Leukemia - what is it? How correctly to diagnose?
Leukemia, or leukemia, what is it? What is terrible about the disease that suddenly and absolutely unexpectedly affects a person? By the way, most often in the risk group are children and adolescents. Today's article will be devoted to this disease.
Leukemia - what is it?
By leukemia is meant a malignant disease of the hematopoietic system, which has both acute and chronic course, and is expressed in violation of the division and maturation of blood cells.
Leukocytes produced by the bone marrow andperforming protective functions in the body, removing bacteria and viruses from it, at some point cease to fully ripen and, accordingly, can no longer perform their direct functions.
This ballast fills with time hematopoieticsystem, displacing healthy blood cells and causing the manifestation of the main symptoms of the disease: anemia, bleeding, irregularities in the work of the affected organs.
Why does the disease occur?
Leukemia has not been fully studied yet. Unfortunately, no one knows the true causes of the disease. But it is already known that most often this pathology appears after exposure to ionizing radiation, some chemical compounds, and also viruses. An important factor is the genetic predisposition of the organism, which manifests itself in the peculiarities of its structure.
Acute leukemia - what is it?
Depending on the speed of the diseaseleukemia is divided into acute and chronic. The condition of the patient with the acute form of the disease worsens quickly, while chronic leukemia occurs for many years almost asymptomatically.
The acute form begins with a sharp increasetemperature, and sometimes there are also signs of sore throat or stomatitis. This condition is accompanied by pain in the bones, increased weakness, decreased appetite, attacks of nausea and vomiting. On examination, there is an increase in lymph nodes, liver and spleen. Appears bruises on the body, even from minor bruises. As a rule, the body weight of the patient is markedly reduced, there is a danger of internal bleeding.
How is the diagnosis made?
Leukemia in chronic form can be found in a routine examination, when a blood test shows a strong increase in immature cells (blasts).
Patient with suspected leukemia afterMedical examination is also directed to aspiration and bone marrow biopsy. This helps to clarify the diagnosis and determine the type of leukemia in this patient. Only after this treatment is prescribed. And not always blood cancer is a death sentence. It all depends on how early the symptoms of the disease are revealed.
When should I see a doctor?
Now you know the answer to the question: "What is leukemia?" Let's find out how to recognize the disease. You should always contact a doctor if:
- pain in the throat lasts more than 2 weeks;
- bleeding gums constantly, blood appears in the feces and urine, nosebleeds become more frequent;
- you have an inexplicable and persistent fever, you often get sick with infectious diseases;
- you lose weight;
- at night you sweat much;
- lymph nodes increased.
But remember that these symptoms are not alwaysmean the presence of leukemia, they can signal and other diseases. You, in any case, need to undergo a survey and find out the cause of the change in state of health.
