“Is high white blood count serious?”

An elevated White Blood Count can be a sign of inflammation or infection. It should be looked into if it is very high but the high WBC itself is not dangerous. Very high is more than 15,000 and you should see your primary care physician for evaluation if it is elevated.

An elevated WBC can be a marker for acute infection, inflammation or stress. It always has to interpreted within a context of clinical symptoms. By itself, it may not have much meaning e.g. obtained as part of a screen for anemia or some other reason to check a CBC.

It depends on how high it is and what kind of white cells they are. Normally we have 5 types of WBC- neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils, lymphocytes & monocytes. The first 3 arise from the same stem cell, as they mature. Neutrophils can engulf & destroy bacteria. Eos rise if there's a lot of allergic stuff going on. Basos contain histamine--related to allergies too. Lymphs are a big part of the immune system. They also live in lymph nodes & the spleen. They recognize foreign materials & make antibodies against them. Monos deal with foreign matter too. Normal WBC is between 4.5-10,000. Too low means you are less able to fight off an infection. High WBC happens if there is an infection, to fight it. The number & type of white cells are very important to fight infections, & keep the body healthy.