Having a high hemoglobin is not always polycythemia.
Although a high hemoglobin can indicate polycythemia it's not always the cause.
A high hemoglobin count occurs most commonly when your body requires an increased oxygen-carrying capacity, usually because: You smoke.
You live at a high altitude and your red blood cell production naturally increases to compensate for the lower oxygen supply there.
After initial diagnoses a patient with polycythemia vera should have a phlebotomy to thin the blood at least once per week until your blood cell levels become normal.
After that then you may only need a phlebotomy every 2 to 3 months.
The latest treatment for polycythemia vera is an injection known as Besremi (ropeginterferon alfa-2b-njft) injection.
Another treatment is frequent blood withdraws to remove some of the blood.
The signs and symptoms of erythrocytosis include Blurred vision, Headaches, Confusion, High blood pressure, Nosebleeds, Itching, Weakness and Tiredness.
What happens during erythrocytosis is you have more red blood cells than normal.
The red blood cells are also called erythrocytes.
Red blood cells are responsible for carrying oxygen throughout your body and remove carbon dioxide from your body.
Your bone marrow (the tissue inside your bones) makes red blood cells and releases them into your bloodstream.
In some cases erythrocytosis can cause death.
If left untreated erythrocytosis also known as polycythemia vera can be life-threatening because the extra red blood cells can cause your blood to thicken and slow down.
This can cause blood clots to develop.
Secondary erythrocytosis can have many causes.
The condition of erythrocytosis is usually not serious unless it gets worse.
In most cases erythrocytosis is a harmless condition although in some people it may get worse and cause other complications.
Primary erythrocytosis can be a harmless disorder caused by a genetic trait that is passed down in families.
If you only have too many red blood cells without having too many white blood cells or platelets, and you don't have secondary erythrocytosis, this may be why.
A high hemoglobin is not always polycythemia.
Although a high hemoglobin can indicate polycythemia it's not always the cause.
A high hemoglobin count occurs most commonly when your body requires an increased oxygen-carrying capacity, usually because: You smoke.
You live at a high altitude and your red blood cell production naturally increases to compensate for the lower oxygen supply there.
In the beginning you'll need a phlebotomy for polycythemia at least once per week and then after awhile you may only need a phlebotomy for polycythemia every 2 to 3 months.
A phlebotomy may be needed for polycythemia when a persons hematocrit is above 45 %.
Phlebotomy should be performed in any person with secondary polycythemia prior to any elective surgery.
In people with physiologically appropriate erythrocytosis, as the increased red cell mass is a compensatory mechanism of the body, phlebotomy should not be performed in order to maintain proper tissue oxygenation.
In some cases erythrocytosis may go away with treatment but sometimes it may also return.
There's no known cure right now for erythrocytosis but treatment does help.
The condition of polycythemia or erythrocytosis is a condition in which a person has a high concentration of red blood cells in your blood.
This then makes a persons blood thicker and less able to travel through blood vessels and organs.
Many of the symptoms of polycythaemia are caused by this sluggish flow of blood.
You can reduce your polycythemia naturally with a change in your diet.
A diet containing anti-inflammatory foods and active ingredients such as Curcumin (an active ingredient of Turmeric), Resveratrol, Natural Salicylates (such as apricots, broccoli, thyme and rosemary) and Caffeine, and other anti-inflammatory diets such as Mediterranean diet characterized by a high intake of vegetables.
Other ways to reduce your polycythemia naturally include.
Exercise daily. Staying active will help keep your blood flowing and prevent clots.
Take cool baths to prevent skin irritation.
Keep warm.
Drink a lot of water.
Try not to hurt your feet.
Treat itchy skin.
Shield your skin from the sun.
The reason polycythemia causes itching is because the extra red blood cells prompt your immune system to release a chemical called histamine.
This is the same chemical your body releases during an allergic reaction.
Histamine makes your skin itch.
The two conditions that cause polycythemia include being overweight and smoking.
Although there are more than two conditions that cause polycythemia which include obstructive sleep apnea, obesity hypoventilation syndrome, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Other causes include testosterone replacement therapy and heavy cigarette smoking.
Apparent polycythaemia is often caused by being overweight, smoking, drinking too much alcohol or taking certain medicines including diuretics (tablets for high blood pressure that make you pee more).
Apparent polycythaemia may improve if the underlying cause is identified and managed.
The difference between polycythemia and polycythemia vera is that polycythemia, also called erythrocytosis, refers to an increase in red blood cell mass, noted on laboratory evaluation as increased hemoglobin and hematocrit levels.
And polycythemia vera is a subtype of polycythemia and is associated with the overproduction of all 3 cell lines.
In rare cases polycythemia vera can turn into a form of leukemia called acute myeloid leukemia.
Research suggests polycythemia vera turns into another blood cancer in less than 20% of cases.
It usually happens during the later stages of the disease.
Polycythemia vera treatments help reduce your risk of symptoms and complications.
Most people don't need chemo for polycythemia unless you're at risk for cancer.
Most often the treatment for polycythemia is through simple blood withdraws from your body.
The most common treatment for polychythemia vera is having frequent blood withdrawals, using a needle in a vein (phlebotomy). It's the same procedure used for donating blood.
This decreases your blood volume and reduces the number of excess blood cells.
Polycythemia is a condition that means an increase in the number of red blood cells in the body.
These extra red blood cells in the body cause the blood to be thicker, and this, in turn, increases the risk of other health issues, such as blood clots.
Polycythemia can have different causes, each of which has its own treatment options
Polycythemia vera occurs when a mutation in a gene causes a problem with blood cell production.
Normally, your body regulates the number of each of the three types of blood cells you have red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets.
Hypoxia from long standing (chronic) lung disease and smoking are common causes of polycythemia.
Therefore, smoking can be a significant risk factor for polycythemia.
Chronic carbon monoxide (CO) exposure can also be a risk factor for polycythemia.
There's no cure for polycythemia vera.
Treatment focuses on reducing your risk of complications. These treatments may also ease your symptoms.
The secondary polycythemia is caused by an underlying condition, most of which are well known and have multiple treatment options available.
Once the underlying cause is corrected, symptoms of secondary polycythemia usually go away.
To diagnose PV, your doctor will perform a test called a complete blood count (CBC) to see if your number of red blood cells is higher than normal.
Your doctor may also test your blood to look for amounts of a hormone called erythropoietin.
Lower-than-normal levels of this hormone can be a sign of PV.