White blood cells are vital components of the blood. Their role is to fight infection, and they are essential for health and well-being.
If a person has a high white blood cell count, it may indicate that they have an infection and that the immune system is working to destroy it. It may also be a sign that the person is experiencing physical or emotional stress. People with particular blood cancers may also have high white blood cells counts.
A low white blood cell count can signal that something is destroying the cells faster than they are being made, or that the body is producing too few of them.
