im American (born and raised in Texas) and live in Japan. I have a wbc of 11,000 when i checked last week with the doctors in Japan.  I have checked the websites about wbc average and compared them to the Japanese expected normal ranges and discoverd that they are different.  
In Japan, the norm is 6,000 - 9,000.  but from the information that i have found on the English search engine results is that 10,000 is the max for the norm and a 11,000 means there is an infection.  Im completely confused about this and have a few questions that i hope someone could answer:

1. do i have a disease!?
2. do i have a possibility to die!?
3. ( i smoke, drink everynight) but since im 35, i didnt think much about it.  could this alter wbc?
4. I have a slight headache ( reccently everyday for the past 2 weeks)
5. My cholesterol is good as well as everything else throught the checkup, but is there a mistake!?
6. does the wbc norm expectancies differ from person to person and race to race!?
7. is there anyway to decrease wbc?

I speak basic Japanese, but when i will speak with the doctor, it will be in Japanese and I do not know how to ask such questions to them...
I have never had any history of diseases but should i be concerned!? Do I have cancer or luekemia!?
It is scary to find out that you have a life-threatening disease, but being in a foreign country like Japan, it is more scary......

sincerely,
"11,000 - Tokyo"

if your white blood count is so high, that often means you are fighting an infection.....

thank you, i will check it out

Go to www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/wbc/test.html

For a little more info on the elevation of white blood cell counts.

Paula

Hi Angel.  As I said before, the highest value still considered normal is 10,900.  12,000 is elevated, but not scary.  You have an infection you are fighting.  Are you running a low grade fever or anything?

I don't know your story or if you are currently in treatment and receiving booster shots. I get a Neulasta shot and my wbc shoot up to 21,000! Then drop to 2,000.

I too have been passed around like a rag doll. And after almost 3 months they still can't tell me why I have pain and pressure on the left side. We think it might be endo again. So hang in there you are not alone in the fight to find out what is wrong.

I'm not sure about the white cell count, but I'll check.