leukocytosis

High white blood cell count is called leukocytosis. High white blood cell count is often due to a healthy process, such as immune defense or inflammatory response after an injury.

Reasons for leukocytosis:

• Infection response, especially bacterial infection
• Inflammation
• Physical stress and tissue death
• Allergic disease
• Proliferative diseases of white blood cells, such as leukemias

Conditions that cause tissue death and elevate white blood cells:

• Physical trauma
• Surgery
• Ischemia
• Heart attack
• Burns

Allergic conditions that elevate white blood cells:

• Allergic reaction, acute or chronic
• Anaphylaxis
• Asthma
• Atopic disease

Inflammatory conditions that cause elevation of white blood cells:

• Autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis
• Inflammatory bowel diseases

Medications that trigger excessive production of white blood cells:

• Corticosteroids
• Beta agonists