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Does Smoking Elevate CBC Level?

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Posted on Tue, 7 Oct 2014
Question: how much does heavy smoking elevate your cbc? I just had a CBC test come back at 200k, 78k neutraphil and highly elevated hematocrit and hemoglobin. What should my cvc be if i am a heavy smoker? Can smoking alone account for this abnormal CBC?
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Answered by Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis (32 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
Please send me the results (scanned)

Detailed Answer:
Hello,
the numbers you mentioned are very high. If I'm right you're talking about 20000/μL white blood cells and 7800/μL neutrophils. Please confirm this by sending your results as a scanned document. You have not mentioned your hematocrit. How high was it? Smoking can increase your white blood cells particularly if you've smoked right before your blood is drawn. The expected elevation is much smaller than the numbers you provided.
You mentioned fever. Please provide some more information about that. When did you first have fever? Is it high or low fever? Any other symptoms? Do you have enlarged lymph nodes or internal organs (liver, spleen)? Have you lost body weight? Do you have excessive perspiration (sweating)?
Fever and increased WBC are usually signs of infection.
I can't tell if it is an infection or not. I don't have the required information for that.
Please send all the laboratory results you've got to make a more complete answer possible.
Kind Regards!
Note: In case of any other concern or query related to prevention, evaluation, diagnosis, treatment, or the recovery of persons with the any type of addiction or substance use, follow up with our Addiction Medicine Specialist. Click here to book a consultation now.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Yogesh D
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Answered by
Dr.
Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis

Internal Medicine Specialist

Practicing since :1999

Answered : 3809 Questions

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Does Smoking Elevate CBC Level?

Brief Answer: Please send me the results (scanned) Detailed Answer: Hello, the numbers you mentioned are very high. If I'm right you're talking about 20000/μL white blood cells and 7800/μL neutrophils. Please confirm this by sending your results as a scanned document. You have not mentioned your hematocrit. How high was it? Smoking can increase your white blood cells particularly if you've smoked right before your blood is drawn. The expected elevation is much smaller than the numbers you provided. You mentioned fever. Please provide some more information about that. When did you first have fever? Is it high or low fever? Any other symptoms? Do you have enlarged lymph nodes or internal organs (liver, spleen)? Have you lost body weight? Do you have excessive perspiration (sweating)? Fever and increased WBC are usually signs of infection. I can't tell if it is an infection or not. I don't have the required information for that. Please send all the laboratory results you've got to make a more complete answer possible. Kind Regards!