What are these neutrophils in your blood report?

Have you ever gotten a blood test and looked at the report and thought, "What the hell does this mean?" Among the words like WBC, RBC, and Platelets, you may have seen the word "Neutrophils." Most of the time, we don't pay much attention to these and just listen to what the doctor says. But did you know that these neutrophils are a very important and very efficient group of soldiers in our body? Today, we will talk about these neutrophils that silently serve to protect you from diseases inside your body.

Simply put, who are these neutrophils?

Imagine that your body is a big country. There is a big army to protect this country. This army is what we call the "Immune System". This army has different branches. Similarly, there are different types of cells in our blood.

Neutrophils are a special type of cell in our blood called White Blood Cells (or Leukocytes). These white blood cells are the army of our body. In this army, neutrophils are the special forces that are on the front lines, the first to rush into any battle. Just like a police raid unit.

Neutrophils make up between 55% and 70% of the white blood cells in our blood. With this number, you can probably understand how important these cells are in keeping our bodies healthy. Medically speaking, they belong to a type of cell called granulocytes. This means that these cells contain tiny granules that can destroy germs.

So what is the actual function of these neutrophils?

The main and most important function of neutrophils is to fight infections.

Let's understand this with a small example. Imagine that you are working in the kitchen and accidentally cut your finger on a knife. The cut wound now opens a path for germs such as bacteria and viruses from the environment to enter your body.

This is when our neutrophil soldiers begin their work.

1. Receiving an emergency call: Injured cells and invading bacteria release certain chemical signals. This is like an emergency call saying, "There's an enemy here, come quickly!"

2. Immediately to the battlefield: Upon receiving this signal, thousands of neutrophils patrolling the blood vessels rush to the site of the injury. These are the first immune cells to arrive there (First Responders).

3. Engulfing the enemy: Neutrophils that have arrived on the battlefield surround and 'swallow' germs, such as bacteria, that have entered the body. We call this process "Phagocytosis." Simply put, they capture and engulf the germ, and then use their own enzymes to digest and destroy it.

4. The results of the fight: This is when the wound becomes a little red, swollen, and warm. We call this inflammation. Sometimes your wound will "ooze" out, right? That pus is often a collection of neutrophil cells that died in the fight, destroyed germs, and tissue fragments.

After controlling the infection in this way, neutrophils also help to start the wound healing process. So now you understand how big a job these little cells do inside our bodies?

How do neutrophils form and live?

This special force called neutrophils is produced in our bone marrow. It's like a military training school. There, after being formed and fully matured, these cells are released into the bloodstream. Then, they travel throughout the body through the bloodstream, roaming the tissues and lymph nodes, looking for enemies.

The amazing thing is that the lifespan of this neutrophil cell is very short. Less than 24 hours. That means that the neutrophils in our body today are not the same as the ones in our body tomorrow. Because of this, our bone marrow has to make billions of new neutrophils every day (a healthy adult makes more than 100 billion a day). This shows how well prepared our body is to protect itself from infections.

Conditions caused by changes in neutrophil count

Like anything, the number of neutrophils in our bodies should be within a certain range. A healthy adult should have between 2,500 and 7,000 neutrophils per microliter of blood. If this number is much lower or much higher than normal, it could be a sign of a health problem.

What are the symptoms that suggest a problem with the neutrophil count?

If your neutrophil count is abnormally low or high, you may experience certain symptoms. Especially when neutrophils are low (neutropenia), the body's ability to fight infections is reduced, making you more likely to get sick.

If you have these symptoms, it is very important to see a doctor and talk about it.

What kind of tests will the doctor do?

When you mention these symptoms, the doctor will examine you and often order a blood test.

• Complete Blood Count (CBC): Also called FBC (Full Blood Count), this gives a general picture of the amounts of all the types of cells in your blood, such as red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.
• Absolute Neutrophil Count (ANC): This measures the actual number of neutrophils in your blood. This is the most important test to determine your neutrophil levels.

Based on the results of these tests, your doctor may decide to perform further tests to determine the underlying condition that is causing your neutrophil count to decrease or increase.

How do we keep our neutrophil army healthy?

It is our responsibility to keep these body's defenses strong. That means keeping our immune system strong. This doesn't require a lot of work, there are a few simple habits we can incorporate into our daily lives.

• Take care of cleanliness: Washing your hands thoroughly with soap and water regularly can go a long way in preventing the spread of germs.
• Eat a balanced diet: Include vegetables, fruits, and legumes in your diet, which are rich in vitamins and minerals. These nutrients are essential for the production and functioning of our immune cells.
• Treat any injuries thoroughly: Even if they are minor, clean them thoroughly and apply medication if necessary to prevent infection.
• Get enough sleep: Getting a good night's sleep every day is very important for the proper functioning of the immune system.
• Avoid smoking: Smoking weakens the immune system and can also cause abnormally high neutrophil counts.

Following these things will give your immune system, especially these neutrophil soldiers, a great boost to stay healthy.