A doctor explaining a blood test report to a woman in a clinic

Sel Darah Putih Tinggi: Punca, Maksud Ujian & Cara Rawat

October 25, 2026 Drann Editorial Team

Sel darah putih tinggi (a high white blood cell count, or leukocytosis) means your blood test shows more white blood cells than the normal range, usually more than about 11,000 per microliter (11 x 10⁹/L). Most often it is the body's normal response to an infection, or it is caused by inflammation, an allergy, certain medicines such as steroids, smoking, stress or pregnancy. Leukaemia is a less common cause. A high count is a sign, not a diagnosis: your doctor will look at your symptoms, which type of white cell is raised and other tests, and treatment depends on the cause. This guide explains how to read your result and when to see a doctor.

Apa maksud sel darah putih tinggi?

White blood cells, also called leukocytes, are part of your immune system. They are made in your bone marrow and travel through your blood to where they are needed to fight infections and other diseases (MedlinePlus). When you get sick, your body makes more white blood cells to fight the bacteria, viruses or other substances causing the illness, which increases your white blood count (MedlinePlus).

A white blood count (WBC) is part of a full blood count (complete blood count, FBC or CBC), which is often done as part of a routine checkup (MedlinePlus). A count that is higher than normal is called leukocytosis; a count that is lower than normal is called leukopenia (MedlinePlus).

MedlinePlus says a white blood count can show if your white cells are too high or too low, but it cannot confirm a diagnosis. It also says an abnormal result does not always mean you have a condition that needs treatment.

Bacaan normal: how to read your blood test report

MedlinePlus gives the normal range as 4,500 to 11,000 white blood cells per microliter (4.5 to 11.0 x 10⁹/L). MSD Manuals gives 4,000 to 11,000 per microliter. Normal ranges vary slightly between labs, so compare your result with the range printed on your report.

Lab reports in Malaysia may use different units for the same number:

How the result is written	What it means
11.0 x 10⁹/L	11,000 white blood cells per microliter
11.0 x 10³/µL	Also 11,000 per microliter; 10³/µL and 10⁹/L give the same number
11,000/µL or 11,000/mm³ (cubic millimetre)	The full number written out; a microliter and a cubic millimetre are the same volume

Malaysian reference values. Many full blood count ranges used in Malaysia were worked out from people in other countries. A study led by the haematology department of Hospital Ampang tested 2,725 apparently healthy Malaysian adults and calculated reference intervals from 1,376 of them (907 women and 469 men). It found a total white cell interval of about 4.1 to 11.4 x 10⁹/L, with a median of 7.5. The authors did not find support for separate ranges by race. They found that the upper limits for eosinophils (about 0.83 x 10⁹/L) and monocytes (about 1.14 x 10⁹/L) in healthy Malaysians were higher than commonly used cut-offs, and suggested that local cut-offs for these be reviewed. This suggests that a slightly high eosinophil or monocyte reading is not always a sign of disease.

MedlinePlus notes that a full blood count can also be affected by diet, activity level, medicines, having a menstrual period and not drinking enough water.

5 jenis sel darah putih and what a high reading may mean

There are 5 main types of white blood cells. A blood differential test (often printed on the same report) shows the amount of each type, which helps your doctor narrow down the cause (MedlinePlus).

Type	What it does	Common reasons it may be high
Neutrophils	The most common type; the body's main defence against germs (MedlinePlus). They mostly target bacterial infections.	Most often the body's normal response to infection; also injuries such as burns or fractures, inflammatory disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, corticosteroids, and some myeloid leukaemias (MSD Manuals).
Lymphocytes	B cells and T cells, which fight viruses, bacteria and toxins (MedlinePlus). They mostly target viral infections.	Most often a viral infection, such as glandular fever (mononucleosis); also some bacterial infections such as tuberculosis, and some lymphomas and lymphocytic leukaemias (MSD Manuals).
Monocytes	Kill germs, clear away dead cells and boost the immune response (MedlinePlus).	Chronic infections, autoimmune disorders, blood disorders and certain cancers (MSD Manuals).
Eosinophils	Defend against parasites and are involved in allergies (MedlinePlus).	Most commonly allergic disorders, such as asthma, resdung (allergic rhinitis), eczema and medicine allergies; infections by parasites, particularly ones that invade tissue; and certain cancers (MSD Manuals). See also our guide to ubat cacing.
Basophils	Release enzymes during allergic reactions and asthma attacks (MedlinePlus).	MSD Manuals says disorders involving basophils are rare.

MSD Manuals says disorders of neutrophils and lymphocytes are the most common, while disorders of monocytes and eosinophils are less common.

Punca sel darah putih tinggi

MedlinePlus lists these causes of a high white blood cell count:

infections, most often those caused by bacteria, such as a urinary tract infection (UTI) or pneumonia; viral infections can also raise it;
inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, and autoimmune diseases;
allergies;
certain medicines, including corticosteroids (steroids), beta agonists such as salbutamol (albuterol), epinephrine (adrenaline), lithium, heparin and medicines that stimulate white cell growth;
cigarette smoking;
severe physical or emotional stress, such as from an injury or surgery, and tissue damage, such as from burns;
pregnancy;
after surgery to remove the spleen;
less often, leukaemia or Hodgkin disease (a type of lymphoma).

MSD Manuals says an increase in white blood cells is often caused by the body's normal response to help fight an infection, or by medicines such as corticosteroids. If you have an infection, you may also have symptoms such as a fever, chills, body aches, a headache, a wound that is red, has pus or will not heal, or an ongoing cough (MedlinePlus).

A low white cell count has different causes. MedlinePlus lists bone marrow problems, chemotherapy, certain medicines, HIV and autoimmune disorders such as lupus.

Sel darah putih tinggi semasa hamil

A higher white blood cell count is common in pregnancy. MedlinePlus lists pregnancy among the causes of a high count. MSD Manuals says the count increases slightly to between 9,000 and 12,000 per microliter during pregnancy, and rises markedly, to 20,000 or more, during labour and the first few days after giving birth.

This means a reading a little above the usual range may be normal for pregnancy. If you feel unwell, for example with a fever, tell your doctor or midwife; MedlinePlus says your doctor will consider your symptoms and other test results, not just the number. See our guide to tanda-tanda mengandung for early pregnancy signs.

Adakah ia tanda leukemia?

Many people worry that a high white cell count means blood cancer. Leukaemia is one possible cause, but it is not the most common one. MSD Manuals says the most common cause of a high neutrophil count is the body's normal response to an infection, and the most common cause of a high lymphocyte count is a viral infection.

Signs that doctors look at more closely include:

no clear reason for the high count, such as an obvious infection. MSD Manuals says doctors may then look at a blood sample under a microscope to check for immature white cells (blasts), which may suggest a bone marrow problem such as leukaemia;
lymphocytes that look immature or abnormal, rather than activated as they look in a viral infection (MSD Manuals);
your symptoms and the rest of your blood results, which MedlinePlus says doctors consider together with your medical history.

The NHS says many people with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) do not have any symptoms, and the main tests for it are blood tests. It usually develops very slowly and does not always need to be treated straight away. It is very rare in people under 40.

The NHS says symptoms of acute myeloid leukaemia usually appear quite quickly over a few weeks and include:

feeling very tired or weak, or looking more pale than usual;
shortness of breath;
bleeding or bruising easily or for no reason;
getting ill a lot or taking longer than usual to recover from illnesses;
a high temperature, or pain in the bones or joints;
a swollen tummy, or swollen glands in the neck, armpits or groin.

The NHS says these symptoms are very common and can be caused by many different conditions. For more on blood cancer, see our guide to leukemia (kanser darah), and for neck lumps, our guide to benjolan di leher.

When to see a doctor

Get emergency help straight away (call 999 or go to the emergency department) if you or someone else has an infection and signs of sepsis. The NHS lists these common symptoms in adults:

confusion or slurred speech;
uncontrollable shivering or muscle pain;
difficulty breathing;
blue, pale, grey or blotchy skin, lips or tongue; on brown skin, this may be easier to see on the palms or soles;
a high or low temperature;
not peeing all day, or peeing very little in the past 18 hours.

Ask for an urgent appointment if you have symptoms of acute leukaemia, such as those listed above (NHS).

Talk to your doctor about your result if your report shows a high white cell count, even if you feel well. MedlinePlus says your doctor will consider your symptoms, medical history and other blood test results to understand it. Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including ones bought without a prescription, because some medicines change the result (MedlinePlus).

Ujian susulan: what your doctor may check next

Depending on your result and symptoms, your doctor may arrange (MedlinePlus, MSD Manuals):

a blood differential, to see which type of white cell is high;
a blood smear, where a sample is checked under a microscope for immature or abnormal cells;
other tests to help find the cause (MedlinePlus);
a bone marrow test, if immature cells are found in the blood.

Your full blood count also shows your red blood cells and haemoglobin. The Malaysian reference study found that iron deficiency caused 70% of anaemia in premenopausal women; see our guide to kurang darah (anemia).

Cara merawat sel darah putih tinggi

A high white cell count is a sign rather than a disease in itself, so treatment depends on the cause. MSD Manuals says a raised number of mature neutrophils is not usually a problem in itself, and doctors focus on treating the condition or disorder that caused it. This means:

if the cause is an infection, an allergy, asthma or an inflammatory disease, treatment is aimed at that condition;
if the count is raised by a medicine, such as a steroid, your doctor will decide whether any change is needed. MedlinePlus advises not to stop taking any medicine unless your doctor tells you to.

MSD Manuals says a high number of neutrophils may not cause symptoms; people often have symptoms of the condition causing it instead. Very rarely, in people with leukaemia, an extremely high count of immature white cells (more than 100,000 per microliter) can make the blood too thick. This is a medical emergency treated in hospital.

If your count is raised because of leukaemia, treatment is planned by a specialist team; see our guide to leukemia.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Apa maksud sel darah putih tinggi (what does a high white blood cell count mean)?

A high white blood cell count, called leukocytosis, means your blood has more white blood cells than the normal range, usually more than about 11,000 cells per microliter (11 x 10^9/L). MSD Manuals says it is often the body's normal response to an infection, or a reaction to medicines such as corticosteroids. Less often, it is caused by a cancer of the bone marrow such as leukaemia. A white blood count alone cannot confirm a diagnosis, so your doctor will look at your symptoms and other test results.

Berapa bacaan normal sel darah putih (what is a normal white blood cell count)?

MedlinePlus gives a normal range of 4,500 to 11,000 white blood cells per microliter (4.5 to 11.0 x 10^9/L), and MSD Manuals gives 4,000 to 11,000. Ranges vary slightly between labs, so compare your result with the range printed on your own report. A study of healthy Malaysian adults found a reference interval of about 4.1 to 11.4 x 10^9/L.

Apa punca sel darah putih tinggi (what causes a high white blood cell count)?

MedlinePlus lists infections (most often bacterial), inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, allergies, certain medicines such as corticosteroids, smoking, pregnancy, severe physical or emotional stress, tissue damage from burns or surgery, and spleen removal. Leukaemia and Hodgkin disease can also cause it, but MSD Manuals says the most common cause is the body's normal response to an infection.

Adakah sel darah putih tinggi tanda leukemia (is a high white blood cell count a sign of leukaemia)?

Usually not. MSD Manuals says the most common cause of a high neutrophil count is the body's normal response to infection, and the most common cause of a high lymphocyte count is a viral infection. Leukaemia is one possible cause. If there is no clear reason for the high count, doctors can look at a blood sample under a microscope for immature or abnormal cells, which may point to a bone marrow problem.

Normalkah sel darah putih tinggi semasa hamil (is a high white blood cell count normal in pregnancy)?

Yes, a small rise is expected. MSD Manuals says the white blood cell count increases slightly in pregnancy, to between 9,000 and 12,000 per microliter, and rises markedly, to 20,000 or more, during labour and the first few days after giving birth. Your doctor will still check for signs of infection if you are unwell.

Bagaimana cara merawat sel darah putih tinggi (how is a high white blood cell count treated)?

Treatment depends on the cause. MSD Manuals says a raised number of mature neutrophils is not usually a problem in itself, so doctors focus on treating the condition behind it, such as an infection or an inflammatory disease. Do not stop any prescribed medicine, such as a steroid, without talking to your doctor first.

Bila sel darah putih tinggi perlu dirisaukan (when should I worry about a high white blood cell count)?

Get emergency help straight away if you have signs of sepsis, such as confusion or slurred speech, uncontrollable shivering, difficulty breathing, blue, pale or blotchy skin, or peeing very little. The NHS advises seeing a doctor soon about symptoms that can be linked to leukaemia, such as ongoing tiredness, unexplained bruising or bleeding, frequent infections, swollen glands, night sweats or weight loss without trying. These symptoms are very common and can be caused by many other conditions.

Disclaimer

This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for advice, diagnosis or treatment from a doctor. Health supplements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

References

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