Being one of the well-known killer diseases today, acute leukemia targets everyone without exception. According to some scientific research, acute leukemia is known to target children as early as six years old. But unlike those in adults, it is only by chance if a doctor discovers the young patient having this killer disease despite having advanced medical technology.
Seven Known Acute Leukemia Signs and Symptoms in Children
There are at least seven different known signs and symptoms of acute leukemia in children. The symptoms are primarily influenced by factors such as gender, age and mostly the bone marrow cell count affected by leukemia cells. The extramedullary spread factor is also being monitored since chances are that the leukemia cells have already spread in other organs as well.
Listed below are the seven well-known sign and symptoms of acute leukemia in children. Keep in mind, however, that these symptoms could also indicate health issues other than acute leukemia.
- Headaches – Unbearable kind of headaches experienced by children could indicate that the leukemia cells had infected the brain cells. This can greatly affect your child’s balance and vision as well as epilepsy or sudden seizures.
- Bone and Joint Pains – Leukemia cells invading cells in bone and joint area makes the child experience unbearable pain in those areas, making him her move or walk abnormally. If the arms are affected, you will see it hanging limply or moving it becomes painful for children to bear.
- Fevers and Infections in a frequent basis – Since children are not yet fully developed to fight disease and infection, acute leukemia worsens the condition by disabling the child’s immune system completely. Despite the fact that white blood cells are known to fight infection, the cells produced during acute leukemia are abnormal and don’t fight infection.
- Abdominal swelling and Pain – Once the leukemia cells started invading spleen, liver and kidneys, this can cause pain and swelling in the abdominal area, making the children lose their appetite.
- Thrombocytopenia – Once crowded with white blood cells, the bone marrow becomes unable to produce platelets, making the child bleed easily by even a slight cut.
- Anemia – Aside from low platelet count, the bone marrow is also unable to produce more red blood cells, thereby causing anemia in children.
- Swollen Lymph Nodes – Swollen lymph nodes usually indicate that there’s a serious health issue in one’s body, especially in children. If this one affects your child as well as two other health conditions that are mentioned above, take your child to the doctor as soon as possible for medical examinations.