What you thought was a cold might actually be leukemia! Don’t let these symptoms fool you

After a spring outing, 65-year-old Aunt Zhang developed a low fever and fatigue. She thought it was a common cold and took medicine on her own, but it did not get better. It was not until she found that her gums frequently bled when she brushed her teeth and unexplained bruises appeared on her limbs that she went to the doctor for a checkup. The results showed an abnormal increase in white blood cells, and she was eventually diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia through bone marrow puncture.

Why is a simple cold related to the dreaded leukemia? Director Wang Hang of the Department of Hematology at Hunan Provincial Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine (Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine) reveals the truth.

1. What is leukemia?

Leukemia is a malignant clonal disease of hematopoietic stem cells. Normal hematopoietic stem cells can differentiate in an orderly manner to produce red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, etc., to maintain the normal operation of the blood system. However, in leukemia patients, hematopoietic stem cells undergo malignant changes, proliferate abnormally and cannot differentiate normally. A large number of leukemia cells accumulate in the bone marrow, inhibiting normal hematopoietic function, and then causing serious symptoms such as anemia, bleeding, and infection.

2. Is there a connection between colds and leukemia?

Colds do not directly cause leukemia, but some early symptoms of leukemia (such as fever and fatigue) can be easily mistaken for "colds", so be alert in the following situations:

1. Symptoms persist: fever lasts for more than 2 weeks and conventional treatment is ineffective;

2. Accompanied by abnormal signs: skin petechiae, swollen lymph nodes, bone pain;

3. Abnormal blood routine test: significant increase or decrease in white blood cells, decrease in hemoglobin/thrombocytopenia.

3. How to diagnose leukemia?

During the diagnosis process, the doctor will do the following tests:

1. Routine blood test;

2. Bone marrow aspiration: bone marrow smear, flow cytometry, chromosome karyotype analysis and molecular genetic testing;

3. Bone marrow biopsy;

4. Imaging examination and biochemical examination.

4. How to treat leukemia?

Western medicine treatments include chemotherapy, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, etc. As for which treatment method to receive, an individualized treatment plan needs to be formulated based on the patient's examination and personal situation.

5. Traditional Chinese medicine has unique advantages

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the root cause of leukemia lies in the deficiency of vital energy and the invasion of evil toxins. Therefore, the fundamental principle of treatment is to strengthen the body and eliminate evil, focusing on the overall situation and treating based on syndrome differentiation.

In terms of drug treatment, expelling evil drugs such as Scutellaria barbata, Houttuynia cordata, and Indigo naturalis can effectively inhibit the proliferation of leukemia cells; strengthening Chinese medicines such as Astragalus, Codonopsis pilosula, Ligustrum lucidum, and Lycium barbarum can enhance the patient's immunity.

In addition, Chinese medicine can also play an important role in reducing the side effects of chemotherapy. Chinese medicines that soothe the stomach and reduce adverse reactions, such as ginger and pinellia, can effectively relieve gastrointestinal reactions such as nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy; Chinese medicines that nourish the liver and kidneys, such as Rehmannia glutinosa, Cornus officinalis, and Eclipta prostrata, can reduce the damage to the liver and kidneys caused by chemotherapy and improve symptoms such as hair loss; Chinese medicines that replenish the kidneys and replenish essence, such as deer antler, placenta, and psoralea corylifolia, can help promote bone marrow hematopoiesis, improve bone marrow suppression, and increase the number of white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets.

6. How should we prevent it in daily life?

1. Reasonable diet: avoid high-fat and high-sugar diets, eat less fried and greasy foods, eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, and eat less pickled vegetables and smoked and grilled foods.

2. Avoid toxic substances : Leave the newly renovated house for a while before moving in, and minimize the use of hair dye.

3. Avoid drug-induced injuries : Take medicines under the guidance of a doctor and avoid taking medicines on your own.

4. Enhance your own immunity: pay attention to daily physical exercise, increase aerobic exercise, strengthen your physical fitness, and enhance your disease resistance.

Wang Hang, director of the Department of Hematology at Hunan Provincial Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine (affiliated hospital of Hunan Provincial Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine), reminds: For those who have been taking immunosuppressants for a long time, have a history of benzene exposure, or have a family history of blood tumors, it is recommended to conduct blood routine tests and peripheral blood smear screening every year. If you have symptoms such as repeated colds that do not heal or bleeding, please go to a hematology specialist for diagnosis and examination in time.

Hunan Medical Chat Special Author: Zuo Xiaolan, Department of Hematology, Hunan Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine (Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine)

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(Edited by ZS)