Leukemia: Symptoms In Teens
You need to know the symptoms of leukemia so that you can consult the physician early and get the right treatment for your child. Some common symptoms that teens and kids develop include:
- Susceptibility to bleeding
- Fever for a long time
- Bleeding that takes a long time to clot
- Chronic fatigue
These are general symptoms that you shouldn’t ignore. The two types of leukemia that afflict kids and teens are Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia and Acute Myelogenous Leukemia, and both have very similar symptoms. The symptoms that you should keep an eye out for include:
- Your teen will have fewer red blood cells than what is normal. This will cause him to look pale and feel tired constantly.
- Due to low numbers of platelets, which aid in blood clotting, your teenager may bruise more easily and also bleed for a longer time before his blood clots.
- Since your teen does not have sufficient mature white blood cells, his immunity will not be the best. This means he will contract infections more often.
- Your child will also complain of aches and pains in the bone due to a problem with the bone marrow.
- He may have swollen lymph nodes in the groin region, under the arms and in the neck.
- Your child may develop a high fever for no reason, and suffer from cold sweats.
- He may complain of a general feeling of malaise.
If your child has one or more of these symptoms, don’t ignore them. Instead, take him to see your family doctor. If the doctor suspects leukemia after examining your teen, he will refer you to a specialist.