A high white blood cell count is an increase in cells in the blood that fight infections.

What’s considered high in a white blood cell count varies from one lab to another. This is because laboratories set their own reference ranges based on the populations they serve. In general, for adults a count of more than 11,000 white blood cells in a microliter of blood is considered high.

A high white blood cell count usually means one of the following has increased the making of white blood cells:

1. An infection.
2. Reaction to a medicine.
3. A bone marrow disease
4. An immune system issue.
5. Sudden stress such as hard exercise.
6. Smoking.

Specific causes of a high white blood cell count include:

1. Allergy, especially severe allergic reactions
2. Asthma
3. Bacterial, viral, fungal or parasitic infections
4. Burns
5. Churg-Strauss syndrome
6. Medicines, such as corticosteroids and epinephrine
7. Hay fever (allergic rhinitis)
8. Leukemia
9. Lymphoma
10. Myelofibrosis (a bone marrow disorder)
11. Polycythemia vera
12. Pregnancy
13. Rheumatoid arthritis
14. Sarcoidosis
15. Smoking
16. Tuberculosis
17. Vasculitis
18. Whooping cough

Print