Eosinophils in the blood are elevated, what should I do? What is the norm?
Eosinophils are blood cells, with an increase in which one can suspect that the following processes occur in the human body:
- An infectious disease develops;
- There is an allergic reaction;
- Parasitic invasion has occurred;
- There is tissue inflammation;
- There is a tumor.
Eosinophils are able to absorb well the eosin coloring pigment, which is used in laboratories when performing blood tests. It is thanks to this feature that eosinophils got their name. At multiple magnifications, eosinophils look like amoebas with two nuclei. They can seep through the vessels and settle in those tissues where the inflammatory process is taking place. Eosinophils in the blood are present for 60 minutes and then enter the tissues.
The main functions of these blood cells are as follows:
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Eosinophils affect receptors that are sensitive to class E immunoglobulins, increasing their sensitivity. As a result, a person's immunity becomes active, which is responsible for the destruction of parasites. Its cells begin to attack the membranes of foreign organisms, destroying them. The destroyed membranes attract cells like a magnet, which completely destroy them.
- Eosinophils stimulate the processes of accumulation and release of biologically active substances, which are responsible in the human body for the activation and suppression of inflammation processes (inflammatory mediators).
- Eosinophils promote the absorption and binding of inflammatory mediators. This is especially true in relation to histamine.
- Eosinophils, like microphages, can destroy small particles by surrounding and absorbing them.
Content:
- The rate of eosinophils in the blood 1-5
- The norm of indicators of eosinophils for children
- What does an increase in the rate of eosinophils mean?
- Causes of eosinophilia
- The reasons for the increase in the level of eosinophils in children
- If the level of eosinophils is below normal
- Combined increases in eosinophils
The rate of eosinophils in the blood 1-5
The percentage of eosinophils normally can range from 1 to 5% of the total leukocyte count. This norm is the same for both sexes. Laser flow cytometry is used to determine the level of eosinophils in the blood.
It is also possible to determine eosinophils not in percentage, but in quantitative. This calculates the total number of eosinophils per milliliter of blood. The indicator of the norm in this case varies in the range of 120-350.
The level of eosinophils in the blood is directly influenced by the adrenal glands. If you take blood from a person in the first half of the night, then their content will be 30% more. In the morning hours, this figure rises by 15%.
Therefore, in order to get the most reliable result, you should adhere to the following points:
- Take blood in the morning and on an empty stomach.
- A couple of days before the test, give up sweet food and alcohol.
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The level of eosinophils in the blood is influenced by the woman's menstrual cycle. During ovulation, their number will be lower, this continues until the end of the cycle. Knowing this, doctors have developed an eosinophilic test that detects the peak of egg maturation. The higher the level of progesterone in the blood, the lower the level of eosinophils. Estrogen, on the other hand, increases this blood count.
The norm of indicators of eosinophils for children
The level of eosinophils in the blood does not change too much as the child grows up.
| Child's age | Percentage of eosinophils |
| ≥ 14 days | 1-6 |
| 15 day - 12 months | 1-5 |
| 1.5-2 years | 1-7 |
| 2 to 5 years old | 1-6 |
| ≤5 years | 1-5 |
What does an increase in the rate of eosinophils mean?
If 1 ml of blood contains more than 700 eosinophils (7 * 10 to the 9th degree g / l), then this is a very significant deviation from the norm.
In medicine, this condition is called eosinophilia.
- Mild eosinophilia - an increase in the level of eosinophils by 10%.
- Moderate eosinophilia is a 10-15% jump in eosinophils.
- Severe eosinophilia - an increase in their level by 15% or more. With such blood counts, tissues and organs begin to suffer from a lack of oxygen, which affects their condition.
During the analysis, some error is permissible, since neutrophils can be highlighted with eosin dye. Therefore, if, according to the results of a blood test, the level of neutrophils is below normal, and eosinophils are above normal, then a second sampling should be carried out.
Causes of eosinophilia
A high level of eosinophils in the blood indicates an allergic tension in the body, which may be a consequence of conditions such as:
- Drug allergy.
- Reactive allergic reaction (hay fever, Quincke's edema, urticaria).
- Allergic rhinitis.
- Allergic skin reactions (eczema, contact and atopic dermatitis, pemphigus vulgaris).
- Parasitic invasions (infection with amoebas, chlamydia, toxoplasma).
- Helminthic invasions.
- Systemic diseases (lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, fasciitis, periarteritis nodosa).
- Acute and chronic infectious diseases (syphilis, Epstein-Barr virus, tuberculosis).
- Lung diseases (asthma, sarcoidosis, eosinophilic pleurisy, fibrosing alveolitis, Lefler's disease, histocytosis).
- Oncological diseases of the blood (lymphoma, lymphogranulomatosis).
- Diseases of the digestive system (gastritis and colitis of an eosinophilic nature).
- Malignant cancerous tumors.
When eosinophilia is detected, an adult patient is referred for the following tests:
- Feces for eggs of worms.
- Blood for biochemical analysis.
- Ultrasound examination of the abdominal organs.
Also, the patient must definitely visit the allergist, at the discretion of the doctor, the following studies are possible:
- A swab from the throat and nasal passages to determine the level of eosinophils, if a person has an allergic rhinitis.
- Performing provocative tests and spirometry for suspected asthma.
- Identification of allergens by blood serum.
In the future, the patient receives medical advice and is treated for his existing disease. If the patient's lungs are affected, then he is referred for consultation to a pulmonologist. In case of parasitic invasions, it is necessary to go to an appointment with an infectious disease specialist.
The reasons for the increase in the level of eosinophils in children
| Newborn children, children up to six months | 6 months - 3 years | ≤ 3 years |
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If the level of eosinophils is below normal
Eosinopenia is a condition in which the level of eosinophils is below 200 in 1 ml of blood.
This is observed under the following conditions:
- Sepsis and other severe purulent diseases, in which the body becomes unable to produce the necessary amount of eosinophils.
- The manifestation of organ inflammation: appendicitis, urolithiasis, pancreatitis.
- The first 24 hours from the incident myocardial infarction.
- Shock: painful or infectious shock.
- Intoxication of the body with heavy metals (mercury, arsenic, copper, lead, cadmium, bismuth, thallium).
- Diseases of the adrenal glands, pathology of the thyroid gland.
- Chronic stress.
With advanced leukemia, the level of eosinophils will approach zero.
Combined increases in eosinophils
In people with allergies, when infected with viral infections, an increase in eosinophils and lymphocytes will be observed. A similar condition is typical for allergy sufferers with helminthiases and dermatoses. A similar picture is observed in patients receiving treatment with antibacterial drugs and sulfonamides. A jump in eosinophils and lymphocytes in children occurs with infectious mononucleosis, with scarlet fever. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out additional laboratory diagnostics: examine feces for worms, determine the level of immunoglobulin E and the presence of antibodies to the Epstein-Barr virus in the blood.
If, against the background of eosinophilia, there is an increase in the level of monocytes, then an infectious process occurs in a person in the body. Most often it is mononucleosis. The same blood picture is possible in sarcoidosis, mycotic lesions, viral infections, tuberculosis, gonorrhea and rickettsiosis.
Author of the article: Alekseeva Maria Yurievna | Therapist
Education: From 2010 to 2016 Practitioner of the therapeutic hospital of the central medical-sanitary unit No. 21, city of elektrostal. Since 2016 she has been working in the diagnostic center No. 3.
