Spotting leukaemia-related headaches “I had a banging headache where I could hear my heartbeat in my ears so loud my head felt like it was throbbing, and it would not go away when I lay down.” When headaches are caused by leukaemia, they are likely to occur frequently and are often severe and long lasting.
If you have a very high white blood cell count, the extra cells can clog the smallest blood vessels in the brain. This can cause headaches in some people.
Common leukemia signs and symptoms include: Fever or chills. Persistent fatigue, weakness. Frequent or severe infections.
Bone pain can occur in leukemia patients when the bone marrow expands from the accumulation of abnormal white blood cells and may manifest as a sharp pain or a dull pain, depending on the location. The long bones of the legs and arms are the most common location to experience this pain.
When is a patient tested for leukemia? "A patient may be tested for leukemia if he or she has unexplained weight loss, night sweats or fatigue, or if he or she bruises or bleeds easily," Dr. Siddon says. "Sometimes routine blood work shows an unexplained elevated number of white blood cells."
Chronic Leukemia May Go Undetected
It may take months or even several years before the disease begins to cause symptoms that alert the patient that something is wrong.
Your doctor will conduct a complete blood count (CBC) to determine if you have leukemia. This test may reveal if you have leukemic cells. Abnormal levels of white blood cells and abnormally low red blood cell or platelet counts can also indicate leukemia.
Leukemia starts in the soft, inner part of the bones (bone marrow), but often moves quickly into the blood. It can then spread to other parts of the body, such as the lymph nodes, spleen, liver, central nervous system and other organs.
Complete blood count (CBC): This blood test lets your healthcare provider know if you have abnormal levels of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. If you have leukemia, you'll likely have higher than normal counts of white blood cells.
Leukemia is commonly misdiagnosed as the following conditions: Influenza. Fever. Pathological fracture.
Often referred to as a “silent disease,” CLL can be difficult to diagnose, because people often don't have any symptoms until later in the disease, and others have symptoms that resemble signs of other conditions, such as a cold.
Although rare, neurologic symptoms associated with CNS leukemia include headaches (17%), nausea and vomiting (14%), lethargy, and irritability.
Some cancers may be more likely to cause headaches. These include: Cancers of the brain and spinal cord. Pituitary gland tumors.
Chronic leukemia often causes only a few symptoms or none at all. Signs and symptoms usually develop gradually. People with a chronic leukemia often complain that they just do not feel well. The disease is often found during a routine blood test.
They occur in unusual places – In cases of leukaemia, quite often bruises will appear in places that you wouldn't normally expect, especially; the back, legs, and hands.
Causes of leukaemia
The cause of acute leukaemia is unknown, but factors that put some people at higher risk are: exposure to intense radiation. exposure to certain chemicals, such as benzene. viruses like the Human T-Cell leukaemia virus.
Blood tests.
By looking at a sample of your blood, your doctor can determine if you have abnormal levels of red or white blood cells or platelets — which may suggest leukemia. A blood test may also show the presence of leukemia cells, though not all types of leukemia cause the leukemia cells to circulate in the blood.
If caught early, leukemia can be cured by undergoing several cancer treatments.
The nature of the discomfort can vary; some patients report sharp pain while others liken it to a dull, continuous ache. What bones hurt with leukemia? Bone pain symptoms tend to develop in areas of the body with bones that contain a large amount of bone marrow, such as the: Breastbone (sternum)
Here is a list of some symptoms you might have if you have cancer related fatigue: lack of energy – you may just want to stay in bed all day. feeling you just cannot be bothered to do much. sleeping problems such as unable to sleep or disturbed sleep.
The median age of a patient diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is 65 years and older. However, most cases of acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) occur in people under 20 years old. The median age of an ALL patient at diagnosis is 15.
135000. people are living with blood cancer or a related blood disorder in Australia today.