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Leukemia is a type of cancer that affects the blood or bone marrow. Not only can it occur in adults, this condition can also occur in children. So, what are the symptoms of leukemia that are important to recognize?
Getting to know leukemia
Leukemia is cancer of the body’s blood-forming tissues, including the bone marrow and lymphatic system. Leukemia itself refers to cancer of the white blood cells. Meanwhile, white blood cells have an important role in the immune system.
Because white blood cells play a role in protecting the body from bacteria, viruses, fungi, abnormal cells and other foreign substances. In leukemia, white blood cells do not function properly. White blood cell division can occur too quickly, affecting normal cells.
What causes leukemia?
The exact cause of leukemia is still unknown. However, this condition appears to occur due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors.
According to the Mayo Clinic, leukemia can occur when some blood cells experience changes or mutations in the genetic material (DNA). The cell’s DNA contains instructions to tell the cell what it should do.
Basically, DNA tells cells to grow at a certain speed. In leukemia, mutations tell blood cells to continue growing and dividing. As a result, blood cell production becomes uncontrolled.
Over time, these abnormal cells can interfere with healthy blood cells in the bone marrow, this can cause the number of healthy white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets to decrease. In turn, it can cause signs and symptoms of leukemia.
Types of leukemia
Based on its development, leukemia can occur acutely and chronically. In acute leukemia, abnormal cells grow very quickly. In contrast, in chronic leukemia blood cells replicate slowly and initial symptoms may be mild.
On the other hand, leukemia can also be classified based on the type of cell. Quoting from the Healthline page, the following are the four main types of leukemia.
- Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML): This type of leukemia can occur in children and adults
- Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL): This is the most common type of leukemia in children
- Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML): This is a type of leukemia that affects adults
- Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL): This type of leukemia can affect people over 55 years of age. This type is very rare in children
What are the symptoms of leukemia?
Leukemia symptoms depend on age, type of leukemia, and stage of leukemia. The following are the symptoms of leukemia as summarized from Medical News Today.
– Symptoms of leukemia in children
- Loss of appetite
- Bleeding gums
- Pain in bones and joints
- Dizziness
- Easily bruises or bleeds
- Fever without other signs of infection
- Recurrent infections that take a long time to heal or infections that keep coming back
- Respiratory problems
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Fatigue
- Weight loss
– Symptoms of leukemia in adults
The following are some symptoms of leukemia in adults.
1. Nonspecific symptoms
A person can sometimes experience symptoms that are almost similar to flu. These symptoms are caused by damage to blood cells in the body and an increase in the amount of energy to fight disease. Some of these symptoms include:
- Loss of appetite
- Fever
- Sweats at night
- Weight loss
2. Swelling of the stomach
When leukemia cells begin to grow, they can accumulate in the spleen and liver. Excess cells can cause organ enlargement.
3. Bleeds easily
Some types of leukemia can destroy platelets, a type of blood cell that plays an important role in helping stop bleeding. This can cause a person to bleed more easily if they experience a wound. Bleeding gums and nosebleeds may also occur.
4. Pain in bones and joints
Abnormal cells can form near or in the bones, which can cause pain in the bones or joints.
5. Infection
Leukemia can destroy white blood cells that help fight infection, so this can make a person susceptible to infection due to a low white blood cell count.
– Symptoms of acute and chronic leukemia
As is well known, leukemia can be classified into acute and chronic. Both acute and chronic leukemia have several similarities. Because, both cause symptoms similar to flu.
The following is an explanation of each of the symptoms of acute and chronic leukemia.
Symptoms of acute leukemia
- Bone and joint pain
- Wounds that take a long time to heal
- Fever
- Fatigue that does not improve with rest
- Pale colored skin
- Sweats at night
Symptoms of chronic leukemia
- Anemia
- Loss of appetite
- Easily bruises or bleeds
- Get tired easily
- Swollen lymph nodes that are not painful when touched
- Fever
- Weight loss
That is some information about the symptoms of leukemia. Treating leukemia early with appropriate treatment is very important.
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