Leukemia Symptoms in Adults

Leukemia is basically cancer of blood or bone marrow. Its starts in the bone marrow, a soft tissue which is found inside the bones. When you suffer from leukemia, there is an abnormal rise in the number of blood cells which are known as leukemia cells. In time leukemia cells destroy all the healthy blood cells leading to infections, diseases and blood disorders. In this article we will see different leukemia symptoms.

Causes
Doctors and medical practitioners still haven't been to find a reason for various leukemia symptoms. The causes of leukemia may differ from patient to patient. However the most obvious reasons for blood cancer point at viruses, some type of harmful chemicals, genetic disorders and artificial or natural exposure to radiation. Also exposure to certain type of chemicals like benzene and hair dyes are also known to start the process of leukemia. Some researchers also claim that the HIV
and HTLV (human T-lymphotropic virus) can also lead to leukemia.

Symptoms
Early symptoms of leukemia are caused by the sudden rise of white blood cells that kill all the healthy white blood cells that protect the body from various diseases. People start suffering from frequent infections, constant fever and night sweats. The disappearing of healthy white blood cells causes anemia which leads to hair fall, fatigue, pale skin and shortness of breath. Leukemia also causes blood platelet cells to decrease which are very essential for blood clotting. This results in impaired clotting, excessive bleeding, easy bruising and many tiny red spots on skin.

Acute Leukemia Symptoms

Acute leukemia is defined by the abnormal increase of blood cells in the bone marrow. This crowd of unhealthy cancerous cells makes the bone marrow weak and unable to produce healthy cells. Immediate medical care is required in leukemia, as the rise and spread of cancerous cells in bloodstream may also affect other organs of the body. Acute leukemia is the most common form of leukemia in children. No early immediate symptoms are seen in acute leukemia. As leukemia cells multiply and fill up bone marrow, the following warning signs can be seen.

• Infection is the most common symptom of acute leukemia. Infections can be caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoans and parasites. When you are suffering from cancer you are bound to get infections, leukemia patients get infections easily.
• Fatigue and paleness of skin caused by anemia, which is a decrease in the number of red blood cells.
• Drastic weight loss is seen in about 15% of cases.
• As the blood platelets decrease in number, the individual becomes more prone to internal bleeding and bruising.
• An increase in waist size is noticed because of abdominal swelling. As leukemic cells fill up causing the liver and spleen to stretch out.
• Problems of the nervous system like vision impairment, mental deterioration and disruption in normal activities of brain are seen in advanced stages of cancer.

Chronic Leukemia Symptoms

Chronic leukemia is characterized as the sudden rise of mature yet dangerous white blood cells. These cancerous cells take months or years to build up. Acute leukemia must be treated immediately, but in chronic leukemia the patient is kept under observation for sometime, before actually starting the treatment. Chronic leukemia is mostly seen in adult people but, according to facts, it can occur in any age group.

• In early stages of leukemia, cell functions normally and symptoms may not appear for a long time. The victim will feel very tired for no apparent reason, and also experience frequent night sweats.
• Drastic weight loss is observed for no specific reason.
• An individual will suffer from high fever and the fever will stay for a long time. Unusual pain and a feeling of fullness is experienced below the ribs on the left side.
• Infection is also one of the common symptoms of chronic leukemia.
• Victim will observe painless swelling of the lymph nodes in neck, underarm, stomach and groin.

Leukemia symptoms can often go undetected for years and can be identified, only after a routine blood test. According to medical facts one in five leukemia patients does not show symptoms at all. In many cases signs and symptoms of leukemia may vary, depending on the type of infection.