Leukemia is a form of cancer that causes an excessive growth of white blood cells that do not function correctly. White blood cells are normally used by the body to fight disease and infection, but the white blood cells produced by leukemia cannot fight infection. The common method for diagnosing leukemia is by using a physical exam, a blood test and a bone marrow sample.
Bacterial Infections
Leukemia reduces the ability of the body to fight infection, so one of the more common symptoms of leukemia is recurring bacterial infections. The most noticeable symptoms of these infections are running a high fever, aches and pains normally associated with a flu, chills and a runny nose.
Loss of Energy
Another common symptom of leukemia is a loss of energy. You may lose your appetite and the reduction in nutrients will make you feel weak. Fatigue may begin to set in as a result of the lack of red blood cells supplying oxygen to the body's internal organs. You may also start to experience a shortness of breath even with the simplest of physical activities.
Bone Discomfort
Because leukemia is a condition that accelerates the development of white blood cells, it is possible that the overabundance of white blood cells in the bone marrow will start to put pressure on the bones. You may feel pain that originates from your bones, and you may also feel joint pain that would be the result of the swollen bones rubbing together.
Blood Symptoms
Leukemia also has common red blood cell symptoms as well. You may start to notice small red spots on the surface of your skin that are the result of red blood cells being pushed to the surface. This condition is referred to as petechiae. Anemia may also set in which is a lack of healthy red blood cells to get oxygen to the rest of the body. Anemia may cause your skin to look pale. You may also bleed very easily even with the slightest cut, and you may also find that you bruise much easier than you used to.
Sweating
Running a fever is a common symptom of leukemia. It may be an exceedingly high fever that will cause you to sweat constantly. It is also possible that you may experience sweating for what may appear to be no reason. In some cases, the sweating may be most evident at night.
Tags: blood cells, white blood cells, body fight, bone marrow, common symptom, common symptom leukemia, even with
