What does it mean if my eosinophils are high?
Eosinophils are the allergy-and-parasite wing of white cells. Mild elevations most often track allergic conditions, asthma, eczema, hay fever, or medication reactions; parasitic infections matter with relevant travel or exposure; rarer causes exist for persistent high counts.
A mildly raised count in a well person with allergies usually needs nothing beyond a recheck.
Bring context to the follow-up: new medicines including supplements, travel history, rashes, wheeze or gut symptoms. Persistent counts above about 1500 earn a proper workup rather than watchfulness.
See a doctor promptly if
- Hemoglobin well below the normal range with breathlessness, chest pain, or dizziness on standing
- Potassium below 3.0 mmol/L or above 6.0 mmol/L. This needs same-day contact, not a routine appointment
- A sudden large rise in creatinine, or a new drop in eGFR, especially with reduced urine output
- Liver enzymes several times the upper limit with yellow eyes, dark urine, pale stools, or right upper abdominal pain
- Platelets under 50 x10^9/L, or a very high or very low white cell count with fever
What your eosinophil count means
| Result | In short | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Under 500 cells per microliter | Normal | Most labs put the top of normal near 500. A count in the 300s means nothing on its own. |
| 500 to 1,500 | Mild | The common band, and usually allergy, asthma, eczema, hay fever or a drug reaction. In some regions a parasite is the first thought. |
| 1,500 to 5,000 | Moderate | Repeated on a second sample, then worked up. Drug reactions, parasites and some autoimmune conditions live here. |
| Above 5,000 | Marked | Needs prompt assessment, because sustained counts this high can affect the heart, lungs and nerves regardless of the cause. |
| Percentage instead of a count | Read the absolute number | A 7 percent eosinophil reading means very different things at a white cell count of 4,000 and 14,000. Always find the absolute count on the report. |
One result is a snapshot. Ranges differ a little between labs, and what a number means depends on the rest of you. Check it against the guidelines.
Try the result lookupone number, free, nothing to installType the number you are holding and it lands in a band, with what usually happens next.
Look up another result
A result is rarely the only one on the page. Each of these gives the bands, in both unit systems, and what happens next.
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Answered by the AskDoc Medical Team · Medically reviewed under our Medical Director, MBBS · How we review
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