High white blood cell counts are considered normal in certain situations:
Pregnancy in the final month and labor may be associated with increased WBC levels.
Spleen removal could grant persistent mild to moderate increased WBC count.
Too much smoking could also cause an increased WBC count.
The WBC count tends to be lower in the morning and higher in the late afternoon and they are age-related.
An elevated white blood cell count always signifies your immune system is working harder than usual. This could happen simply because your body is preparing for pregnancy, or it could be your body’s response to a seasonal allergy, cold or flu, or even strenuous exercise and emotional stress.
Your body is a very complex machine and when something is out of the ordinary it responds with something as simple as elevating white blood cell count. In very simplified language, your body’s immune system signals white blood cells – I am under stress, I need you to protect me better. And white blood cells start multiplying.
White blood cells are the ones that also help in the production, transportation, and distribution of antibodies in order to build and protect your body’s immune system. This is why white blood cell analysis is a good indicator that something is happening within your body – this could be as serious as HIV or leukemia, or a perfectly normal response to pregnancy or a cold.
However, high white blood cell counts could also trigger a serious disease if they naturally rise after an illness. Tell your doctor what happened, and he will give you further advice.
