What Absolute Eosinophil Count Test Reveals About Your Health?

White blood cells called eosinophils combat viral and bacterial diseases, and that’s why your doctor may prescribe an absolute eosinophil count to check your eosinophil levels during a medical checkup. Elevated eosinophil counts might be a sign of an immunological response to allergens, malignancy, or infection, on the other hand, low eosinophil counts might be a sign of an underlying hormone imbalance or the consequence of alcohol abuse. Let’s find out more about this test and why it is important that you take one if your doctor advises it!  

What is the Eosinophil Count? 

White blood cells called eosinophils are vital to the immune system, particularly in the battle against infections and certain specific illnesses. For instance, a high eosinophil level may be a sign of a number of diseases, including asthma, allergic responses, and some types of cancer.  

When the body identifies dangerous pathogens, such as bacteria, viruses, or parasites, as well as allergens, the immune system produces eosinophils because these cells support the body's immunological response in the event of an asthma attack or allergic reaction. To eliminate the invasive cells, eosinophils go to the afflicted location and act on it. Regardless of your eosinophil count, the AEC test can help medical professionals better understand how your immune system is responding and if medical intervention is necessary!

When is the Absolute Eosinophil Count Test Necessary?  

• Allergic conditions - Since eosinophils are involved in allergic responses, a high eosinophil count may be a sign of an allergic disease such as atopic dermatitis, asthma, or hay fever.
   
• Autoimmune disorders - Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis, formerly known as Churg-Strauss syndrome, and other autoimmune diseases are associated with elevated eosinophil levels.
  
  
• Parasitic infections - Eosinophils are helpful in the fight against parasitic infections, and a high eosinophil count might be a sign of a parasitic infection.
  
  
• Exploring other conditions - To assess unexplained symptoms or abnormal blood cell counts, eosinophil counts may be requested as part of a more comprehensive diagnostic workup.
  
  
• Checking treatment response - Eosinophil level monitoring can help determine how well allergy or parasitic infection treatments are working.
  
  
• Assessing drug reactions - Eosinophilia is a side effect of various medications, and tracking eosinophil levels can assist in detecting and managing drug-induced reactions.
  
  
• Monitoring illness progression - In some disorders, such as eosinophilic esophagitis or eosinophilic asthma, monitoring eosinophil levels can help inform therapy choices and reveal information about disease activity.  

Eosinophils must do their function and then get removed from body; however, clinicians refer to a prolonged excess of eosinophils in the body as eosinophilia. Chronic inflammation brought on by it may harm tissues, and the eosinophil count can show the number of eosinophils in your blood so that doctors can take action. Eosinophilic esophagitis, a problem of the esophagus, eosinophilic pneumonia, a condition of the lungs, and eosinophilic colitis, a condition of the large intestine, are all caused by an excess of eosinophils in the body.   

Eosinophil Normal levels 

An adult's eosinophils normal range should be between 450 and 500 cells per cubic millimeters. However, in some cases, standard reference values may vary throughout laboratories, so if a person is unclear about the results, they should consult a doctor to clarify them. 

1. High eosinophil count 

Eosinophilia is the term used to describe a blood eosinophil count that is greater than normal, and three brackets are used by medical experts to classify elevated eosinophil levels: 

• mild (500–1,500 cells/mm3) 
• moderate (1,500–5,000 cells/mm3) 
• severe (greater than 5,000 cells/mm3) 

A few conditions can be diagnosed by a high eosinophil count.   

• Autoimmune diseases 
• Allergic conditions like hay fever 
• Acute hyper eosinophilic syndrome (an uncommon, potentially fatal illness that resembles leukemia) 
• An adverse response to certain drugs 
• Eczema (inflamed, itchy skin) 
• Asthma  
• An illness brought on by a fungus or parasite 
• Early phases of Cushing's disease (an uncommon ailment that may arise from an excess of the hormone cortisol in the blood) 
• Leukemia  

2. Low eosinophil count 

When you have fewer than 30 cells/mm3 eosinophil, medical practitioners level it a low eosinophil count, and this might be caused by: 

• Cortisol overproduction - Reduced eosinophil count and immunological function may be associated with elevated levels of the glucocorticosteroid hormone cortisol.
   
• Alcohol abuse - Abuse of alcohol can lower eosinophil and other white blood cell counts, which reduces the body's immune system's ability to fight off infections and other illnesses.
  
  
• Cushing's syndrome - Long-term overproduction of the stress hormone cortisol causes Cushing's syndrome and these elevated cortisol levels can lower eosinophil numbers and weaken the immunological system.
  
  
• Infection reaction - Lower eosinophil levels can also result from an infection reaction, such as sepsis, which is the body's severe reaction to an acute bacterial or viral infection. The cytokines that control the generation of eosinophils are disrupted by this potentially fatal illness, and treatment is necessary.
  
  
• Corticosteroids - These drugs can weaken the immune system, which might result in decreased eosinophil counts in people.

Absolute Eosinophil Count Test Procedure  

Your body's eosinophil cells are transparent, but to be studied under a microscope, they must be colored with an acidic dye. Eosinophils are spherical, tiny cells that become pink or purple as a result of the dye. The distinctive two-lobed nucleus of eosinophils, which resembles two distinct raindrops joined by a thread, makes them bigger than other cells. The DNA of the cell is found in the nucleus, which floats in granules, a protein with a sandy appearance. 

A laboratory test on a blood sample can find out your eosinophil count.  

• A medical professional locates a vein to take blood from, usually the inside of your elbow, and the region is subsequently treated with an antiseptic to eradicate dangerous microorganisms. 
• To assist drive blood into the vein and speed up and simplify sample collection, an elastic band is put around your arm. 
• The medical professional or phlebotomist will insert a needle into your vein to draw blood into a little glass tube (vial) that is connected to the needle. 
• To stop the bleeding after the procedure, a bandage, and cotton ball will be applied to the affected region.  

Your blood will then be sent to a laboratory and put on a microscope slide, and to make sure eosinophils can be easily identified, a stain is applied to the blood; they will show up as orange-red granules. Your doctor will be informed of the results by the lab technician, or the report will be delivered to you directly!  

Final Remarks  

White blood cells called eosinophils aid the body in fending off illness, and to determine the quantity of eosinophils in your blood, your doctor could prescribe an AEC blood test. This might be done to investigate what's causing symptoms like fever, rash, asthma, or other symptoms! Alternatively, it could be used to aid in the diagnosis of a suspected illness, such as an infection, or some types of malignancy.  

If your doctor has prescribed this test, you can contact Pathkind Labs to find out the AEC test price and get the test done by expert technicians in modern labs!