Do you have tiny red spots or rashes on your arms, chest, hands, neck, or face? These are the early symptoms of leukemia and are known as petechiae. However, having them alone doesn’t confirm that you might be suffering from this blood cancer disease.
The disease is very common and approximately 2.43 million people are suffering from it where the current figure is 61,090. The number is 3 Lakh globally per year where the survival rate among patients is very low.
So, it is hard to say that those red dots are not dangerous. Other signs of leukemia and diagnosis can only confirm the existence of the disease and its types. Read here to know everything about it so that you can get treatment on time.
What Is Leukemia?
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Our body needs a sufficient amount of white blood cells which are also known as life-saving cells as they help us fight infections. They are the major part of our immune system but these tiny cells cause a life-threatening disease- Leukemia.
The disease shows very common health signs in patients but they are actually associated with blood cancer. It is caused by the mutations of DNA that result in an excess number of WBC. These cells grow abnormally and don’t die up after the completion of their life cycle which otherwise happens in healthy cells. Also, they function improperly and add no protection to the body.
Also Read: Lymphoma : Symptoms, Causes, Types, Diagnosis, Treatment
4 Major Types Of Leukemia
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1. ALL also known as acute lymphocytic leukemia mostly affects child and progress quickly. It is caused by immature blood cells that became aggressive with time and therefore, timely treatment of ALL is necessary. Adults can also suffer from ALL.
2. AML or acute myelogenous leukemia is the most deadly type of leukemia with only 5 years of survival rate among patients. It affects mainly adults but is also seen in young children as well.
3. CLL is known as chronic lymphocytic leukemia which is only found in adults. People with CLL have a high survival rate even without treatment due to its slow progress rate.
4. CML is another type of leukemia that shows almost no symptoms even after years of affecting individuals. It’s very uncommon in adults and has a 90% of survival rate as modern treatments are available to cure it.
Apart from these common types of leukemia, one can also get rare infections and develop hairy cell leukemia, myeloproliferative and myelodysplastic syndrome.
The 10 Symptoms Of Leukemia
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Though the causes of leukemia are the same, symptoms can vary in different individuals depending upon which type of leukemia has affected them. However, there are a few common signs to detect whether you are suffering from it or not.
You may feel:
• Continuous weakness or fatigue for days
• Bleed easily or get bruising on your skin
• Mild fever of chills
• Reoccurring infections
• Headache
• Joint pain or pain in bones
• Shortness of breath
• Too much of sweating especially during the night
• Sudden weight loss
• Red spots or petechiae on your skin
When you feel more than one symptom at once then it’s time to check for leukemia. Get diagnosed as this disease can damage multiple organs and unfortunately cause death in patients.
When Is The Risk Of Leukemia High?
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If you already have an infection or your hemoglobin level is low then you are at higher risk of getting leukemia. There are other factors that can increase the risk in patients, these are:
• Having a family history of leukemia
• Already suffering from any type of cancer
• Having genetic abnormalities, for example, Down syndrome
• Smoking cigarettes
Patients with these risk factors may or may not suffer from leukemia therefore it is important to get diagnosed early.
Is Leukemia Curable?
The treatment takes at least 2 years to recover from the signs of leukemia but there is no guarantee that the patient will fully recover from it. The disease shows different curable rate where APL or acute promyelocytic leukemia is the most curable one.