“What can cause high leukocytes in the blood?”

There are many reasons for high white count (high leukocytes). Some of these may be transient and some may need further workup. Discuss with your primary care doctor about further investigations as necessary.

Probably the most common cause of a high leukocyte (white blood cell) level is an ongoing infection. If infection, the treatment is to treat the infection. Other causes include much more ominous things such as a leukemia. If you have a primary care physician, you should ask this person to review the results with you. They may want additional tests to determine exactly what class of leukocytes are elevated and if they are abnormal in any way. Depending on the results, you may also get referred to a blood specialist (hematologist) to help figure out exactly what's going on. Hope this helps a bit. David Gordon M.D.