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This article was medically reviewed by Erik Kramer, DO, MPH. Dr. Erik Kramer is a Board-Certified Primary Care Physician at the University of Colorado. With over 15 years of experience, his clinical interests include obesity and weight management, diabetes care, and preventive care, as well as embracing a holistic approach to primary care. He received his Doctorate in Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) from the Touro University Nevada College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed his residency at Central Maine Medical Center. Dr. Kramer is a Diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine.
There are 19 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.
This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources.
This article has been viewed 237,884 times.
While a high eosinophil count (also known as eosinophilia) may sound worrisome, it is usually just a natural response to infection in your body. Eosinophils are a type of white blood cell that help fight off infections by causing inflammation in your body. In most cases, eosinophil levels will lower once you treat the underlying cause. That said, a clean, healthy lifestyle and anti-inflammatory remedies may also help reduce unusually high counts.
Steps
Reduce stress in your life. Stress and anxiety may contribute to the conditions causing your eosinophilia. Taking some time to relax may help you regulate your eosinophil levels. Examine your daily routine for common causes of stress. Where possible, eliminate or reduce your contact with stressful triggers.[1]- Relaxation techniques like mediation, yoga, and muscle relaxation can help you unwind when you are feeling tense or overwhelmed.
Reduce your exposure to any known allergens. Allergies are the most common cause of a high eosinophil count. Your body may be producing more eosinophils in reaction to the allergen. Treating your allergies and avoiding triggers can help you manage eosinophils in your body.[2]- Hay fever can cause eosinophil levels to surge. Treat your hay fever with over-the-counter antihistamines like Benadryl or Claritin to reduce the eosinophil count in your body.
- For example, if you’re allergic to dogs, try to avoid contact with dogs whenever possible. When visiting friends with dogs, ask them if they can put the dog in another room during your visit.
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Keep your home clean. Dust mites can irritate some people and cause a reaction that may increase eosinophils, especially if you have a dust mite allergy. To avoid this, keep your home as clean as possible. Dust at least once a week to prevent dust mites from building up in the corners of your home.[3]- Pollen can have a similar effect for some people. To prevent pollen from coming into your home, keep your doors and windows shut during high pollen seasons.
Eat a healthy diet low in acidic foods. Heartburn and acid reflux can both increase the eosinophil count in your body. Eating a balanced, healthy diet is essential to preventing these conditions. Look for foods low in fat, such as lean meats, whole grains, and fresh fruits and vegetables. Avoid acidic foods, such as fried foods, tomatoes, alcohol, chocolate, mint, garlic, onions, and coffee.[4]- Being overweight can increase your chances of acid reflux and a high eosinophil count. If you’re overweight, you may need to lose weight to reduce your risk.
- 5Quit smoking and minimize how much alcohol you drink. Quitting smoking can help you have healthier levels of eosinophils. While there is no different evidence of correlation between reducing alcohol and eosinophils levels, doing so will certainly make you healthier in general.[5]
- When quitting smoking, ask for support and have a firm plan.
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Increase your daily Vitamin D intake. People with low vitamin D levels are more likely to have high eosinophil counts.[6] There are two ways you can increase your Vitamin D intake. Go out into the sun for between 5 minutes (for people with very light complexions) and 30 minutes (for people with darker complexions) at least twice a week. Alternatively, you can take a Vitamin D3 supplement.[7]- To get Vitamin D from sun exposure, be outside. Vitamin D comes from UVB rays, which don't penetrate glass, so sitting by a sunny window won't help.
- Cloud cover reduces rays, so spend a little more time outside on cloudy days.
Take ginger to reduce inflammation. Ginger is known to lower inflammation. While it is still being studied, ginger may be able to reduce eosinophils as well. Take daily supplements containing ginger or brew ginger tea to get the benefits.[8]- You can buy ginger tea at most grocery stores. Place the tea bag in a cup and pour hot water over it. Let it steep for a few minutes before enjoying.
Use turmeric to reduce inflammation in combination with medications. Turmeric (also known as curcumin) may be able to reduce eosinophils in certain situations. To get the anti-inflammatory benefit from turmeric, you should get higher dose capsules of turmeric. Keep in mind that turmeric is quite expensive, so it might not be the best option.[9]- Try taking it for 1-2 months and if it isn’t helping, stop.
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Visit your doctor for a full examination. Many conditions could cause your eosinophilia, including a blood disorder, allergies, digestive disorder, connective tissue disorders, parasites, or a fungal infection. Your doctor will take blood and skin samples to help find the cause. In rare cases, they may also order stool tests, CT scans, or bone marrow tests.[10]- Primary eosinophilia is when you have high eosinophils in your blood or tissue caused by a blood disorder or disease, such as leukemia.
- Secondary eosinophilia is caused by a medical condition other than a blood disorder, such as asthma, GERD, or eczema.
- Hypereosinophilia is a high eosinophil count without any apparent cause.
- If your eosinophilia is affecting a certain part of your body, you may be diagnosed with a specific type of eosinophilia. Esophageal eosinophilia affects your esophagus while eosinophilic asthma affects your lungs.
Visit an allergist to get tested for allergies. Since allergies often increase eosinophils, your doctor may refer you to an allergist. The allergist may do a patch test, in which they place small amounts of common allergens to your skin to see if you react. They might also take a blood sample and test it for allergies.[11]- If the allergist suspects you have food allergies, they may place you on an elimination diet. You will stop eating certain types of foods and introduce them back into your diet one at a time. An allergist will perform blood tests to determine if certain foods affect your eosinophil levels.[12]
Take a corticosteroid medication. Corticosteroids are currently the only medication used to treat a high eosinophil count directly. Steroids can reduce inflammation caused by high eosinophils. Depending on the cause of your eosinophilia, your doctor may give you a prescription for a pill or inhaler. Prednisone is the most common corticosteroid prescribed for eosinophilia. Always follow your doctor’s instructions for taking medications.[13]- If your doctor is unsure of the cause of your eosinophilia, you may be given a low dose of corticosteroids to start. They will then monitor your condition to see if it improves.[14]
- Do not take a corticosteroid if you have a parasitic or fungal infection. Steroids could make the condition worse.
- If you’re taking oral prednisone, never abruptly stop taking it if you’ve been on it for more than 3 weeks. You need to have your prescription gradually lowered.
- If your doctor prescribed a topical high potency steroid, don’t use it for more than 2 weeks at a time.
Eliminate any parasites if you have a parasitic infection. Parasitic infections come with symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, gas/bloating, fatigue, or unexplained weight loss.To help get rid of parasites and return your eosinophil levels to normal, your doctor will give you a medication designed to kill your specific parasite. Your doctor will not prescribe a corticosteroid, as steroids can worsen some parasite infections.[15]- Treatments for parasites can vary widely based on what is infecting you. In many cases, your doctor will prescribe a pill that must be taken daily.
Get a prescription for acid reflux if you have esophageal eosinophilia. Your eosinophilia may be caused by acid reflux, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), or another digestive disorder. To confirm that you have esophageal eosinophilia, your doctor will give you tests such as an EGD scope, which is a scope that goes into your esophagus, and a biopsy. Your doctor may prescribe a proton-pump inhibitor (PPI), such as Nexium or Prevacid, to treat the condition.[16]- Esophageal eosinophilia does not lead to an increased risk for esophageal cancer. It does have an increased risk for developing esophageal stricture (narrowing) causing food to get stuck.
Undergo respiratory treatment if you have eosinophilic asthma. Your doctor may give you a corticosteroid inhaler or a biologic medication called a monoclonal antibody. You may also undergo bronchial thermoplasty. During this procedure, a doctor will insert a probe into your mouth or nose that applies heat to your airways to help soothe them.[17]- You must be sedated to undergo bronchial thermoplasty. It only takes a few hours to recover from the procedure, however.
Get a prescription for imatinib if you have hypereosinophilia. Hypereosinophilia can cause blood cancer, such as eosinophilic leukemia. To reduce your risk, you may be given imatinib. It will treat your hypereosinophilia while slowing the growth of cancer cells. Your doctor may monitor you to see if any tumors form.[18]
Join a clinical trial for eosinophilia. Not much is currently known about what affects eosinophil levels. Clinical trials often need people with eosinophilia to study environmental causes and to find new treatment options. Since these are untested treatments, there is some risk to joining a clinical trial. That said, you may be able to find a treatment that works for you.[19]- You can find clinical trials by going to https://clinicaltrials.gov/.
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Expert Q&A
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- QuestionCould celiac disease cause high eosinophils?
Erik Kramer, DO, MPHDr. Erik Kramer is a Board-Certified Primary Care Physician at the University of Colorado. With over 15 years of experience, his clinical interests include obesity and weight management, diabetes care, and preventive care, as well as embracing a holistic approach to primary care. He received his Doctorate in Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) from the Touro University Nevada College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed his residency at Central Maine Medical Center. Dr. Kramer is a Diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine.
Doctor of Osteopathic MedicineNo, celiac disease doesn't cause eosinophilia. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease causing damage on the villi, small fingerlike projections that line the small intestine, that promote nutrient absorption.
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- Eosinophilia is usually discovered while testing for another medical condition. There are currently no known symptoms for eosinophilia, as each type can cause a different range of symptoms.Thanks
- If you were diagnosed with hypereosinophilia, your doctor may recommend regular monitoring of your blood and heart.Thanks
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References
- ↑ https://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/stress-management.htm
- ↑ https://www.helpguide.org/home-pages/audio-meditations.htm
- ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-truisms-wellness/201607/the-powerful-psychology-behind-cleanliness
- ↑ https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-eating/healthy-eating.htm
- ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29025076
- ↑ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1658387617300936
- ↑ https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/
- ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18692598
- ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22053741
- ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/17366-physical-examination
- ↑ https://www.aaaai.org/Conditions-Treatments/related-conditions/eosinophilic-esophagitis
- ↑ https://www.fammed.wisc.edu/files/webfm-uploads/documents/outreach/im/handout_elimination_diet_patient.pdf
- ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/drugs/4812-corticosteroids
- ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/drugs/4812-corticosteroids
- ↑ https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/condition/intestinal-parasites
- ↑ https://www.aaaai.org/Conditions-Treatments/related-conditions/eosinophilic-esophagitis
- ↑ https://apfed.org/about-ead/eosinophilic-asthma/
- ↑ https://www.aaaai.org/conditions-treatments/related-conditions/hypereosinophilic-syndrome
- ↑ https://apfed.org/research/clinical-trials/
About This Article
Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine
This article was medically reviewed by Erik Kramer, DO, MPH. Dr. Erik Kramer is a Board-Certified Primary Care Physician at the University of Colorado. With over 15 years of experience, his clinical interests include obesity and weight management, diabetes care, and preventive care, as well as embracing a holistic approach to primary care. He received his Doctorate in Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) from the Touro University Nevada College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed his residency at Central Maine Medical Center. Dr. Kramer is a Diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine. This article has been viewed 237,884 times.
Co-authors: 7
Updated: May 22, 2023
Views: 237,884
Categories: Blood Health | Inflammation
Medical Disclaimer
The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, examination, diagnosis, or treatment. You should always contact your doctor or other qualified healthcare professional before starting, changing, or stopping any kind of health treatment.
Article SummaryX
To lower your eosinophils count, which is a type of white blood cell that helps fight off infections, try to limit your exposure to allergens. For example, if you’re allergic to dogs, avoid contact with dogs as much as possible. You should also keep your home clean by dusting and vacuuming regularly, since dust mites can sometimes cause a reaction that increases your eosinophils. As well as avoiding irritants, cut down on acidic foods, like fried foods, tomatoes, alcohol, and garlic, which can cause acid reflux and raise your eosinophils count. Another way to lower your eosinophils is to increase your Vitamin D, either by spending more time in the sun or by taking a supplement. For more tips, including how to lower your eosinophils count with ginger or turmeric, read on!
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