Living With Lymphocytopenia
If you have mild lymphocytopenia with no underlying
condition, you may not need treatment. The lymphocytopenia may improve on its
own.
If an underlying condition is causing your
lymphocytopenia, you'll need treatment for that condition. You'll also need
treatment for infections if your body is unable to fight them due to
lymphocytopenia.
Treating and Preventing Infections
The main risk of lymphocytopenia is getting unusual
infections, repeat infections, and/or infections that won't go away. If you
have lymphocytopenia, you may get treatment to prevent infections or to treat
infections you already have.
You also can take other steps to prevent infections.
For example:
- Stay away from people who are sick, and avoid
large crowds of people.
- Avoid certain kinds of foods that can expose you
to bacteria, such as uncooked foods.
- Wash your hands often.
- Brush and floss your teeth and get regular dental
care to reduce the risk of infection in your mouth and throat.
- Ask your doctor whether you should get a yearly
flu shot and the
pneumonia
vaccine.
It's important to know the signs of infection, such
as fever. Call your doctor right away if you think you have an infection.
Living With Underlying Conditions
If you have a disease or condition that causes
lymphocytopenia, you need to get treatment for that condition.
You'll probably have regular tests to see how the
treatment is working. For example, you may have
blood
tests to check the level of lymphocytes in your blood.
If the treatments for the underlying condition are
working, the level of lymphocytes in your blood may go up.
Physical Activity
Talk to your doctor about what types and amounts of
physical activity are right for you. You may want to avoid activities that
could result in injuries or increase your risk for infections. |