Hello - thanks for asking your question.
Please understand my limitations over the internet as I have neither
met nor examined you. This information is for patient education only.
Please see your personal physician for further evaluation.
There are many diseases that cause an increase in eosinophilia,
fatigue, weight loss etc. I will briefly describe some of them and
you may want to discuss these options with your personal physician.
Allergic rhinitis — Peripheral blood eosinophilia may be associated
with allergic rhinitis. Nasal congestion is also common in this
disease
Asthma — Blood eosinophilia is common in allergic asthma and
eosinophil numbers are increased in airways tissues in both allergic
and nonallergic asthma.
Medication-related eosinophilia — The administration of many
conventional or alternative medications may produce eosinophilia;
thus, a detailed history of current or past medication use is required
when evaluating a patient with this condition. Ranitidie, NSAIDs,
aspirin and beta-blockers are examples of such medications.
Parasitic infections — Eosinophilia is prominent in a number of
parasitic diseases.
Fungal infections — Aspergillosis, in the form of allergic
bronchopulmonary aspergillosis, and coccidioidomycosis are associated
with eosinophilia. The clinical picture of aspergillosis is dominated
by asthma complicated by recurrent episodes of bronchial obstruction,
fever, malaise, expectoration of brownish mucous plugs, peripheral
blood eosinophilia, and hemoptysis. Wheezing is not always evident,
and some patients present with asymptomatic pulmonary consolidation.
HIV and other retroviral infections — Modest to marked eosinophilia of
unknown cause occasionally is observed in HIV-infected patients. HIV
can cause a whole host of symptoms including weight loss, fatigue and
malaise.
Hypereosinophilic syndrome — Hypereosinophilic syndrome is an
idiopathic condition associated with marked peripheral eosinophilia
and involvement of multiple organs such as the heart, gastrointestinal
tract, lungs, brain, and kidney. Fatigue, cough, breathlessness,
muscle pains, rash, fever, and retinal lesions are suggestive
symptoms.
Mastocytosis — Systemic mastocytosis is characterized by proliferation
and accumulation of mast cells in various organs including the skin,
liver, spleen, bone marrow, and lymph nodes.
Lymphoma — As many as 15 percent of patients with Hodgkin's disease
and 5 percent with B cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma have modest
peripheral blood eosinophilia. Weight loss and night sweats are among
the more common symptoms.
Malignancy - Cancer of any type can increase eosinophils, and
depending on where the cancer is located can cause a broad range of
symptoms.
Adrenal insufficiency — The loss of endogenous glucocorticoids in any
cause of adrenal insufficiency results in blood eosinophilia. Chronic
malaise, lassitude, fatigue that is worsened by exertion and improved
with bed rest, weakness that is generalized, and anorexia are
suggestive symptoms.
Chronic sinusitis — Eosinophilia of involved tissues is frequent in
chronic sinusitis. In adults, blood eosinophilia indicates a high
likelihood of extensive disease.
As you can see, there are a broad range of conditions that are
associated with your symptoms. You may want to discuss some of these
conditions with your personal physician. Depending on the workup,
consultation with an allergist, rheumatologist or endocrinologist is
reasonable.
I can discuss any of these conditions in detail in seperate questions
if you wish.
This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical
advice - the information presented is for patient education only.
Please see your personal physician for further evaluation of your
individual case.
Please use any answer clarification before rating this answer. I will
be happy to explain or expand on any issue you may have.
Thanks,
Kevin, M.D.
Search strategy:
No internet search engine was used in this answer. All sources are
from physician-written and peer-reviewed sources.
Bibligraphy:
Weller. Causes of eosinophilia. UptoDate, 2002. |
