Leukemia is the historical name for leukemia, which is a serious blood disease that often leads to death. This disease knows no age limits and mercilessly affects both adults and infants. Consider why leukemia occurs, symptoms, treatment of this disease.
Essence of disease
Leukemia causes changes in the white cells (leukocytes) contained in the blood, both in quantitative terms (their number is growing very rapidly) and in qualitative terms (they cease to perform their functions). In a he althy person, platelets, leukocytes and erythrocytes are formed in the bone marrow. In a patient with leukemia, the number of blasts in the blood increases significantly - immature pathologically altered cells that prevent the growth of he althy cells. At a certain moment, there are so many blasts that they, not being located in the bone marrow, penetrate into the blood circulation, and from there to various organs. That is why leukemia is a disease that often ends in death.
Reasons
Currently, it has not been possible to find out what specifically provokesmutation in blood cells. However, leukemia is a disease, the most common cause of which is a genetic predisposition. Scientists have proven that if there were patients with leukemia in the family, then this disease will certainly manifest itself in their children, grandchildren or great-grandchildren. In addition, chromosomal abnormalities in the parents of the child, which include Turner, Bloom and Down syndromes, can cause the disease.
Leukemic drugs and certain household chemicals (pesticides and benzene, for example) can give rise to leukemia. Among the drugs of the leukemia series are "Butadion", chloramphenicol, cytostatics, antibiotics of the penicillin group, as well as drugs used in chemotherapy.
It has been reliably established that one of the factors causing leukemia is radiation exposure. Even with the smallest doses of radiation, there is a risk of developing this disease.
Various infectious and viral diseases are also capable of provoking the development of leukemia. The largest number of patients with leukemia are carriers of HIV infection.
Symptoms of leukemia
At the initial stage, the manifestation of leukemia is more like a cold. It is important to listen to your well-being and recognize this ailment in a timely manner, which is characterized by the following symptoms:
- The patient feels unwell and weak. He constantly wants to sleep, or, conversely, sleep completely disappears.
- There is a violation of the brainactivities: the patient with great difficulty remembers what is happening around him and is unable to concentrate even on the simplest things.
- Bruises appear under the eyes, the skin turns pale.
- Even the smallest wounds do not heal for a long time, bleeding from the gums and nose can be observed.
- For no reason, the temperature rises, which for a long time can be held at 37, 6º.
- The patient is worried about slight pain in the bones.
- Over time, there is an increase in lymph nodes, spleen and liver.
- A person's heart rate increases, fainting and dizziness are possible. The disease proceeds with increased sweating.
- Often there are colds that last longer than usual, there is an exacerbation of chronic ailments.
- The desire to eat food disappears, as a result of which the patient begins to lose weight rapidly.
Features of treatment
When diagnosed with "leukemia" (symptoms, treatment and prognosis of which depend on the specific type of leukemia), it is urgent to take the necessary measures. Acute leukemia requires emergency treatment, which can stop the rapid growth of leukemia cells. Sometimes it is possible to achieve remission. Chronic leukemia is extremely rare to the stage of remission, and the use of certain therapy is necessary to control the course of the disease.
Treatments
If a person hasdiagnosed with leukemia, treatment of the disease may include the following main ways.
Chemotherapy
Appropriate type of medications are used to destroy cancer cells.
Radiation therapy or radiotherapy
The use of certain radiation allows not only to destroy cancer cells, but also to reduce the lymph nodes, spleen or liver, the increase of which occurred against the background of the processes of the disease in question.
Stem cell transplantation
This procedure allows you to restore the production of he althy cells and at the same time improve the functioning of the body's immune system. Transplantation can be preceded by radiotherapy or chemotherapy, which can sometimes easily destroy a certain number of bone marrow cells, weaken the immune system and make room for stem cells. It is worth noting that the weakening of the immune system is of great importance, because otherwise the immune system may begin to reject the cells transplanted to the patient. Leukemia is a deadly disease, the treatment of which must be approached as seriously as possible. With the timely adoption of appropriate measures, a full recovery can be achieved.
