Are you worried about the health of your immune system? Here are some of the useful tests your doctor can order based on your needs to make sure that your immune system is working optimally.
1) White Blood Cells (Leukocytes)
When we are talking about immunity and immune system health, there’s no better place to start than white blood cells (WBC) or leukocytes. These cells protect us against infections and diseases by fighting bacteria, viruses, and other foreign invaders. That is why, when you are checking the health of your immune system, the first step should be to get a complete blood count (CBC) with a WBC differential (or alternatively just a WBC differential).
CBC gives you information about your blood cells: red blood cells (RBCs), white blood cells (WBCs), and platelets. It’s a common test that is normally a part of a routine health exam. Doctors use it to help detect a wide range of health issues, including anemia, infections, clotting problems, immune system disorders, and blood cancers [R, R].
When it comes to white blood cells, having low WBC levels, for example, can mean that your body doesn’t have adequate resources to fight against infections properly. High WBC, one the other hand, may mean that you’re currently fighting an infection or that there’s inflammation in the body.
White Blood Cell Differential
If your white blood cells are decreased or increased, it is important to check which particular cells are the cause. WBC differential means that, apart from giving a total white blood cells count, the test will also include the counts and/or percentages of the 5 major types of white blood cells:
- Neutrophils — these first-responders at infection and inflammation sites help fight infection by ingesting microbes and releasing enzymes that kill them [R, R]
- Lymphocytes — these are cells that produce antibodies against microbes, kill cancer or virus-infected cells, and help direct the immune response [R, R, R, R]
- Monocytes — cells that kill microbes, ingest foreign particles, remove dead cells, and boost the immune response [R, R, R].
- Eosinophils — cells that fight parasite infections and are involved in the allergic response [R]
- Basophils — cells involved in inflammatory responses [R, R, R].
Having a normal
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