Eosinophils are a type of leukocytes (a group of blood cells) that are found in small amounts in blood and tissues in healthy people. The functions of these cells are not yet fully understood. It is only known that they take part in inflammatory processes and allergic reactions, purifying the body of foreign substances and bacteria.
For eosinophils characterized by a fluctuation in blood concentrations during the day, with the highest values recorded at night, and the lowest - in the daytime. Also, their number depends on the age of the person. The norm of the content of these cells in the peripheral blood of an adult is 1-5% of the total number of leukocytes. The determination of the number of eosinophils is performed using a general blood test.
On what pathology can indicate an increased number of eosinophils in the blood, and what to do if increased eosinophils, we will consider further.
Causes of elevated eosinophils in the blood
If the transcript of the blood test shows that eosinophils are elevated, this is usually a reaction to the active ingestion of foreign protein into the blood. The increase in eosinophils (eosinophilia) can be observed in such diseases and pathological conditions:
- Diseases accompanied by allergic processes in the body (pollinosis, bronchial asthma , urticaria, Quincke's edema, serum sickness, drug disease, etc.).
- Parasitic diseases (ascaridosis, giardiasis, toxocarosis, trichinosis, opisthorchiasis, echinococcosis, malaria, etc.).
- Diseases of connective tissue and systemic vasculitis (rheumatoid arthritis, nodular periarteritis, scleroderma, systemic lupus erythematosus, etc.).
- Dermatological diseases (dermatitis, eczema, skinwort, pemphigus, etc.).
- Some infectious diseases (tuberculosis, scarlet fever, syphilis).
- Diseases of the blood, accompanied by the proliferation of one or more germs of hematopoiesis (chronic myelogenous leukemia, erythremia, lymphogranulomatosis).
- Also, an elevated level of eosinophils in the blood can be noted in the treatment of sulfonamides, antibiotics, adrenocorticotropic hormone.
- Long (more than six months) high eosinophilia of unknown etiology is called a hypereosinophilic syndrome. The level of eosinophils in the blood is more than 15%. This pathology is very dangerous, it causes damage to internal organs - the heart, kidneys, bone marrow, lungs, etc.
If monocytes and eosinophils are elevated in the blood, this may indicate an infectious process in the body, about blood diseases or the initial stage of cancer. Sometimes an increased amount of monocytes is found upon recovery from various diseases.
Eosinophils in the blood are increased - treatment
When clarifying the cause of eosinophilia, in addition to examining and collecting an anamnesis, specific studies may be required, for example:
- radiography of the lungs ;
- urine and feces analysis;
- functional tests of the liver and kidneys;
- allergodiagnostics;
- serological tests for the presence of parasitic infections and connective tissue diseases;
- sternal puncture, etc.
To treatment of eosinophilia proceed, having ascertained the true reason for increasing the number of eosinophils. Successful treatment of the main provoking pathological process and removal of the allergenic factor lead to a normalization of the level of these cells in the blood. With a hypereosinophilic syndrome, due to the risk of heart disease and other vital organs, special medications are prescribed that suppress the formation of eosinophils.