Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatmentComplicationsOutlook
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
Complications
Outlook
“Eosinophilia” is the medical term for an increased eosinophil count. Eosinophils are a type ofwhite blood cell. When elevated, it may suggest an underlying health concern.
This article discusses the symptoms and causes of eosinophilia, as well as how some of the conditions that cause it may be diagnosed and treated.
Verywell / Laura Porter
Common symptoms include:
There are numerous reasons your eosinophil count may be elevated. Some of the causes are benign (not harmful) and require little treatment. It is not uncommon for the elevated count to be transient (short-lasting) and resolve without treatment.
Parasite Infections
Parasitic infectionsare among the most common infectious diseases globally and are often linked to eosinophilia.These infections includeschistosomiasis,trichinosis,strongyloidiasis, andascariasis.
Travel history is an important part of the work-up for eosinophilia, although a lack of recent travel does not rule outparasitic infections.
Drug Reactions
Medications can trigger eosinophilia, sometimes without any obvious signs or symptoms. The most common medications associated with eosinophilia include:
Drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) is a severe form of drug-related eosinophilia.Fortunately, most people will not have these reactions when they receive these medications.
Atopy
Atopyis a type of reaction that occurs in the body. Typically, atopy refers to asthma, seasonal allergies (also called allergic rhinitis), and eczema. It is not uncommon for someone to have more than one of these medical conditions, as they are related.
These are some of the most common causes of mild to moderate eosinophilia, especially when eosinophils are high in a child. Similarly, food allergies can also cause elevated eosinophil counts.
Eosinophilic Esophagitis
Hypereosinophilic Syndromes
Churg-Strauss Syndrome
Churg-Stauss vasculitis, now calledeosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis, can cause eosinophilia.People with this condition present with asthma and other lung issues initially, then develop eosinophilia, and eventuallyvasculitis, an inflammation of the blood vessels.
Cancer
There are several cancers, particularly blood cancers, that are known for increasing the eosinophil count, including:
These include a rare type of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) called eosinophilic leukemia. Other causes include several of themyeloproliferative neoplasms(such as essentialthrombocythemiaandpolycythemia vera) and cancers of the cervix.
What Is Eosinophilia Myalgia Syndrome?Eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome(EMS) is a rare disorder that causes muscle weakness and inflammation throughout the body, including muscles, skin, and lungs. It’s been linked to excessive intake of L-tryptophan in supplements as well as natural foods, such as cashew nuts, but it has been identified in other myalgia cases.
What Is Eosinophilia Myalgia Syndrome?
Eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome(EMS) is a rare disorder that causes muscle weakness and inflammation throughout the body, including muscles, skin, and lungs. It’s been linked to excessive intake of L-tryptophan in supplements as well as natural foods, such as cashew nuts, but it has been identified in other myalgia cases.
High Eosinophils and Certain Types of Cancer
COVID-19
Researchers continue to focus on eosinophil levels in COVID. For example, one study found that high eosinophil levels may help in fighting and recovering from COVID, while low levels were associated with people who died.Eosinophil levels also are implicated in rare complications after people have COVID vaccinations.
Like most blood disorders, eosinophilia is identified oncomplete blood count (CBC). They are one of the white blood cells found in the portion of the CBC called the differential.
The CBC differential reports how many of each type of white blood cells (neutrophil, lymphocyte, monocyte, eosinophil, andbasophil) are present in the blood.
After identification of eosinophilia, your healthcare provider will start working towards identifying the cause. Sometimes, this requires a referral to a hematologist.
There may not be a test to determine if a medication is the cause of your eosinophilia. If your eosinophil count returns to normal after discontinuing the medications, it is usually presumed that the medication was the cause.
Eosinophilia and Normal RangeA normal eosinophil count is less than 500 cells per microliter (cells/mcL).
Eosinophilia and Normal Range
A normal eosinophil count is less than 500 cells per microliter (cells/mcL).
Complications of High Eosinophils
Very high eosinophils can cause damage to your organs, including your:
These complications can be life-threatening if the condition is left untreated.
Outlook for Eosinophilia
If you have eosinophilia, you’ll need treatment for the underlying condition. How you are treated and what your long-term outlook will be depends on what’s causing your high eosinophils.
For example, eosinophilic esophagitis can be treated but it cannot be cured. On the other hand, with treatment, most people with drug-related eosinophilia recover in around six to nine weeks.Some conditions that cause high eosinophilia counts, such as leukemia and lung cancer, are serious and require long-term therapies such as chemotherapy or radiation treatment.
Summary
Eosinophilia describes abnormally high levels of a type of white blood cell called an eosinophil. The condition can have a number of causes, including parasitic infection, drug reaction, and cancer.
Eosinophilia is usually diagnosed with a blood test. Treatment for eosinophilia varies depending on the cause. Very high levels of eosinophils that remain untreated can be life-threatening.
14 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Kuang FL.Approach to patients with eosinophilia.Med Clin North Am. 2020;104(1):1-14. doi:10.1016/j.mcna.2019.08.005Diver S, Russell RJ, Brightling CE.Cough and eosinophilia.J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2019;7(6):1740-1747. doi:10.1016/j.jaip.2019.04.048.Jensen ET, Aceves SS, Bonis PA, et al.High patient disease burden in a cross-sectional, multicenter contact registry study of eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases.J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2020;71(4):524-529. doi:10.1097/MPG.0000000000002817.Chiappini E, Paba T, Bestetti M, Galli L.Parasitic infections in internationally adopted children: A twelve-year retrospective study.Pathogens. 2022;11(3):354. doi:10.3390/pathogens11030354.Mustafa SS, Ostrov D, Yerly D.Severe cutaneous adverse drug reactions: Presentation, risk factors, and management.Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. 2018;18(4):26. doi:10.1007/s11882-018-0778-6Gomez Torrijos E, Gonzalez-Mendiola R, Alvarado M, et al.Eosinophilic esophagitis: Review and update.Front Med (Lausanne). 2018;5:247. doi:10.3389/fmed.2018.00247American Partnership for Eosinophilic Disorders.Hypereosinophilic syndromes.Vasandani N, Isaac M, Bajwa A, Sheehan M, Nugent E.A surgical presentation of Churg-Strauss syndrome.Cureus. 2022;14(4):e24342. doi:10.7759/cureus.24342Prizment AE, Vierkant RA, Smyrk TC, et al.Tumor eosinophil infiltration and improved survival of colorectal cancer patients: Iowa Women’s Health Study.Mod Pathol. 2016;29(5):516–527. doi:10.1038/modpathol.2016.42Chirila R, Cristea ER, Purcarea MR, Tribus LC.Not just eosinophilic fasciitis.J Med Life. 2021;14(1):121-124. doi:10.25122/jml-2021-0015.Cortés-Vieyra R, Gutiérrez-Castellanos S, Álvarez-Aguilar C, Baizabal-Aguirre VM, Nuñez-Anita RE, Rocha-López AG,et al.Behavior of eosinophil counts in recovered and deceased COVID-19 patients over the course of the disease.Viruses. 2021;13(9):1675. doi:10.3390/v13091675.Frustaci A, Verardo R, Galea N, Lavalle C, Bagnato G, Scialla R,et al.Hypersensitivity myocarditis after COVID-19 mRNA vaccination.J Clin Med. 2022;11(6):1660. doi:10.3390/jcm11061660.Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.Eosinophil count - absolute.American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology.Drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS).
14 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Kuang FL.Approach to patients with eosinophilia.Med Clin North Am. 2020;104(1):1-14. doi:10.1016/j.mcna.2019.08.005Diver S, Russell RJ, Brightling CE.Cough and eosinophilia.J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2019;7(6):1740-1747. doi:10.1016/j.jaip.2019.04.048.Jensen ET, Aceves SS, Bonis PA, et al.High patient disease burden in a cross-sectional, multicenter contact registry study of eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases.J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2020;71(4):524-529. doi:10.1097/MPG.0000000000002817.Chiappini E, Paba T, Bestetti M, Galli L.Parasitic infections in internationally adopted children: A twelve-year retrospective study.Pathogens. 2022;11(3):354. doi:10.3390/pathogens11030354.Mustafa SS, Ostrov D, Yerly D.Severe cutaneous adverse drug reactions: Presentation, risk factors, and management.Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. 2018;18(4):26. doi:10.1007/s11882-018-0778-6Gomez Torrijos E, Gonzalez-Mendiola R, Alvarado M, et al.Eosinophilic esophagitis: Review and update.Front Med (Lausanne). 2018;5:247. doi:10.3389/fmed.2018.00247American Partnership for Eosinophilic Disorders.Hypereosinophilic syndromes.Vasandani N, Isaac M, Bajwa A, Sheehan M, Nugent E.A surgical presentation of Churg-Strauss syndrome.Cureus. 2022;14(4):e24342. doi:10.7759/cureus.24342Prizment AE, Vierkant RA, Smyrk TC, et al.Tumor eosinophil infiltration and improved survival of colorectal cancer patients: Iowa Women’s Health Study.Mod Pathol. 2016;29(5):516–527. doi:10.1038/modpathol.2016.42Chirila R, Cristea ER, Purcarea MR, Tribus LC.Not just eosinophilic fasciitis.J Med Life. 2021;14(1):121-124. doi:10.25122/jml-2021-0015.Cortés-Vieyra R, Gutiérrez-Castellanos S, Álvarez-Aguilar C, Baizabal-Aguirre VM, Nuñez-Anita RE, Rocha-López AG,et al.Behavior of eosinophil counts in recovered and deceased COVID-19 patients over the course of the disease.Viruses. 2021;13(9):1675. doi:10.3390/v13091675.Frustaci A, Verardo R, Galea N, Lavalle C, Bagnato G, Scialla R,et al.Hypersensitivity myocarditis after COVID-19 mRNA vaccination.J Clin Med. 2022;11(6):1660. doi:10.3390/jcm11061660.Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.Eosinophil count - absolute.American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology.Drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS).
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Kuang FL.Approach to patients with eosinophilia.Med Clin North Am. 2020;104(1):1-14. doi:10.1016/j.mcna.2019.08.005Diver S, Russell RJ, Brightling CE.Cough and eosinophilia.J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2019;7(6):1740-1747. doi:10.1016/j.jaip.2019.04.048.Jensen ET, Aceves SS, Bonis PA, et al.High patient disease burden in a cross-sectional, multicenter contact registry study of eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases.J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2020;71(4):524-529. doi:10.1097/MPG.0000000000002817.Chiappini E, Paba T, Bestetti M, Galli L.Parasitic infections in internationally adopted children: A twelve-year retrospective study.Pathogens. 2022;11(3):354. doi:10.3390/pathogens11030354.Mustafa SS, Ostrov D, Yerly D.Severe cutaneous adverse drug reactions: Presentation, risk factors, and management.Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. 2018;18(4):26. doi:10.1007/s11882-018-0778-6Gomez Torrijos E, Gonzalez-Mendiola R, Alvarado M, et al.Eosinophilic esophagitis: Review and update.Front Med (Lausanne). 2018;5:247. doi:10.3389/fmed.2018.00247American Partnership for Eosinophilic Disorders.Hypereosinophilic syndromes.Vasandani N, Isaac M, Bajwa A, Sheehan M, Nugent E.A surgical presentation of Churg-Strauss syndrome.Cureus. 2022;14(4):e24342. doi:10.7759/cureus.24342Prizment AE, Vierkant RA, Smyrk TC, et al.Tumor eosinophil infiltration and improved survival of colorectal cancer patients: Iowa Women’s Health Study.Mod Pathol. 2016;29(5):516–527. doi:10.1038/modpathol.2016.42Chirila R, Cristea ER, Purcarea MR, Tribus LC.Not just eosinophilic fasciitis.J Med Life. 2021;14(1):121-124. doi:10.25122/jml-2021-0015.Cortés-Vieyra R, Gutiérrez-Castellanos S, Álvarez-Aguilar C, Baizabal-Aguirre VM, Nuñez-Anita RE, Rocha-López AG,et al.Behavior of eosinophil counts in recovered and deceased COVID-19 patients over the course of the disease.Viruses. 2021;13(9):1675. doi:10.3390/v13091675.Frustaci A, Verardo R, Galea N, Lavalle C, Bagnato G, Scialla R,et al.Hypersensitivity myocarditis after COVID-19 mRNA vaccination.J Clin Med. 2022;11(6):1660. doi:10.3390/jcm11061660.Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.Eosinophil count - absolute.American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology.Drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS).
Kuang FL.Approach to patients with eosinophilia.Med Clin North Am. 2020;104(1):1-14. doi:10.1016/j.mcna.2019.08.005
Diver S, Russell RJ, Brightling CE.Cough and eosinophilia.J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2019;7(6):1740-1747. doi:10.1016/j.jaip.2019.04.048.
Jensen ET, Aceves SS, Bonis PA, et al.High patient disease burden in a cross-sectional, multicenter contact registry study of eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases.J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2020;71(4):524-529. doi:10.1097/MPG.0000000000002817.
Chiappini E, Paba T, Bestetti M, Galli L.Parasitic infections in internationally adopted children: A twelve-year retrospective study.Pathogens. 2022;11(3):354. doi:10.3390/pathogens11030354.
Mustafa SS, Ostrov D, Yerly D.Severe cutaneous adverse drug reactions: Presentation, risk factors, and management.Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. 2018;18(4):26. doi:10.1007/s11882-018-0778-6
Gomez Torrijos E, Gonzalez-Mendiola R, Alvarado M, et al.Eosinophilic esophagitis: Review and update.Front Med (Lausanne). 2018;5:247. doi:10.3389/fmed.2018.00247
American Partnership for Eosinophilic Disorders.Hypereosinophilic syndromes.
Vasandani N, Isaac M, Bajwa A, Sheehan M, Nugent E.A surgical presentation of Churg-Strauss syndrome.Cureus. 2022;14(4):e24342. doi:10.7759/cureus.24342
Prizment AE, Vierkant RA, Smyrk TC, et al.Tumor eosinophil infiltration and improved survival of colorectal cancer patients: Iowa Women’s Health Study.Mod Pathol. 2016;29(5):516–527. doi:10.1038/modpathol.2016.42
Chirila R, Cristea ER, Purcarea MR, Tribus LC.Not just eosinophilic fasciitis.J Med Life. 2021;14(1):121-124. doi:10.25122/jml-2021-0015.
Cortés-Vieyra R, Gutiérrez-Castellanos S, Álvarez-Aguilar C, Baizabal-Aguirre VM, Nuñez-Anita RE, Rocha-López AG,et al.Behavior of eosinophil counts in recovered and deceased COVID-19 patients over the course of the disease.Viruses. 2021;13(9):1675. doi:10.3390/v13091675.
Frustaci A, Verardo R, Galea N, Lavalle C, Bagnato G, Scialla R,et al.Hypersensitivity myocarditis after COVID-19 mRNA vaccination.J Clin Med. 2022;11(6):1660. doi:10.3390/jcm11061660.
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.Eosinophil count - absolute.
American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology.Drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS).
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