Symptoms of Leukemia

Some common signs and symptoms of leukemia include frequent infection, fever, cold, chills, loss of appetite and weight, abdominal pain, tender or swollen lymph nodes, malaise and frequent pain in bones and joints. Not all patients experience the same kind of symptoms as the signs differ for each case of leukemia.

Early Symptoms of Leukemia

The first signs of leukemia are usually non-specific and vague.

The early signs of leukemia differ in each person though most of them experience common flu-like symptoms. These include fever, chills, weakness, fatigue, and frequent and recurring infections. The patients exhibit swollen lymph nodes, liver and spleen along with little red spots under the skin. It also involves loss of appetite, weight loss and bleeding gums. Bone and joint pains are also noticed and there is excess bleeding than in a normal cut or bruise.

There is a loss of red blood cells resulting in anemia. Excessive sweating is also seen as an early sign of leukemia and calls for a diagnosis.

Leukemia Symptoms in Children

Children affected with leukemia are more susceptible to infection. One of the early signs of leukemia in children is the non-functioning of antibiotics for other normal childhood illnesses as leukemia is immune to antibiotics.

Bruises, scratches or cuts are noticed even for an ordinary cause that would not be that serious enough ordinarily. In case of bleeding, the blood does not stop quickly.

The child experiences pain in bones and joints when the leukemia cells deposit themselves under the surface of the bone and inside joints.

Another early symptom of leukemia in children is the loss of appetite and weight-reduction for no known cause.

Other commonly noticed symptoms in children include vomiting, headaches and uncontrolled fits along with skin reactions. In some cases, there is an enlargement in the abdominal area as leukemia causes distention in spleen and liver (these are located in the abdominal area).

Leukemia Symptoms in Adults

Signs of leukemia in adults are more or less similar to those noticed in children. These include the same flu-like indications of frequent infection, fever, cold and chills.

Fatigue, weakness, malaise, headaches, seizures, weakness, blurred vision, balancing inability and vomiting are some common signs of leukemia in adults when it spreads to the brain.

Pain in bones and joints is more severe than in children. There is a loss of appetite, weight loss and abdominal pain due to the expansion of the spleen and liver. The lymph nodes turn tender and swollen. Bruises and cuts are also noticed at the first provocation.

Some of the exhibited signs of leukemia in men and women alike are shortness of breath, frequent and lengthy coughing along with suffocation.

The symptoms of leukemia are seen in places where these cells accumulate or are deposited and the characteristics of the symptoms will be dependent on this. Leukemia can be of the chronic or acute type and can be easily diagnosed with a regular blood test.

Leukemia is usually caused by radiation exposure or due to chain smoking or exposure to too much smoke.

Acute symptoms of leukemia are headaches, vomiting, confusion, loss of muscle control, or seizures. They also affect other parts of the body like the digestive tract, kidneys, lungs, heart or testes and the symptoms of the leukemia will be dependent on which of these regions are affected.

Common Symptoms of Chronic Leukemia and Acute Leukemia

• Swollen lymph nodes (especially in the neck or armpit) that can be painful. Lymph nodes are the regions where blood cleanses itself and can drain the excess leukemic cells in these regions. This will result in swelling and inflammation and makes these lymph nodes prone to infections and lymphitis.
• Fevers or night sweats
• Frequent infections – these occur because the white blood cells are immature and do not have the ability to fight bacterial and viral infections efficiently as under normal conditions. The accumulation of these immature white blood cells in the bone marrow will also result in reduction of bone marrow cells required for the synthesis of blood platelets. Hence, there will be excessive bleeding or development of pinprick bleeding (petechiae) due to a disturbance in the blood clotting process resulting in malformed blood clots, and thus one can frequently see purple patches of blood clots.
• Feeling weak or tired
• Bleeding and bruising easily (bleeding gums, purplish patches in the skin, or tiny red spots under the skin
• Swelling or discomfort in the abdomen causing pain that may result in loss of appetite and weight
• Weight loss for no reason
• Pain in the bones and joints because of cell proliferation in the bone marrow
• Unexplained fevers
• Blurred vision
• Balance problems
• Shortness of breath or dyspnea when the cells accumulate in the chest resulting in pain and difficulty in breathing seeking immediate medical attention
• Loss of muscle control and seizures

Anemia – there will be a reduction in the number of red blood cells and platelets and hence there will be less possibility of ability to carry oxygen leading to a number of other related symptoms.

However, these symptoms are common for other infections also and so only a doctor can tell for sure what is what. The good thing about leukemia is that a simple blood test could be able to help you to diagnose and respond appropriately.

Acute and chronic leukemia differ in that in chronic leukemia, the symptoms do not appear until the disease is diagnosed until the later stages after the development of cancer in the blood. On the other hand, in acute leukemia, the symptoms are diagnosed immediately and easily.