Other names: POLYS
Polymorphs (%), also referred to as Neutrophils (%), is a measurement of the proportion of neutrophils in your white blood cell (WBC) count. Neutrophils are a type of polymorphonuclear leukocyte, hence the term "polymorphs." They are the most abundant type of white blood cells and a key component of the body’s innate immune system, responsible for quickly responding to infections, particularly those caused by bacteria and fungi.
This test is commonly included in a Complete Blood Count (CBC) with differential, which shows the relative percentages of different types of white blood cells in your blood.
The percentage of polymorphs helps doctors understand whether your immune system is responding to a stressor like infection, inflammation, or other immune-related conditions. Since it’s a relative value, it shows the proportion of neutrophils in comparison to other white blood cells (e.g., lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, basophils).
The normal range for Polymorphs (%) is typically:
40% to 75%, though this can vary slightly depending on the laboratory and population.
An increased percentage of neutrophils (polymorphs) may indicate:
Bacterial infections (most common cause)
Acute stress or trauma
Inflammatory conditions (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis)
Steroid use
Cigarette smoking
Post-surgical response
Certain types of leukemia
A high neutrophil percentage doesn’t always mean there's a serious issue, but it often suggests the body is responding to an infection or inflammation.
A decreased neutrophil percentage may be seen in:
Viral infections (e.g., flu, mono)
Certain bacterial infections (especially if prolonged or overwhelming)
Autoimmune diseases (e.g., lupus)
Bone marrow suppression
Severe nutritional deficiencies
Chemotherapy or radiation treatment
It may also appear low if another type of white cell (like lymphocytes) is disproportionately elevated—this is known as a relative decrease.
A percentage alone does not reflect the total number of neutrophils in your body. For a complete picture, the Absolute Neutrophil Count (ANC) should also be evaluated (this is reported as Polymorphs (Absolute) or POLYS, ABS. COUNT).
The neutrophil percentage is best interpreted in context with other parts of the CBC and the patient’s symptoms and medical history.
Polymorphs (%) is a valuable marker that helps assess how your immune system is functioning. It provides insights into infections, inflammation, and immune responses. However, it's only one part of the puzzle. Your healthcare provider will interpret it alongside other blood cell counts and clinical information to reach a diagnosis or monitor a condition.
Your medical lab tests hold vital information about your health. Our tools help you understand what's going on and how to take action.
Cancel or upgrade anytime
When "POLYS," or polymorphonuclear leukocytes, are elevated on a hematology test panel, it generally indicates an increase in neutrophils. Neutrophils are a type of white blood cell essential for fighting infections and are typically the first responders to bacterial infections and inflammatory conditions. Elevated levels of POLYS can suggest that the body is responding to an infection, inflammation, stress, or other factors such as trauma or certain medications.
Possible Causes of Elevated POLYS:
Bacterial Infections: The most common reason for elevated POLYS is an active bacterial infection. The body produces more neutrophils to help combat the infection and protect against further spread.
Inflammatory Conditions: Autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis or inflammatory conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease can also elevate POLYS as part of the immune response.
Stress and Trauma: Physical stress, surgery, trauma, or intense exercise can sometimes lead to a temporary increase in POLYS.
Medications: Some medications, including corticosteroids, may increase neutrophil levels by causing them to be released from storage in the bone marrow.
Chronic Health Conditions: Conditions like chronic kidney disease, certain cancers, and other chronic inflammatory states can also elevate POLYS.
Interpretation and Next Steps:
If POLYS are elevated, it’s important to consider the full clinical picture, including symptoms, medical history, and other test results. Often, an elevated POLYS count is temporary and resolves once the underlying cause is treated. However, if levels remain high without an obvious cause, further investigation may be needed to rule out underlying infections, inflammatory diseases, or other health issues.
Your healthcare provider can guide you on the significance of this finding in your specific context and whether any additional tests or treatments are needed.
Anthony
Unlimited Plan Member since 2021
I have been using Healthmatters.io since 2021. I travel all over the world and use different doctors and health facilities. This site has allowed me to consolidate all my various test results over 14 years in one place. And every doctor that I show this to has been impressed. Because with any health professional I talk to, I can pull up historical results in seconds. It is invaluable. Even going back to the same doctor, they usually do not have the historical results from their facility in a graph format. That has been very helpful.
Karin
Advanced Plan Member since 2020
What fantastic service and great, easy-to-follow layouts! I love your website; it makes it so helpful to see patterns in my health data. It's truly a pleasure to use. I only wish the NHS was as organized and quick as Healthmatters.io. You've set a new standard for health tracking!
Paul
Healthmatters Pro Member since 2024
As a PRO member and medical practitioner, Healthmatters.io has been an invaluable tool for tracking my clients' data. The layout is intuitive, making it easy to monitor trends and spot patterns over time. The ability to customize reports and charts helps me present information clearly to my clients, improving communication and outcomes. It's streamlined my workflow, saving me time and providing insights at a glance. Highly recommended for any practitioner looking for a comprehensive and user-friendly solution to track patient labs!
A decreased Polymorphs (%), or low neutrophil percentage, can indicate a condition called relative neutropenia or may reflect a shift in the white blood cell profile, where other types of white blood cells (like lymphocytes) make up a higher proportion of the total. Here's what a decreased Polymorphs (%) may suggest:
Viral infections like influenza, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), hepatitis, or HIV often reduce the neutrophil percentage while increasing lymphocyte counts.
This is a common and often temporary shift in white blood cell populations during the body's response to a virus.
If the bone marrow is unable to produce sufficient neutrophils, both the percentage and absolute count may decrease.
Causes include:
Chemotherapy or radiation therapy
Certain medications (e.g., immunosuppressants)
Aplastic anemia or other bone marrow disorders
Conditions such as lupus (SLE) or rheumatoid arthritis may cause immune-mediated destruction or suppression of neutrophils.
In late stages of overwhelming bacterial infections (called sepsis), neutrophils may be consumed faster than they are produced, leading to a decrease.
Deficiencies in vitamin B12, folate, or copper can impair bone marrow function and neutrophil production.
An enlarged spleen can sequester or destroy neutrophils, reducing their number in the bloodstream.
Rare disorders like Kostmann syndrome or cyclic neutropenia involve inherited neutrophil deficiencies.
A low neutrophil percentage does not always mean a low absolute number. You could still have a normal number of neutrophils if your total white blood cell count is high.
A true low neutrophil count (called absolute neutropenia) is more concerning and increases your risk of infections.
You should consult a healthcare provider if:
You have recurrent infections (especially bacterial or fungal)
Your neutrophil percentage is persistently low
You are undergoing chemotherapy or immunosuppressive therapy
Your blood work shows multiple abnormal immune markers
Guiding our users for 10 years to promptly understand, track, and act on their laboratory results.
$15/month
Cancel your subscription at any time.
$250/once
full premium version
$45/month
track your clients’ labs
Cancel your subscription at any time.
Guiding our users for 10 years to promptly understand, track, and act on their laboratory results.
Personal plans
track personal results
Professional Plan
track multiple client's results
$15/month
$250/once
own it for life
$45/month
for health professionals
Complete Plan
Unlimited Plan
$15 / month
$250 full version
Are you a health professional?
Level up your lab report analysis with our Pro plan, built for health practitioners like you.
Health Business Account
$45/month
Cancel your subscription at any time.
Unlock additional Pro plans when you sign up.
Anthony
Unlimited Plan Member since 2021
I have been using Healthmatters.io since 2021. I travel all over the world and use different doctors and health facilities. This site has allowed me to consolidate all my various test results over 14 years in one place. And every doctor that I show this to has been impressed. Because with any health professional I talk to, I can pull up historical results in seconds. It is invaluable. Even going back to the same doctor, they usually do not have the historical results from their facility in a graph format. That has been very helpful.
Karin
Advanced Plan Member since 2020
What fantastic service and great, easy-to-follow layouts! I love your website; it makes it so helpful to see patterns in my health data. It's truly a pleasure to use. I only wish the NHS was as organized and quick as Healthmatters.io. You've set a new standard for health tracking!
Paul
Healthmatters Pro Member since 2024
As a PRO member and medical practitioner, Healthmatters.io has been an invaluable tool for tracking my clients' data. The layout is intuitive, making it easy to monitor trends and spot patterns over time. The ability to customize reports and charts helps me present information clearly to my clients, improving communication and outcomes. It's streamlined my workflow, saving me time and providing insights at a glance. Highly recommended for any practitioner looking for a comprehensive and user-friendly solution to track patient labs!
Healthmatters is a highly-personalized health dashboard.
Instead of searching for your lab results in different places or tracking them down from different providers, Healthmatters houses, organizes, and interprets them all in one central location.
With a Healthmatters account, you can dive into the details of each biomarker and gain insights into the meaning behind your medical test data, anytime, anywhere.
For our professional users, Healthmatters provides intuitive tools that not only streamline analysis but also save valuable time when delving into your client's lab report history.
Healthmatters.io personal account provides in-depth research on 4000+ biomarkers, including information and suggestions for test panels such as, but not limited to:
You can combine all test reports inside your Healthmatters account and keep them in one place. It gives you an excellent overview of all your health data. Once you retest, you can add new results and compare them.
If you are still determining whether Healthmatters support your lab results, the rule is that if you can test it, you can upload it to Healthmatters.
While we work with many popular labs, we welcome reports from lots of other places too.
It's as simple as this: if you can get a test done, you can upload it to Healthmatters and we can interpret results from any lab out there. If laboratories can analyze it, we can interpret it.
If you’re on the hunt for a specific biomarker, contact us and we'll add it to our database. Anything from blood, urine, saliva, or stool can be uploaded, understood, and tracked with your Healthmatters account.
There are two ways to add your test reports to your Healthmatters account. One option is to input the data using the data entry forms. The other method is to utilize our "Data entry service."
Our data entry forms offer an easy, fast, and free way for you to input the reports yourself. Self-entry allows you to add an unlimited number of reports at no cost. We make the self-entry process user-friendly, providing dozens of templates that pre-populate the most popular laboratory panels and offering instant feedback on entered values.
For those who prefer assistance, we offer a "Data entry service" to help you input your data. Simply attach an image or file of your lab test results, and a qualified team member from our data entry team will add the results for you.
We support various file types, including PDFs, JPGs, or Excel. This service is particularly useful if you have many reports to upload or if you're too busy to handle the data entry yourself.
Our special data entry service makes it easy to add your results to your private dashboard. Just attach an image or a file of your lab test results, and our skilled data entry team will do the work for you. It's all done by humans, ensuring that your data is entered accurately and with personal care for each client.
Depending on your account, the data entry service can be included for free or come at an additional cost of $15 per report.
For users on the Complete monthly plan, the first report is entered free of charge, and each additional report incurs a fee of $15.
Unlimited account holders enjoy the entry of ten reports without charge. Subsequent reports are subject to a $15 fee per report.
Additionally, users on the Complete plan can upgrade to a yearly subscription from the account settings. The annual subscription includes a data entry service for five reports.
The Unlimited plan is a one-time purchase for $250, and it covers your account for a lifetime with no additional payments.
For the Complete plan, the cost is $15 per month. You have the flexibility to cancel it anytime through your account settings, ensuring no further payments. To avoid charges, remember to cancel at least a day before the renewal date. Once canceled, the subscription remains active until the end of the current billing cycle.
Additionally, you can upgrade to the yearly Advanced plan from within your account. The annual cost is $79, and it comes with a data entry service for five reports.
You can always upgrade to a lifetime version with a prorated price from a monthly or yearly subscription.
Simply log in and navigate to your account settings to cancel your subscription. Scroll down to locate the 'Cancel' button at the bottom of the page. Ensure you cancel at least one day before the renewal date to prevent any charges. Once cancellation is requested, the subscription remains active until the conclusion of the current billing cycle.
Our goal has been to make your Healthmatters account as intuitive as possible.
We’ve crafted multiple ways for you to navigate your data, whether you're glancing at a single report or delving into your historical test reports.
1. Graph View:Dive into a visual journey with our biomarker graphs, showcasing over 40 data points. Combining years of results unveils trends, empowering you to make informed decisions. Our visualization tools make it a breeze to compare and understand changes over time, even if your results are from different labs. A search function and filters simplify the exploration of extensive data, allowing you to focus on what needs attention.
2. All Tests ViewExplore neatly organized reports on a timeline, highlighting crucial details like dates, critical results, and lab/panel names. Each report opens up to reveal in-depth descriptions and additional recommendations for each biomarker. The history of previous results is just a click away, and you can download a comprehensive report for deeper insights. Color-coded and user-friendly, it's designed for easy reading, understanding, and navigation.
3. Table View:For a holistic view of all biomarkers side by side, our table view is your go-to. Results are neatly displayed in a categorized and dated table, ideal for those with an extensive test history. Utilize sorting, filters, and color-coding to enhance your analysis and gain extra insights.
Yes, you can download information from your account. We can compile your labs into a CSV file. To download all your labs, you can go to Account Settings, and at the bottom of the page, you will find a link to download your information.
Yes, you can print your report. To do so, navigate to "All tests" and open the report you wish to print. You'll find a print button in the right corner of the report. Click on it, and your browser's print window will open. If you prefer to print in a bigger typeface, adjust the scale using the print window settings.
Yes, you can! We highly recommend activating Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) for your account. To do so, please navigate to the "Profile and Security" section of your account, where you will find instructions for activating 2FA.
Yes, you can. When entering values for the biomarker, you will see an "Edit Range" button. Click this button, and you'll have the option to enter a custom range.
A personal account is all about keeping your own lab test results in check. It's just for you and your personal use.
The professional account is designed for health professionals who wish to track and organize their clients' laboratory results.
To learn more about Healthmatters Pro, please refer to the professional page.
At HealthMatters, we're committed to maintaining the security and confidentiality of your personal information. We've put industry-leading security standards in place to help protect against the loss, misuse, or alteration of the information under our control. We use procedural, physical, and electronic security methods designed to prevent unauthorized people from getting access to this information. Our internal code of conduct adds additional privacy protection. All data is backed up multiple times a day and encrypted using SSL certificates. See our Privacy Policy for more details.
ABSOLUTE BAND NEUTROPHILS, ABSOLUTE METAMYELOCYTES, ABSOLUTE MYELOCYTES, Atypical Lymphocytes, Atypical Lymphocytes (x10*9/L), Band Neutrophils (%), Basophils (Absolute), Basophils (Percent), Eosinophils "Eos" (Absolute), Eosinophils "Eos" (Percent), GRAN# (Absolute Granulocyte Count), Gran% (Granulocyte Percentage), Lymphocytes "Lymphs" (Absolute), Lymphocytes "Lymphs" (Percent), METAMYELOCYTES (%), MID#, MID%, Monocytes (Absolute), Monocytes (Percent), Myelocytes, Neut/Lymph Ratio, Neutrophils (Absolute), Neutrophils (Percent), Polymorphs (Absolute), Polymorphs (Percentage), Segmented Neutrophils, Segmented Neutrophils (Percent)
