Leukemia is a condition when the body starts producing abnormal white blood cells that accumulate in the bone marrow and prevent the production of red blood cells and platelets. These abnormal cells are called leukemia cells. With the lack of normal blood cells, the body starts experiencing various issues in proper functioning as the cancerous cells spread to nearby tissues and organs, causing organ impairment. The exact cause of leukemia is still unknown, but experts believe genetic and environmental factors play a major role in the occurrence of the condition.

To understand the disease, here is an explanation of the types of leukemia and their symptoms.

The symptoms of different types of leukemia

• Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL)
  It is a type of cancer of the blood and bone marrow that progresses at a fast rate and replaces healthy cells with leukemia cells that can’t mature properly. These leukemia cells spread to other organs and tissues such as the liver, lymph nodes, brain, and testes, via the bloodstream, where they continue to grow and divide. The growth, division, and spread of these cancerous cells may result in a number of possible symptoms. It is a type most commonly found in children. The symptoms of ALL are bleeding from the gums, bone pain, fever, frequent infections, frequent nosebleed, lumps in and around the neck, underarm and abdomen, pale skin, shortness of breath, and weakness.
• Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)
  It is also known as acute myelogenous leukemia. It is a fast-growing form of cancer of the blood and bone marrow. The symptoms of AML are fever, bone pain, fatigue, pale skin, frequent infections, easy bruising, frequent nose bleeds, and bleeding from the gums.
• Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)
  It is a slow-growing cancer that begins in the lymphocytes of the bone marrow and extends to the blood. It may spread to the lymph nodes and organs, including the liver and spleen. In CLL, abnormal lymphocytes crowd out normal blood cells, making it difficult for the body to fight infections. Initially, it’s difficult to make out the symptoms; but over time, one may notice swollen lymph nodes, shortness of breath, pain in the stomach, fatigue, fever, night sweats, and loss of appetite and weight. Hairy cell leukemia is a rare subtype of CLL that progresses at a slow rate.
• Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML)
  It is also known as chronic myelogenous leukemia. It begins in the blood-forming cells of the bone marrow and spreads to the blood, eventually spreading to other parts of the body. The symptoms of CML are weakness, shortness of breath, fever, excessive sweating, weight loss, itching, bone pain, and bleeding.
• Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS)
  This is a group of closely related diseases in which the bone marrow produces very few functioning red blood cells, white blood cells, or platelets. Fatigue, shortness of breath, pale skin, frequent bleeding, frequent infections, and pinpoint-sized red spots are symptoms of this condition.

It is important to be aware of the symptoms of different types of leukemia as this would help in detecting the condition as soon as possible. The slight variations in the symptoms help in diagnosing which type of leukemia a patient has. If you notice any of the signs, get it checked, as the treatment varies according to the type.