Why is eosinophilia dangerous

If the eosinophilia is related to an allergic reaction, the most simple fix is to avoid the drug, food, or other substance which is causing this reaction. When medication takes away the job of the eosinophils, this helps the body stop overproducing them. Sometimes medications such as anti-infectives, anti-inflammatories, or corticosteroids may relieve high eosinophil count. Eosinophilia is the condition of having too many eosinophils in the blood. Eosinophilia can either be tissue eosinophilia, which is abnormally high levels of eosinophils at the specific site of an infection or inflammation, but the bloodstream levels are normal.

Alternatively, blood eosinophilia is high levels of eosinophilia through the entire bloodstream. List of Partners vendors.

Eosinophilia is the technical name for an increased eosinophil count. Eosinophils are a type of white blood cells that destroy substances in the body like parasites and participate in allergic reactions. If you have eosinophilia, your symptoms will partially be determined by the cause of the elevated eosinophilia count. If your eosinophil count is mildly elevated you may not have any symptoms.

There are numerous reasons your eosinophil count may be elevated. Some of the causes are benign and require little treatment. It is not uncommon for the elevated count to be transient and resolve without treatment. Let's review some of the causes now. Like most blood disorders, eosinophilia is identified on complete blood count CBC. Eosinophils are one of the white blood cells and are found in the portion of the CBC called the differential.

The differential reports how many of each type of white blood cells neutrophil, lymphocyte, monocyte, eosinophil, and basophil are present in the blood.

After identification of eosinophilia, your healthcare provider will start working towards identifying the cause, sometimes this requires referral to a hematologist. Eosinophilia can be categorized by the number of eosinophils absolute eosinophil count.

Determining the cause of your eosinophilia will be based on your symptoms. Diagnosis requires a biopsy of the esophagus. Many of the parasite infections are diagnosed by taking stool samples and testing them.

Examples include:. A doctor can test a tissue sample taken from a person to find out if eosinophil levels are too high. They can also test mucus from the nose. Because an underlying condition causes eosinophilia, having high levels of eosinophils can cause varying symptoms in a person. A doctor will consider the underlying condition when treating eosinophilia.

Too many eosinophils cause a number of medical conditions. These conditions range from the occasionally annoying to the deadly. The following are examples of some but not all conditions that are caused by eosinophilia.

Eosinophilic pneumonia occurs when a person has too many eosinophils in their lung tissue. The effects are:. A person can have acute eosinophilic pneumonia, which causes a sudden, quick progression of pneumonia.

It is unknown what causes this condition. Another form, known as chronic eosinophilic pneumonia, results in a more lingering illness. Causes include:. Eosinophilic esophagitis EoE is an allergic reaction in the food pipe, the thin tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach.

An allergen triggers an immune system response that brings too many eosinophils to the food pipe. This causes symptoms like:. Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis EGPA is a form of vasculitis. This hormone plays a crucial role in the body. Doctors use cortisol level tests to…. What does my eosinophil count mean?

Medically reviewed by Stacy Sampson, D. Procedure Results Complications Summary An eosinophil count is the number of eosinophils in the body. Share on Pinterest An eosinophil count blood test requires minimal preparation and is relatively quick. Share on Pinterest A high eosinophil count may indicate an autoimmune disease. Exposure to air pollutants may amplify risk for depression in healthy individuals.

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