For some reason I was given a copy of some old blood test results by a previous GP and never really paid any attention to them.
There are 3 that are below the range namely White Blood Cells (WBCs), Neutrophil count and Lymphocyte count.
Low Lymphocyte count can be attributed to many things including possible autoimmune condition. The others indicate anything from leukaemia to a virus.
Should a GP have taken notice and used these in conjunction with symptoms to make a diagnosis? Do they actually have any meaning at all considering there was no concern?
For reference, I was kept on the second lowest dose of Thyroxine and regularly told I needed AD's.
From my own experience, the GP only acts if the Lab tells them to do so. I had similar problems with white blood cells but they were so out of range the lab asked for more tests and a referral to Haemotology. Further tests were OK. From my reading I believe that neutrophil does fluctuate considerably.
in reply to
Thanks for your reply. The tests were actually marked as 'LOW' on the result sheet and thought perhaps that it might have provided a clue for the GPs, along with other symptoms.
When you have a virus or other type of infection the number of white blood cells increase, and then after you recover they can drop below the normal range for a while. Usually when they're retested they're back to normal.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.