The causes of lymphocytic leukemia.
Until now, there are no known causes of the appearance of chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Under the assumptions of scientists, the causes of this disease can be heredity, certain immunological defects, a chromosomal abnormality. With radiation, no effect was established.
How is chronic lymphocytic leukemia manifested?
Symptoms of this disease develop gradually. The first symptom that signals this disease is an increase in lymph nodes. Also at an early stage of the disease, there was an increase in body temperature, general deterioration in well-being, fatigue. As the disease progresses, the spleen and the liver increase in size, the patients begin to lose weight, the susceptibility to various infections increases, and weakness grows. Almost half of the patients begin to appear spots and nodules on the skin. If the disease has gone far, the damage to the bone marrow will lead to weakness, anemia, rapid heart rate, shortness of breath, decreased immunity, bleeding.
How is the diagnosis made?
In most cases, chronic lymphocytic leukemia was detected by accident when a blood test was taken, which resulted in an increase in the number of abnormal lymphocytes.
Lymphoid leukemia progresses slowly in the early stages, and as the number of leukocytes increases, the number of blood cells increases. If you do not start treatment, then the number of white blood cells can exceed the norm by hundreds of times. It is the result of the analysis of the blood, or rather the changes in it, that are the only manifestation of the disease, at the moment when the diagnosis is established. And only then lymph nodes, spleen and liver begin to increase, the level of platelets and red blood cells can decrease. However, for the time of diagnosis, these problems are absent in most cases.
To diagnose chronic lymphocytic leukemia it is necessary to undergo the following medical examination:
- general blood analysis;
- immunological study;
biochemical blood test; - general urine analysis;
- sternal puncture (bone marrow is being examined);
- stool analysis on Gregersen's reaction.
Methods of treatment of lymphocytic leukemia.
Treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia is based on the features of manifestation and course of the disease. Typically, treatment begins when the result of the blood test and the symptoms show that the disease has reached such a stage that it can begin to affect the quality of life of the patient.
If the disease begins to progress quickly, then cytostatics, glucocorticoid hormones are prescribed. Radiotherapy, chemotherapy, bone marrow transplantation, immunotherapy are used. If lymph nodes squeezed adjacent organs, then X-ray therapy is prescribed. If leukemia caused obstruction, an increase or some other organ damage, then radiation therapy is prescribed.
Chemotherapy uses alkylating cytotoxic drugs (this is cyclophosphamide and chlorbutin), and sometimes steroids (prednisone) are used.
Complications of chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
The most common infectious complications are pneumonia, tonsillitis, inflammation of the urinary tract, septic state, abscess. To severe complications are autoimmune processes.
Often, autoimmune hemolytic anemia that occurs immediately makes itself felt, the general condition of the patient worsens, body temperature rises, mild jaundice appears, and hemoglobin decreases. There are cases when there is an autoimmune lysis of leukocytes (this is when leukocytes are destroyed because of an autoimmune reaction). In addition, chronic lymphocytic leukemia in some cases grows into a hematosarcoma (enlarged lymph nodes grow into a dense tumor).
Treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia: folk methods.
Almost all forms of leukemia recommend phytotherapy, with a high content of ascorbic acid and iron.
Vitamin tea: we take 25 grams of rose hips and rowan fruits with boiling water, a day we take 1 glass.
Take 25 grams of black currant and hips, pour boiling water, let it brew. Take 3-4 times a day in half a cup.
Tincture of the swamp saber: in a half-liter jar we pour out 60 grams of sabelnik and fill it with vodka, close it with a lid, insist in a dark place for 8 days. We take 3 times a day before meals on 1 tablespoon diluted in 50-100 ml of water. For the course you must drink at least 3 liters of tincture.
Another tincture of sabelnik: a glass of boiling water pour 1 tablespoon finely chopped herb saber, insist one hour. We filter and drink during the day in equal proportions. The course of treatment is at least 6 months.
Tincture of white cotton noodles: 1L of vodka pour 100 grams of dry root of cottonwood, insist in a dark place for 3 weeks, filter. We take three drops per day 20 minutes before a meal of 30 drops.
Infusion medicinal medicinal: two glasses of boiling water pour 1-2 tablespoons, finely chopped dried herbs, we insist 2 hours, filter, take three times a day for half an hour before eating half a cup. Medunica medicinal is able to normalize the work of endocrine glands, stop bleeding, increase blood formation. In addition, the medlina has astringent, anti-inflammatory, wound-healing and antiseptic properties.
Tincture of a red brush: 0, 5l of vodka, pour 50 grams of dry root of a red brush, insist in a dark place for 1 month. We take half an hour before meals for 30-40 drops (approximately incomplete teaspoon) tincture three times a day.