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Living With Lymphocytopenia
If you have mild lymphocytopenia with no underlying cause, you may not need treatment. The disorder may improve on its own.
If an underlying condition is causing your lymphocytopenia, you'll need treatment for that condition. You'll also need treatment for infections if your body is unable to fight them because of lymphocytopenia.
Treating and Preventing Infections
The main risk of lymphocytopenia is getting unusual infections, repeat infections, and/or infections that won't go away. If you have the disorder, you may get treatments to prevent infections or to treat infections you already have.
You also can take other steps to prevent infections. For example:
- Stay away from people who are sick, and avoid large crowds of people.
- Avoid foods that can expose you to bacteria, such as uncooked foods.
- Wash your hands often.
- Brush and floss your teeth and get regular dental care to reduce the risk of infection in your mouth and throat.
- Ask your doctor whether you should get a yearly flu shot and the pneumonia vaccine.
Know the signs of an infection, such as a fever. Call your doctor right away if you think you have an infection.
Treating an Underlying Disease or Condition
If you have a disease or condition that’s causing lymphocytopenia, you’ll need treatment for that condition.
You'll likely have regular tests to show how the treatment is working. For example, you may have blood tests to check the number of lymphocytes in your blood.
If the treatments for the underlying condition are working, the number of lymphocytes in your blood may go up.
Physical Activity
Talk with your doctor about what types and amounts of physical activity are safe for you. You may want to avoid activities that could result in injuries or increase your risk of infections.
Clinical trials are research studies that explore whether a medical strategy, treatment, or device is safe and effective for humans. To find clinical trials that are currently underway for Lymphocytopenia, visit www.clinicaltrials.gov.
The NHLBI updates Health Topics articles on a biennial cycle based on a thorough review of research findings and new literature. The articles also are updated as needed if important new research is published. The date on each Health Topics article reflects when the content was originally posted or last revised.
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