Why Does Leukemia Cause These Symptoms?

Why am I always tired? Why do bruises appear so easily? Why do I keep catching infections? What is happening inside me? These are the kinds of questions people ask when leukemia starts to show itself, usually before anyone knows the cause.

Leukemia begins in the soft middle of the bones, the bone marrow, where new blood is made every day. In a healthy body, the marrow works like a busy factory and turns out three main products: red blood cells that move oxygen, white blood cells that fight germs, and platelets that help stop bleeding.

With leukemia, immature cells multiply too quickly and crowd out the healthy workers. That imbalance leads to the symptoms:

Too few red blood cells (anemia): Red cells are the oxygen transporters. When there are not enough, the body runs on low fuel. You may feel tired, weak, light-headed, short of breath, or look pale.

White blood cells that do not protect: Even if the bloodstream is crowded with white cells, they are abnormal and do not fight germs well. Infections show up more often, take longer to clear, or hit harder than usual.

Not enough platelets: Platelets act like tiny patch kits in the blood. When they are low, small bumps bruise easily, gums may bleed, nosebleeds are hard to stop, and cuts can take longer to clot.

Build up of leukemia cells: Too many cells inside the bones can cause pain. If they collect in organs like the spleen, which filters blood and helps fight infection, or the liver, the belly can feel swollen or heavy.

Blood too thick (leukostasis): In some cases the blood gets crowded with so many leukemia cells that it becomes sluggish. Doctors call this leukostasis. “Leuko” means white and “stasis” means standing still. It can cause headaches, vision problems, or trouble breathing and it needs urgent care.

So the tiredness, the easy bruising, the repeated infections, and the pains all trace back to one root problem. The marrow is no longer turning out a balanced mix of working blood cells. Treatment aims to clear out the abnormal cells so the factory can get back to making healthy ones again.

Click here to learn about managing the complications of leukemia