Neutropenia

Neutropenia is when you have a lower than normal number of neutrophils in your blood. Neutrophils are a type of white blood cell. White blood cells are an important part of your immune system; they help to protect your body against infections.

Image credit: Canva and Healthify He Puna Waiora

When there aren't enough white cells in your blood, you can get infections more easily. You need to take special care to avoid infections when your neutrophil count is low.

The normal count of neutrophils in the blood is between 1.5 and 5.5. A count below 1 is called neutropenia. Depending on how many neutrophils are present, neutropenia may be called mild, moderate or severe. 

There are a number of causes of neutropenia. Some people are born with low neutrophils, other people develop conditions that cause low neutrophils. These include:

• infections caused by viruses (eg, viral hepatitis, HIV or tuberculosis).
• use of certain medicines (eg, clozapine).
• cancer treatments (eg, chemotherapy and radiation). Your neutrophil count is usually at its lowest 5 to 14 days after cancer treatment, but this can vary between different chemotherapy drugs.
• bone marrow disorders (eg, leukaemia or aplastic anaemia).
• medical conditions that can affect your immune system (eg, lupus or rheumatoid arthritis).

A low neutrophil count may be discovered accidentally while you're having a routine blood test. Often in these situations, people don't have any symptoms of infection. The only way to know for sure that there's a low number of neutrophils in your body is to have a blood sample taken and tested in the lab. This is called your 'neutrophil count'.

You can't prevent neutropenia from occurring, but you can decrease your risk of getting an infection while your white blood cell count is low.

Tips to prevent an infection

• Wash your hands often.
• Clean your teeth and gums with a soft toothbrush and, if your healthcare provider recommends one, use a mouthwash to prevent mouth sores.
• Shower or bathe daily and use an unscented lotion to prevent your skin from becoming dry and cracked.
• Don't share food, drinking cups, utensils or other personal items, eg, toothbrushes.
• Try to avoid crowded places and contact with people who are sick.
• Cook meat and eggs all the way through to kill any germs.
• Carefully wash raw fruits and vegetables.
• Try and keep all your household surfaces clean.
• Protect your skin from direct contact with pet bodily waste (wee or poo) by wearing vinyl or household cleaning gloves when cleaning up after your pet. Wash your hands immediately afterwards.
• Use gloves for gardening.
• Get your flu vaccination every year.