Early signs and symptoms of leukemia

Nowadays, leukemia has become a treatable condition if diagnosed in the early stage. As many of you already know, leukemia is a condition that is manifested through the abnormal increase of white blood cells. One can discover this serious disease while in early stage if he/she is acquainted with what the first symptoms of leukemia are. In the case of leukemia, the bone marrow produces abnormal number of white blood cells, which causes the main problems in the body.

Early Signs and Symptoms of Leukemia

As there are several leukemia types, the early signs of it depend upon the type in a great deal. In the case of the acute leukemia, the early signs can be noticed very quickly. In addition, the symptoms depend on the place where white blood cells are gathering and in a case the cells spread in the brain, one of the symptoms can be headache or a sight problem. Some of the common symptoms that can indicate leukemia include headaches, confusion, reduced ability to see, vomiting, infections that develop very often, tiredness, swollen lymph nodes of the groin or neck, pain in joints, underweight, fever without any obvious reason, night sweats, loss of appetite, increased spleen or liver, fragile bones, trouble breathing, etc. Leukemia symptoms in children often show as anemia, they look pale and receive bruises very easily.

In dealing with chronic leukemia, early signs and symptoms can appear even months after leukemia develops in your body. These symptoms are usually very mild and they progress gradually

Causes of Leukemia

The exact cause for leukemia occurrence isn’t discovered yet. So far, the doctors were able to identify several risk factors that can be triggers for leukemia occurrence. People who were or are exposed to certain chemicals are more likely to obtain leukemia than others. Exposure to harmful radiation also presents an increased risk for leukemia development, but cigarette smoking and genetic disorders play an important role here as well. In order to treat leukemia, one has to notice early signs and symptoms, so that he/she can start with the treatment on time. The type of leukemia can be determined through the bone marrow biopsy and chest X-rays.

Treatment for leukemia also depends on the type and progression. Doctors will decide what treatment is the most suitable for each leukemia type. Treatments that are available for are radiation therapy, biotherapy, and bone marrow transplant.