Understanding a Slightly Low White Blood Cell Count: Causes & Concerns

Question
I am a 26 year old female. I just got my blood work back and everything is normal except for my white cell count, which is slightly lower than normal. What could cause this? Is this something that should be of concern to me? I did have a bacterial infection at the time.Thanks for any help you can give.

Answer
Hi Lynne,
First, I always recommend you go over the labs with the health care provider who ordered them. A low white count can be from a number of things. A bacteria infection should have made it go up. A viral infection will make it go down. Remember that this test is representative of a moment in time, so a follow up lab to see which direction it is traveling is advised.