Table of Contents
Can high red blood cell count be dangerous?
This can occur with smoking, lung and heart disease, or living at high altitudes. The most serious complication, and cause of most illness and death from polycythemia vera, is the danger of blood clotting (thrombosis) in the arteries, both large and small.
How do you fix high red blood cell count?
High RBC Count Treatment
- Exercise to improve your heart and lung function.
- Eat less red meat and iron-rich foods.
- Avoid iron supplements.
- Keep yourself well hydrated.
- Avoid diuretics, including coffee and caffeinated drinks, which can dehydrate you.
- Stop smoking, especially if you have COPD or pulmonary fibrosis.
What cancer causes high red blood cell count?
Polycythemia vera (pol-e-sy-THEE-me-uh VEER-uh) is a type of blood cancer. It causes your bone marrow to make too many red blood cells. These excess cells thicken your blood, slowing its flow, which may cause serious problems, such as blood clots. Polycythemia vera is rare.
Why would you have high red blood cells?
Your body may increase red blood cell production to compensate for any condition that results in low oxygen levels, including: Heart disease (such as congenital heart disease in adults) Heart failure. A condition present at birth that reduces the oxygen-carrying capacity of red blood cells (hemoglobinopathy)
What does it mean when your red blood cells are too big?
Macrocytosis is a condition in which your red blood cells are larger than they should be. While it isn’t a condition of its own, macrocytosis is a sign that you have an underlying health condition and may lead to a severe form of anemia called macrocytic normochromic anemia.
Can enlarged red blood cells cause fatigue?
Macrocytosis is a condition in which the red blood cells (RBCs) are larger than normal but not functioning as they should. It can cause fatigue, and sometimes there are other symptoms related to underlying causes of macrocytosis.
What are the dangers of having a high red blood cell count?
High red blood cells density in your blood increases blood pressure and this can be associated with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) too, but also with strokes, heart attacks and embolism, all of which may lead to death. Blood cancer or leukemia is considered another potential outcome of polycythaemia, maybe the worst one.
What are the side effects of high red blood cell count?
Symptoms of Having High Red Blood Cell Count. Mild cases of polycythaemia might not cause any symptoms, but common symptoms can include: Chest pain. Muscle pain. High blood pressure. Headaches. Dizziness. Ringing in the ears.
What does it mean if your red blood cell count is too high?
Polycythemia is a condition that results in an increased level of circulating red blood cells in the bloodstream. People with polycythemia have an increase in hematocrit, hemoglobin, or red blood cell count above the normal limits.