Leukemia is a type of cancer that affects the bone marrow and the cells it produces. Cancer is the excess growth of mutated cells that divide abnormally and cause negative effects on the body. Since leukemia affects blood cells, cancer cells are spread across the bloodstream. This makes it simple for them to quickly spread to the other parts of the body too. It also facilitates the recurrence of cancer in other parts of the body, if not in the marrow itself. Men are likely to develop leukemia when compared to women. The risk of occurrence of leukemia is directly proportional to your age.

Acute leukemia spreads and develops quickly. There are two types of acute leukemia. They are called:

• Acute lymphocytic leukemia
• Acute myeloid leukemia

Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL)

Acute lymphocytic leukemia is prone to affect children. This type of leukemia hits the immature white blood cells, affecting the immune system entirely.

The symptoms of acute lymphocytic leukemia:

• Tiredness
• Weakness
• A feeling of dizziness and lightheadedness
• Suffocation and shortness of breath
• Enlarged lymph nodes
  The lymph nodes that are affected by leukemia, especially on the neck and arms can be visibly noticed as lumps under the skin. Lymph nodes can also swell up inside your chest or abdomen but they will not be visibly seen and can only be detected in scans.
• Excessive nosebleeds, bleeding of your gums, and heavy flow during a woman’s menstrual cycle.
• Inflammation in the abdomen.
  The malignant cells build up in the spleen or liver, causing them to swell up.
• Bone or joint pain.
  When the cancerous cells group up near the bone joints or on the surface of bones, it causes physical pain.
• Skin appears paler than usual.
• Recurrent infections are hard to treat.
• Red or purple bruises on your skin.
• Enlarged thymus
  In certain types of acute lymphocytic leukemia, the thymus gets affected. The thymus is a small organ in front of the trachea. When the thymus enlarges, it can pressurize the trachea and leads to difficulties in breathing. It may also press against the superior vena cava, reversing blood flow and putting your life in danger.

Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)
It is the most common form of leukemia. This type affects myelocytic cells. These cells are developed by the bone marrow and develop into white blood cells, red blood cells or platelets. Usually, the WBCs are attacked but sometimes the RBCs and platelets may also be affected.

The symptoms of acute myeloid leukemia :

• Weight loss
• Fatigue
• A low number of blood cells
  When someone is affected by acute myeloid leukemia, their normal blood cell count decreases by a dangerous amount. There are specific symptoms caused by this.

Low count in red blood cells causes:

• Fatigue
• Weakness
• Lightheadedness
• Dizziness
• Shortness of breath
• Paleness of skin
• Chills
• Headaches

Low count in white blood cells causes:

• Infections due to the shortage in white blood corpuscles (leukopenia) cause irregular functioning of the immune system.
• Neutropenia

Low platelet count causes:

• Red and/or purple bruises
• Excessive bleeding
• Heavy flow in periods
• Frequent nosebleeds
• Difficulty in clotting once bleeding begins
• Bleeding gums