Eosinophils "Eos" (Absolute)
Other names: Eosinophil (absolute)
Understanding Eosinophils: A Comprehensive Guide
What Are Eosinophils?
Eosinophils are specialized white blood cells (leukocytes) that play a crucial role in your immune system. These distinctive cells make up less than 5% of all white blood cells in a healthy adult's body and are larger than most other cellular components in your blood.
Physical Characteristics
Under a microscope, eosinophils have several distinctive features:
- A unique two-lobed nucleus connected by a thread-like structure
- A spherical shape with clear appearance in the body
- Distinctive granules giving a sandy texture
- Purple or pink coloration when treated with acidic dye for microscopic examination
Primary Functions
Eosinophils serve as crucial defenders of your body by:
- Fighting Against Invaders:
- Parasitic infections (such as hookworms and pinworms)
- Bacterial infections, especially intracellular bacteria
- Fungal infections
- Viral infections
- Managing Immune Responses:
- Participating in allergic reactions
- Contributing to inflammatory responses
- Releasing toxic proteins to destroy harmful organisms
- Protecting host cells from parasitic invasion
Location in the Body
Eosinophils can be found in several tissues and organs:
- Bloodstream
- Bone marrow
- Adipose (fat) tissue
- Lungs
- Skin
- Gastrointestinal tract
Clinical Significance
Normal Range
A healthy eosinophil count ranges from 0 to 400 cells per microliter of blood (<0.4 x 109/L).
Monitoring and Testing
Healthcare providers may order an eosinophil count as part of:
- White blood cell count (WBC) with differential
- Complete blood count (CBC)
Symptoms Warranting Testing
Common symptoms that may prompt eosinophil testing include:
- Persistent diarrhea
- Unexplained itching
- Recurring fever
- Unusual rashes
- Chronic runny nose (particularly allergy-related)
- Unexplained weight loss
Associated Conditions
Elevated eosinophil levels may indicate:
- Allergic reactions
- Asthma
- Eczema
- Parasitic infections
- Drug sensitivities
- Certain cancers (including Hodgkin's lymphoma and leukemia)
Health Implications
While eosinophils are essential for immune defense, prolonged elevation can lead to:
- Chronic inflammation
- Tissue damage
- Development of long-term health conditions
Role in the Immune System
Eosinophils are one of three types of granulocytes, alongside neutrophils and basophils. They form part of the body's complex immune system, where they:
- Actively participate in defending against pathogens
- Contribute to allergic responses
- Help regulate inflammatory processes
- Work in concert with other white blood cells to maintain immune health
Medical Monitoring
Regular monitoring of eosinophil levels helps healthcare providers:
- Assess overall immune system function
- Diagnose specific conditions
- Track treatment effectiveness
- Monitor disease progression
Understanding eosinophil levels and their implications is crucial for healthcare providers in diagnosing and treating various conditions, from common allergies to more serious medical conditions requiring specialized care.
What does it mean if your Eosinophils "Eos" (Absolute) result is too high?
Understanding High Eosinophil Count (Eosinophilia)
Definition and Classification
Eosinophilia refers to an abnormally high count of eosinophils in the blood. It is classified into three categories based on severity:
- Mild: 500–1,500 eosinophils per microliter (μL) of blood
- Moderate: 1,500–5,000 eosinophils per μL
- Severe: > 5,000 eosinophils per μL
Causes of Eosinophilia
Eosinophilia can result from various conditions, including:
- Parasitic infections (e.g., helminth infections)
- Allergic disorders (e.g., asthma, atopic dermatitis, drug allergies)
- Autoimmune diseases (e.g., eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis)
- Hematologic disorders (e.g., certain leukemias, lymphomas)
- Gastrointestinal disorders (e.g., eosinophilic esophagitis, inflammatory bowel disease)
- Skin conditions (e.g., eczema)
- Certain cancers
- Adrenal insufficiency
- Hypereosinophilic syndromes
- Organ transplant rejection
Clinical Significance
Persistent, severe eosinophilia can lead to organ damage and may require urgent medical attention. Affected organs may include the heart, lungs, skin, and nervous system.
Eosinophilia and Cancer
While rare, persistently elevated eosinophil counts can sometimes indicate underlying malignancies, such as:
- Hodgkin lymphoma
- Certain leukemias
- Some solid tumors (e.g., lung, gastrointestinal)
However, it's important to note that eosinophilia alone is not diagnostic of cancer and requires further investigation.
Treatment Approaches
Treatment for eosinophilia is tailored to the underlying cause and may include:
- Treating the primary condition (e.g., antiparasitic drugs for parasitic infections)
- Corticosteroids to reduce inflammation and eosinophil counts
- Immunosuppressants in cases of autoimmune disorders
- Targeted therapies for specific eosinophilic disorders
- Dietary modifications for eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders
- Allergen avoidance and management for allergic conditions
Maintaining Eosinophil Health
To support overall immune health and potentially influence eosinophil levels:
- Practice good hygiene to reduce infection risk
- Manage known allergies and avoid triggers
- Maintain a balanced, nutritious diet
- Limit alcohol consumption
- Engage in regular physical activity
- Manage stress through relaxation techniques
Always consult with a healthcare provider for personalized advice and treatment plans related to eosinophil counts and associated conditions.
All Your Lab Results.
One Simple Dashboard.
Import, Track, and Share Your Lab Results Easily
Import, Track, and Share Your Lab Results
Import lab results from multiple providers, track changes over time, customize your reference ranges, and get clear explanations for each result. Everything is stored securely, exportable in one organized file, and shareable with your doctor—or anyone you choose.
Cancel or upgrade anytime
What does it mean if your Eosinophils "Eos" (Absolute) result is too low?
Causes of Low Eosinophil Count (Eosinopenia)
An abnormally low eosinophil count, also known as eosinopenia, can result from various factors:
- Alcohol Intoxication: Acute alcohol consumption can temporarily suppress eosinophil production.
- Hypercortisolism: Excessive production of cortisol, as seen in Cushing's syndrome, can lead to eosinopenia. Cortisol, a stress hormone, suppresses the immune system and can reduce eosinophil counts when present in high levels over extended periods.
- Diurnal Variation: Eosinophil counts naturally fluctuate throughout the day, typically being lowest in the morning and highest in the evening.
- Medications: Corticosteroids and other immunosuppressant drugs can decrease eosinophil production and function.
- Acute Infections: Some acute bacterial or viral infections can temporarily lower eosinophil counts.
- Stress: Acute physical or emotional stress can cause a transient decrease in eosinophil levels.
Clinical Significance
In most cases, low eosinophil counts alone are not a cause for concern, especially if other white blood cell counts are normal. However, if all white blood cell counts are low, it may indicate a bone marrow problem that requires further investigation.
Management
- Monitoring: If eosinopenia is detected, healthcare providers will typically monitor levels over time and investigate potential underlying causes.
- Treating Underlying Conditions: Long-term treatment may be necessary if an underlying health condition is causing persistent eosinopenia.
- Natural Recovery: Often, the body can detect low eosinophil counts and compensate by increasing the activity of other immune cells.
- Medication Adjustment: If medication-induced, adjusting dosages or changing medications may be considered under medical supervision.
It's important to note that eosinophil levels are naturally low in healthy adults. Any concerns about eosinophil counts should be discussed with a healthcare professional for proper evaluation and management.
Laboratories
Bring All Your Lab Results Together — In One Place
We accept reports from any lab, so you can easily collect and organize all your health information in one secure spot.
Pricing Table
Gather Your Lab History — and Finally Make Sense of It
Finally, Your Lab Results Organized and Clear
Personal plans
$79/ year
Advanced Plan
Access your lab reports, explanations, and tracking tools.
- Import lab results from any provider
- Track all results with visual tools
- Customize your reference ranges
- Export your full lab history anytime
- Share results securely with anyone
- Receive 5 reports entered for you
- Cancel or upgrade anytime
$250/ once
Unlimited Account
Pay once, access everything—no monthly fees, no limits.
- Import lab results from any provider
- Track all results with visual tools
- Customize your reference ranges
- Export your full lab history anytime
- Share results securely with anyone
- Receive 10 reports entered for you
- No subscriptions. No extra fees.
$45/ month
Pro Monthly
Designed for professionals managing their clients' lab reports
- Import lab results from any provider
- Track lab results for multiple clients
- Customize reference ranges per client
- Export lab histories and reports
- Begin with first report entered by us
- Cancel or upgrade anytime
About membership
What's included in a Healthmatters membership
Import Lab Results from Any Source
See Your Health Timeline
Understand What Your Results Mean
Visualize Your Results
Data Entry Service for Your Reports
Securely Share With Anyone You Trust
Let Your Lab Results Tell the Full Story
Once your results are in one place, see the bigger picture — track trends over time, compare data side by side, export your full history, and share securely with anyone you trust.
Bring all your results together to compare, track progress, export your history, and share securely.
What Healthmatters Members Are Saying
Frequently asked questions
Healthmatters is a personal health dashboard that helps you organize and understand your lab results. It collects and displays your medical test data from any lab in one secure, easy-to-use platform.
- Individuals who want to track and understand their health over time.
- Health professionals, such as doctors, nutritionists, and wellness coaches, need to manage and interpret lab data for their clients.
With a Healthmatters account, you can:
- Upload lab reports from any lab
- View your data in interactive graphs, tables, and timelines
- Track trends and monitor changes over time
- Customize your reference ranges
- Export and share your full lab history
- Access your results anytime, from any device
Professionals can also analyze client data more efficiently and save time managing lab reports.
Healthmatters.io personal account provides in-depth research on 10000+ biomarkers, including information and suggestions for test panels such as, but not limited to:
- The GI Effects® Comprehensive Stool Profile,
- GI-MAP,
- The NutrEval FMV®,
- The ION Profile,
- Amino Acids Profile,
- Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones (DUTCH),
- Organic Acids Test,
- Organix Comprehensive Profile,
- Toxic Metals,
- Complete Blood Count (CBC),
- Metabolic panel,
- Thyroid panel,
- Lipid Panel,
- Urinalysis,
- And many, many more.
You can combine all test reports inside your Healthmatters account and keep them in one place. It gives you an excellent overview of all your health data. Once you retest, you can add new results and compare them.
If you are still determining whether Healthmatters support your lab results, the rule is that if you can test it, you can upload it to Healthmatters.
We implement proven measures to keep your data safe.
At HealthMatters, we're committed to maintaining the security and confidentiality of your personal information. We've put industry-leading security standards in place to help protect against the loss, misuse, or alteration of the information under our control. We use procedural, physical, and electronic security methods designed to prevent unauthorized people from getting access to this information. Our internal code of conduct adds additional privacy protection. All data is backed up multiple times a day and encrypted using SSL certificates. See our Privacy Policy for more details.