Leukemia refers to cancers that affect an individual’s bone marrow or blood. There are different kinds of leukemia that exist, even though there are numerous similar signs. 

To learn more, let us study the early symptoms and diagnosis of leukemia:

Early symptoms of leukemia

• Bleeding
  There are certain kinds of leukemia responsible for destroying the blood platelets in a person’s body. Blood platelets are a blood cell type that is vital in stopping the bleeding. Thus, a person who is suffering from leukemia might find that they often bleed much more easily upon getting a cut compared to others. Not just this, but a person might also experience frequent nosebleeds as well as bleeding gums.

• Swelling of the abdomen
  One thing that a lot of people are not aware of about leukemia is that leukemia cells can multiply in numbers. Once these leukemia cells multiply and grow in numbers, they can quickly develop in the liver and the spleen. Due to these leukemia cells’ presence, the organs of a person’s body could get enlarged. The consequence of this is that the person may experience swelling in the abdomen.

• Pain in the joints or bones
  Many people do not know about leukemia because its abnormal cells can start to develop inside the bones of a person’s body or even grow near those bones. This can result in discomfort and pain in their bones or joints for no particular reason. This pain could range from having just a mild effect to being immense and severe.

• Higher record of infection
  Our bodies’ white blood cells are incredibly vital to fight off the infections that we could fall victim to. Leukemia is responsible for destroying the white blood cells in a person’s body. Hence, when people with leukemia come across infections, they are much more susceptible to them since their bodies have much lesser protection than what they earlier did.

Diagnosis of leukemia

• Blood tests
  With the help of a person’s blood sample, the doctor would check whether they have the required amount of red blood cells or white blood cells. If the result shows abnormal levels, this could mean that the person has leukemia.

• Bone marrow test
  Bone marrow tests involve a sample of bone marrow taken from the hipbone. A laboratory will then test the sample and look for leukemia cells.

• Physical tests
  Physical tests involve the healthcare professional checking whether the person has swollen lymph nodes, pale skin, or enlarged spleen and liver, clear signs of leukemia.

So, here are some of the early symptoms and diagnosis of leukemia.