Signs and Symptoms

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia:

Signs and Symptoms

Today, I will be going through the common signs and symptoms of ALL.  I would first like to mention that a few of these symptoms alone may not mean leukemia and are common findings in a number of minor illnesses like the flu.  However, if these “flu” like symptoms continue to persist make an appointment with a provider.

Here is an overview of common signs and symptoms:

 

These symptoms usually present first:

•  Fatigue (abnormal changes are occurring in the body making the body work extra hard to fight these changes, this makes the body very tired)

•   Loss of appetite (when the body is fighting against infection or undergoing changes the body is not focusing on getting nutrients, but instead focusing its attention to the area of trouble)

•   Weight loss (the body is working extra hard with these abnormal changes leading to weight loss)

• Bruising with unknown cause (the number of immature white blood cells increases, this takes up space of other blood cells resulting in a decline of platelet cells.  Platelet cells are responsible for stopping bloods in the body, without a sufficient number of platelet cells the body will bleed resulting in a bleed under the skin)

Because a person with ALL has a reduced number of mature white blood cells the risk of infection increases (white blood cells are what helps the body fight off foreign cells).  These infections can produce symptoms of fever, night sweats, shortness of breath, and body aches.  This population is thus considered immunocompromised and need to be protected from others will even minor illnesses like a cold.

 

Here is an overview video of what I went over today!

Works Cited:

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia | Patient.co.uk. (n.d.). Retrieved April 11, 2015, from http://www.patient.co.uk/health/acute-lymphoblastic-leukaemia-leaflet

Leukemia Symptoms. (n.d.). Retrieved April 11, 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wc4BM1aqJRc

Signs and symptoms of acute lymphocytic leukemia. (n.d.). Retrieved April 11, 2015, from http://www.cancer.org/cancer/leukemia-acutelymphocyticallinadults/detailedguide/leukemia-acute-lymphocytic-signs-symptoms