Demystifying Eosinophilia: A Comprehensive Guide to Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment

What is Eosinophilia?

An eosinophil is the part of white blood cells. A complete blood count is run to determine the eosinophils count in the body. Eosinophilia happens when the number of eosinophils is high in the blood. The number is usually higher than or equal to 500 eosinophils. You must know Eosinophilia's normal range to keep a check on its count.

The eosinophils support the proper functioning of various white blood cells in your immune system. They are the defence system of your body. These blood cells fight the allergens and protect the body from fungal infections. You might have a higher eosinophil count if you have a certain health condition.

Is Eosinophilia serious?

The eosinophilia disease depends on the number of eosinophils in your blood. It also depends on the mild, moderate, or high eosinophil levels. If you have a high eosinophil count, it's probably a cause of random drug reactions or allergies. It can also be caused due to a serious underlying condition such as a blood disorder.

Many times, eosinophils get collected at a particular body part and show symptoms of inflammation. Such a condition can arise in any part of your body. If you see any such symptoms, reach out for some medical help.

What causes Eosinophilia?

There are many causes behind the increase in the eosinophil count in your blood. A few causes can be:

• Asthma
• Seasonal allergies
• Medicine reactions

The other Eosinophilia causes are parasite or fungal infections and:

• Autoimmune diseases such as inflammatory bowel
• Autoimmune myocarditis
• Vasculitis

Blood cancer cells can also lead to Eosinophilia. Lastly, it can also be passed on genetically through biological parents.

What can happen if the Eosinophil count is high?

If your eosinophil count is high, it can lead to swelling and inflammation in your body. It is known as a condition of eosinophilic disorder or hypereosinophilia syndrome. This condition can affect various parts of your body. A few disorders are as follows:

• Eosinophilic fasciitis: It is a disorder in your fascia. A connective tissue disorder throughout your body.
• Eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders: It is when the disorder happens in your oesophagus, colon, small intestine, and large intestine. It happens due to eosinophilic esophagitis.
• Eosinophilic cystitis: It affects your bladder.
• Eosinophilic pneumonia: This disorder happens in your lungs.
• Hypereosinophilic syndrome: This condition happens with an increased level of Eosinophilia. The disorder affects your nervous system, respiratory tract, and heart.

What are Eosinophilia symptoms?

The first symptom is the increase in the eosinophils count in your blood. If there is a negligible increase in the eosinophils count, here are a few symptoms to look out for:

• Skin rashes
• Itching
• Diarrhoea
• Runny nose due to allergies
• Asthma
• Chronic cough situation

When the eosinophils are high you will notice symptoms such as fatigue and gastrointestinal diseases. Diarrhoea and fungal infection are the other two significant symptoms. You should pay attention to these symptoms and rush to a doctor immediately.

How do healthcare providers diagnose Eosinophilia?

Eosinophilia, a blood disorder, can only be diagnosed by identifying the complete blood count. This report shows the number of each type of white blood cell. The various white blood cells in the blood are eosinophils, lymphocytes, basophils, neutrophils and monocytes.

Once the condition is diagnosed, the healthcare professional will work on figuring out the cause behind it. The doctor might also ask you to visit a haematologist. The condition of Eosinophilia is divided into mild, moderate, and severe, depending on the blood cell count.

If the blood count is:

• 500-1500 cells per microliter, the condition is mild
• 1500-5000 cells/mcL, the condition is moderate
• 5000+ cells/mcL, the condition is severe.

The Eosinophilia causes are identified based on the symptoms of the patient. For instance, if you're facing difficulty in swallowing your food, this might be a symptom of oesophagus eosinophilia. In such conditions, the stool sample is tested to diagnose the level of parasite infection.

Sometimes, the medication can be the cause behind your Eosinophilia. Once you stop consuming the regular dosage, you might see significant health improvement.

The normal eosinophil count in a healthy human body is lower than 500 cells/mcL.

If the doctor diagnoses the symptom of excessive gas, they may run the following tests to see your digestive tract health:

• Liver function test
• Urine test
• Tissue and bone marrow
• Stool test
• Chest X-rays and more blood tests

Wondering what level of eosinophils indicates cancer?

If your cell/mcL level is more than or equal to 5000, it can indicate cancer. Make sure you do not come to any conclusion by yourself after seeing the report. Consult the doctor immediately and let them assess the situation, before reaching any conclusion.

How do healthcare providers treat Eosinophilia?

Eosinophilia is treated after determining the causes behind it. A few ways of determining it are:

• Repetition of lab study to observe if your Eosinophilia is mild or severe
• Discontinuation of medication to see if medicines are the cause behind the increase in eosinophil count
• Treatment for eczema and asthma
• Parasite infection relief medications
• Prescription of steroids to treat excessive eosinophilia syndromes

Many people have moderate to mild eosinophilia counts and can recover by taking proper treatment. You might require a specialist in a few cases. A few or several underlying reasons cause this medical condition. An Eosinophils blood test is performed to know the cause of the disease.

Luckily, these underlying conditions are easily curable with diagnosis and medications. If you see any other alarming symptoms, consult your physician.

How can I prevent Eosinophilia

You can prevent Eosinophilia by keeping a check on your eosinophil levels. To have the right level of eosinophils in your blood, try to have a balanced diet. Your diet must comprise fruits, vegetables, lentils, fats, protein, and whole grains.

You must also avoid allergy-causing food items to reduce the eosinophil count. These food items are soy, egg, wheat, fish, and milk. Avoid these food items if you're allergic to them at all costs. Gastric and acidity increases the eosinophil level in the blood. Hence, remove fried food, garlic, onion, and alcohol from your diet.

You can also do natural remedies to reduce your eosinophil levels:

• Have a healthy meal full of vegetables, fruits, and water.
• Consume immunity-boosting food such as turmeric, honey, pepper, and ginger.
• Stress less as it can increase your eosinophil levels to a great extent. You can practise yoga, meditation, and other breathing exercises to manage your cortisol levels.
• Stop smoking and drinking unendingly to keep your eosinophil levels in check.
• Regularly check your eosinophil level by running regular blood tests.
• Try to stay away from allergens and fungal bacteria.
• Live in a clean environment and keep your surroundings tidy. Even dust can spike up your eosinophil levels.
• If you face seasonal allergies, immediately visit your healthcare provider for prescribed medications.
• Ensure you avoid consuming medications that spike your eosinophil levels.

What can I expect if I have Eosinophilia?

You do not need to worry if you've low or moderate eosinophils levels. However, it would help if you had a quick diagnosis in case of a high eosinophil count. In case the eosinophils are high it is suggested to consult the healthcare provider and follow what they suggest.

Conclusion

You'll see an abnormal increase in your blood eosinophil levels if you suffer from Eosinophilia. These are a form of white blood cells that your bone marrow produces. It is essential to fight foreign bacteria and fungi. It helps in keeping your body's inflammation at bay.

Take a quick blood test if you see unusual symptoms like fatigue, diarrhoea or gastrointestinal discomfort. These symptoms might be a sign of an underlying reason behind eosinophils high. Proper diagnosis and treatment are crucial to returning the eosinophil count to a mild level

At Metropolis Lab, you get the best possible diagnosis and treatment from highly skilled medical professionals. They have the best lab and test equipment to run various tests. From blood and urine to stool tests, you get accurate results for all of them. All the tests are done at an affordable cost without burning a hole in your pocket. Also, in the report along with your body's eosinophils count, Eosinophil's normal range will be mentioned to let you know about the exact levels.