While eosinophilia or elevated levels of eosinophils in the body may sound alarming, it is actually your body's natural response to fighting infection, especially since eosinophils are a type of white blood cell that is responsible for fighting infection caused by inflammation. In most cases, eosinophil levels will decrease on their own if the underlying medical condition is treated. Therefore, make sure you always adopt a healthy lifestyle and try taking anti-inflammatory drugs to help normalize eosinophil levels in the body.
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Method 1 of 3: Improving Lifestyle
Step 1. Reduce stress
Stress and anxiety are the two biggest contributors that trigger the occurrence of eosinophilia. Therefore, always take time to relax so that the levels of eosinophils in your body are well controlled. Also observe your daily routine and find the biggest stressors that affect you the most. If possible, limit or stop contact with the stressor.
Relaxation techniques such as meditation, yoga, and progressive muscle relaxation can help relax your body whenever stress or anxiety strikes
Step 2. Reduce allergen exposure
One of the most common causes of high eosinophil levels is allergies. Scientifically, the body may produce more eosinophils in response to exposure to certain allergens. To control the level of eosinophils in your body, try as much as possible to avoid allergens that are at risk of triggering your allergies.
- Allergic rhinitis or hay fever can also increase eosinophil levels in the body. To treat rhinitis while reducing eosinophil levels, try using an over-the-counter antihistamine such as Benadryl or Claritin.
- If you have an allergy to dogs, avoid contact with them as much as you can. When it comes to visiting a friend who has a dog, ask them to put the dog in the room while you're visiting.
Step 3. Keep your living space clean
For some people (especially those with dust allergies), dust is an irritant that can increase their eosinophil levels in an instant. To prevent this from happening, always clean the accumulated dust at least once a week.
Pollen can have a similar effect on some people. To prevent pollen from entering your home, always keep doors and windows closed when the quantity of pollen in the air is very high
Step 4. Eat foods that have a low acid content
Both acid reflux disease and a burning sensation in the chest can increase the levels of eosinophils in your body. Therefore, always eat a healthy and balanced diet such as low-fat foods, lean meats, whole grains or grains, fruit and vegetables. Also avoid foods with high acid content such as fried foods, tomatoes, alcohol, chocolate, mint, garlic, onions, and coffee.
Obesity can increase eosinophil levels and the risk of acid reflux disease. If your current weight is above average, try to lose it to reduce the risk
Method 2 of 3: Taking Natural Medicines
Step 1. Increase the intake of vitamin D in your body
Be careful, people who are deficient in vitamin D are more prone to have elevated levels of eosinophils. To increase the intake of vitamin D in the body, try to bask in the morning sun for 5 minutes (for those of you who have light skin tones) or 30 minutes (for those of you who have darker skin tones) at least twice a week. In addition, you can also take vitamin D3 supplements to further increase vitamin D levels in the body.
- If you want to increase your vitamin D intake naturally, don't stay at home all the time! Remember, vitamin D is produced by ultraviolet B (UVB) light, which cannot penetrate glass. Therefore, sitting behind a window exposed to direct sunlight will not help you.
- Sun exposure will be reduced when the weather is cloudy. Therefore, increase your sunbathing time when the weather is a little cloudy.
Step 2. Consume ginger to reduce inflammation
Ginger is a natural spice that has been shown to reduce inflammation or swelling in the body. Although its effectiveness at lowering eosinophil levels is still in the scientific testing stage, there's nothing wrong with taking ginger supplements or brewing ginger tea to reap the benefits.
Ginger tea can be easily purchased at various supermarkets. To make it, put a tea bag in a cup and pour hot water over it; Brew the tea for a few minutes before enjoying it
Step 3. Take turmeric in combination with medications to reduce inflammation
In some cases, turmeric is able to lower the levels of eosinophils in a person's body! Therefore, try to consume a spoonful of turmeric powder once a day. If you are reluctant to consume it directly, try dissolving 1 tbsp. turmeric with milk, water, or warm tea.
Method 3 of 3: Treating the Health Problem That Caused It
Step 1. Check with a doctor
In fact, eosinophilia can be caused by many factors including diseases that attack the blood, allergies, digestive disorders, parasites, or fungal infections. To find out the exact cause, the doctor will take a sample of your blood and skin to examine it under a microscope. In very rare cases, your doctor may also order a CT scan (x-ray), a stool test, or a spinal cord test.
- Primary eosinophilia occurs when high levels of eosinophils in the blood or tissues are caused by a disease or blood disorder such as leukemia.
- Secondary eosinophilia is caused by a medical condition other than a blood disorder such as asthma, acid reflux disease, or eczema.
- Hypereosinophilia occurs when the level of eosinophils in the body is very high for no apparent reason.
- If eosinophilia affects certain parts of your body, your doctor will most likely diagnose you with a certain type of eosinophilia. For example, esophageal eosinophilia will affect your esophagus, while eosinophilic asthma will affect your lungs.
Step 2. Perform an allergy test
Because allergies can often increase the level of eosinophils in the body, some doctors will ask you to do an allergy test. In this procedure, the doctor generally places a small amount of some common allergen on the surface of the skin and observes the reaction. In addition, the doctor may also take a sample of your blood and test it.
If you are diagnosed with a food allergy, your doctor will generally change your diet. For example, you have to stop eating certain foods for 3-4 weeks. After the fourth week, the doctor will again check your eosinophil levels through a blood test procedure
Step 3. Take corticosteroid drugs
Currently, corticosteroids are the only drugs that can directly lower eosinophil levels. In general, steroids are able to reduce inflammation caused by high levels of eosinophils in the body. Although it really depends on the cause of your eosinophilia, your doctor will likely prescribe pills or inhalers. In addition, prednisone is the most commonly prescribed type of corticosteroid to treat eosinophilia.
- Always follow the instructions for taking the medicine recommended by the doctor.
- If the exact cause of eosinophilia is not known, your doctor will likely prescribe a low dose of corticosteroid for you to take while your doctor continues to monitor the progress of your condition.
- Do not take corticosteroids if you currently have a parasitic or fungal infection. Be careful, your condition may worsen because of it!
Step 4. Treat a parasitic infection if you have one
To get rid of the parasites that invade your body and normalize your eosinophil levels, your doctor will prescribe medications that are specifically designed to kill specific parasites. Generally, doctors will not prescribe corticosteroids that have the potential to worsen the condition of the infection.
The method of treatment that your doctor recommends depends on the type of parasite that infects you. In most cases, the doctor will give you a pill to take every day
Step 5. Ask your doctor to prescribe acid reflux medication if you have esophageal eosinophilia
Most likely, your eosinophilia is caused by excess stomach acid, acid reflux disease (GERD), or other digestive disorders. If this is the case, your doctor will prescribe proton pump inhibitor drugs such as Nexium or Prevacid to treat the underlying condition.
Step 6. Perform respiratory therapy if you have eosinophilic asthma
Chances are, the doctor will give you an inhaler containing corticosteroids or biologic drugs called monoclonal antibodies. Alternatively, you can also perform a bronchial thermoplasty procedure. In this procedure, the doctor will insert a device into your mouth or nose to deliver heat that can soothe your airways.
The patient will be sedated prior to the procedure. Don't worry, patients generally only need a few hours to undergo the recovery process after the bronchial thermoplasty procedure
Step 7. Ask your doctor to prescribe imatinib (a drug to slow the growth of cancer cells) if you are diagnosed with hypereosinophilia
Be careful, these conditions can trigger the occurrence of blood cancers such as eosinophilic leukemia. Therefore, try taking imatinib to treat hypereosinophilia while slowing the growth of cancer cells in your body. As long as the drug is consumed, the doctor will continue to observe your condition to make early detection if there is a growing tumor.
Step 8. Follow a clinical trial for eosinophilia
Until now, research on the causes of fluctuations in eosinophil levels is still very limited. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct clinical trials with the help of volunteers to examine causative environmental factors and discover new treatment options. However, because the drugs that will be given are still not scientifically tested, volunteers are actually taking a very big gamble. In other words, you may find the right treatment method or vice versa.
Try browsing the internet and/or contacting the nearest hospital to find relevant clinical trials
Tips
- Generally, eosinophilia will be detected when you have a medical check-up for other medical conditions. So far, eosinophilia is not accompanied by specific symptoms because each type has very varied symptoms.
- If you are diagnosed with hypereosinophilia, your doctor will likely ask you to do regular blood and liver tests.
