Leukemia is a type of cancer found most commonly in children. It causes the white blood cells to grow and develop inside the bone marrow. The best way to protect your kids from this debilitating disease is by recognizing the early warning signs of leukemia and getting it diagnosed by a doctor for timely treatment.

To diagnose leukemia, the doctor will assess the kid’s complete medical history and conduct a physical exam. The test will help detect the presence of leukemia and its type. Some of the warning signs are as follows.

1. Anemia
In some cases, leukemia may develop due to the presence of a high number of cancer cells and fewer healthy cells. When cancer cells grow around red blood cells, it can lead to anemia in your kids. Some of these warning signs include tiredness, shortness of breath, headaches, dizziness, pale skin, and feeling cold. 

2. Frequent infections
In some cases, your child’s body may develop a high number of cancer cells than healthy white blood cells that can cause chronic infections, such as persistent cold and flu symptoms, fever, and swollen glands. 

3. Failure to make a blood clot
When the platelet count is too low, it fails to create a blood clot that prevents the bleeding from stopping. If you notice cases of frequent nose bleeds, bleeding gums, prolonged bleeding from cuts, easy bruising, then you must show it to a doctor immediately. 

4. Swelling
Cancer cells that multiply quickly can crowd the insides of their bones. Sometimes, they may even invade their lymph nodes or organs, like the liver or spleen. When that happens, your child may witness symptoms like cough, breathing troubles, loss of appetite, bone or joint pain, swelling of lymph nodes, weight loss, or swelling of their tummy.   

5. Skin rashes
Uninterrupted growth of leukemia cells can advance to their skin, leading to rashes and dark spots. This build-up of cells is known as chloroma, a rare type of sarcoma. 

6. Extreme tiredness
Although rare, leukemia can also cause severe exhaustion and weakness, leading to speech impairment, such as slurring. It happens when leukemia cells accumulate in the blood, causing it to thicken and interfere with its circulation through small vessels in their brain. 

7. Regular symptoms of sickness
If you find your child to be generally sick and the cause is unclear, you must make an appointment with their doctor to ascertain why. 

Do not hesitate to discuss these symptoms openly with the doctor as well as the cancer team. It will help them determine the best treatment plan depending upon the type of leukemia.