In inherited diseases such as Gaucher's disease and Niemann-Pick disease, cellular debris accumulates in macrophages, causing dysfunction. Eosinophilia Eosinophilia is an abnormally high number of eosinophils in the blood. Eosinophilia is not a disease, but it may be a response to a disease. Once produced in the bone marrow, eosinophils enter the bloodstream but stay there only a few hours before migrating to tissues throughout the body. When a foreign substance enters the body, it's detected by lymphocytes and neutrophils, which release substances that attract eosinophils to the area.
Eosinophils then release toxic substances that can kill parasites and destroy abnormal human cells.
Idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome is a disorder in which the number of eosinophils increases to more than 1,500 cells per microliter of blood for more than 6 months without an obvious cause. People of any age can develop idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome, but it's more common in men over 50 years old. The increased number of eosinophils can damage the heart, lungs, liver, skin, and nervous system. The symptoms of this syndrome depend on which organs are damaged. They may include weight loss, fevers, night sweats, general fatigue, cough, chest pain, swelling, stomachache, skin rashes, pain, weakness, confusion, and coma.