What is a low white cell count ?

Leukopenia: is a decrease in the number of white blood cells (leukocytes) found in the blood, which places individuals at increased risk of infection.

Infection fighters: The white cells are the infection fighting cells. There is generally an average level, circulating within the blood. There are different kinds of white cells. The type that is low & the severity, play the biggest role as to whether you'll have difficulty fighting infections, or whether the low amounts are a sign of a more serious disease. Continue to see PCP, consider hematologist or “ID” doc.

Decreased WBCs: It is a finding from a complete blood count (CBC) that indicates you have a WBC count less than 4 (in most labs). By itself, it means nothing--can be normal, can indicate infection, or stress, or immune process, or even cancer--but need to consider your health/situation (=why labs done?) and other values on blood work. If concerned, can ask your Dr about it and repeat in a few days.

Infection fighting: cells are found on top of the red oxygen carrying cells if you let blood settle to the bottom of a tube as a grey-green-white layer. The number and type of these cells vary a huge amount among normal people who can fight off infections. The number needs to get close to Zero before you are unprotected from infection, but can be lowered in most any illness that makes you sick (including colds).