night sweats
6) Itching
7) Sudden weight loss
8) Wheezing
How is High TLC Treated
When the TLC is increased, the doctor first sees according to the symptoms whether there is any infection in the body or not.
If there is an infection, it is treated with antibiotics.
In most of the cases of increased TLC, infection is the main reason.
If there is no infection, then the doctor finds out other reasons and treats them.
What Does it Mean When TLC is Low
If TLC is low i.e. 2,000 or below then it can be due to the following reasons
1) Auto-Immune Disease
2) HIV or AIDS
3) Problem in bone marrow
4) Severe infection
5) Liver failure
6) Malfunction of spleen
7) Lump
8) Cancer
9) Side effects of cancer treatment
10) Due to excessive Alcohol
11) Causes of Malaria
12) Due to side effects of medicines
What are the Symptoms of Low TLC
If TLC is below 2,000 then the patient shows the following symptoms
1) Fever and chills
2) Swelling or redness in the body
3) Sores in the mouth
4) White or red blisters in the mouth
5) Hoarseness or throat infection
6) Coughing a lot
7) Difficulty in breathing
8) Pain while urinating
9) Diarrhea
Low TLC Count Treatment
When TLC is low, first of all, the doctor finds out its cause on the basis of symptoms and then treats it.
Low TLC can be a big problem.
When TLC is low, in most cases the doctor increases the number of TLC by injecting growth hormone injection.
If the TLC is low due to a serious infection, then the infection is first treated with antibiotics.
If there is any problem related to bone marrow or blood cancer, then you should consult a hematologist.
Many times the value of TLC also decreases due to malnutrition, then it gets cured by giving a nutritious diet.
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