what is the treatment for high red blood cell count

What foods lower your red blood cell count?

Apr 13, 2022 · What Are the Treatments of High Red Blood Cell Count? 1. Medical Treatments. Phlebotomy; Phlebotomy is the quickest and simplest way of reducing your red blood cell count, and it may be recommended if you have a history of blood clots. Phlebotomy involves removing about a pint of blood at a time, similar to the procedure used for blood donation.

What is the best supplement to raise red blood cells?

Sep 14, 2021 · How to treat elevated red blood cell count? Treatment methods exist to lessen the effects of polycythemia. Regular blood sampling can be done to reduce the number of red blood cells. Specific medications can also be given to reduce complications by …

What symptoms do you get with high red blood cell count?

What Are the Treatments of High Red Blood Cell Count? 1. Medical Treatments Phlebotomy Phlebotomy is the quickest and most basic method of decreasing your red blood cell count, and it might be suggested if you have a history of blood clots.

How to increase or decrease red blood cells?

The hemoglobin count is an indirect measurement of the number of red blood cells in your body; a high count may be a sign of a health problem. Certain medical conditions and lifestyle factors can cause a high hemoglobin count. It can be treated with medication or a procedure called a phlebotomy. Appointments & Access Contact Us Symptoms and Causes

How do I decrease my red blood cell count?

High RBC Count TreatmentExercise 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.More items...•Dec 2, 2021

What happens if your red blood count is too high?

What is a high red blood cell count? A high red blood cell count is a condition called polycythemia vera. If you have this medical condition, it means that your bone marrow is producing too many red blood cells. This can result in thickening of the blood, slow flow of blood, and eventually blood clots.

What medication lowers red blood cell count?

If you need more than phlebotomy and aspirin, your doctor may prescribe hydroxyurea, a pill that lowers your red blood count and relieves symptoms.

Should I worry if my red blood cell count is high?

A high red blood cell count can be a sign of: Dehydration. Heart disease. Polycythemia vera, a bone marrow disease that causes too many red blood cells to be made.Oct 4, 2021

What diseases cause large red blood cells?

AdvertisementVitamin B-12 deficiency.Folate deficiency.Liver disease.Alcoholism.Hypothyroidism.A side effect of certain medications, such as those used to treat cancer, seizures and autoimmune disorders.Increased red blood cell production by the bone marrow to correct anemia, for example, after blood loss.More items...

What level of RBC is concerning?

A normal range in adults is generally considered to be 4.35 to 5.65 million red blood cells per microliter (mcL) of blood for men and 3.92 to 5.13 million red blood cells per mcL of blood for women. In children, the threshold for high red blood cell count varies with age and sex.

Does aspirin lower red blood cell count?

Aspirin dose increase from 75 to 150 mg suppresses red blood cell contribution to suboptimal platelet response to aspirin in patients with CAD.

Can high red blood cells cause anxiety?

Background: Depression and anxiety are two common mood disorders that are both linked to systemic inflammation. Increased white blood cell (WBC) count and red cell distribution width (RDW) are associated with negative clinical outcomes in a wide variety of pathological conditions.

Does diabetes affect red blood cells?

People with diabetes are more likely to have inflamed blood vessels. This can keep bone marrow from getting the signal they need to make more red blood cells. And some medications used to treat diabetes can drop your levels of the protein hemoglobin, which you need to carry oxygen through your blood.

Why is my red blood count high?

A high red blood cell count may be a symptom of a disease or disorder, although it doesn’t always indicate a health problem. Health or lifestyle factors can cause a high red blood cell count. Medical conditions that can cause an increase in red blood cells include: Heart failure, causing low blood oxygen levels.

What is the function of red blood cells?

Red blood cells are one of the major components of blood, along with white blood cells and platelets. Red blood cells help carry oxygen throughout the body. Doctors measure your red blood cell count to help diagnose medical conditions and learn more about your health.

How many red blood cells are in a microliter of blood?

For children, 4.0 to 5.5 million red blood cells per microliter of blood. Doctors typically find a high red blood cell count during tests for another health issue. You may need more tests to determine what’s causing the higher levels. These may include tests to look for conditions that cause your body to produce too many red blood cells, ...

How does a phlebotomy work?

In a procedure called a phlebotomy, a health professional inserts a needle into your vein and drains blood through a tube into a bag or container. You might need to have this procedure on a repeated basis until your red blood cell level is close to normal.

Is Cleveland Clinic a non profit?

These may include tests to look for conditions that cause your body to produce too many red blood cells, such as heart failure, or disorders that restrict your oxygen supply, such as sleep apnea. Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission.

How to get rid of red blood cells?

1. Medical Treatments. Phlebotomy. Phlebotomy is the quickest and most basic method of decreasing your red blood cell count, and it might be suggested if you have a history of blood clots. Phlebotomy involves getting rid of about a pint of blood at a time, much like the procedure used for blood contribution.

What causes high red blood cell count?

In main polycythemia, abnormalities in the production of red blood cells cause a high red cell count. The cause of secondary polycythemia is the result of external aspects such as sleep apnea, hypoxia, and particular growths, impacting red cell production. 1. Causes of Primary Polycythemia.

How to treat polycythemia?

Some easy steps can be taken at home to control prospective symptoms and avoid possible complications for people with polycythemia, consisting of: 1 Remaining well hydrated to avoid focusing the blood even further through dehydration. Usually speaking, there are no constraints on physical activity. 2 If you have a bigger spleen, contact sports need to be avoided to avoid injury and rupture. 3 Avoid iron supplements because this can promote more red cell production and a high red blood cell count.

What is the difference between erythrocytosis and polycythaemia?

Polycythaemia is an abnormally high concentration of hemoglobin in the blood through an increase in red cell numbers, whereas erythrocytosis just refers to a documented increase of red cell mass. The number of red cells you have differs according to sex and age. Women have lower levels than men and newborns often will have more than adults.

What is polycythemia vera?

Polycythemia vera is a fairly unusual condition, and is typically associated with an elevated white blood cell count and platelet count. A bigger spleen and low erythropoietin levels are other scientific features of polycythemia vera. The exact cause of polycythemia vera is not well comprehended. Nevertheless, medical experts have discovered that genetic anomalies are accountable for many cases. These mutations are believed to potentially increase the level of sensitivity of the red cell precursors to erythropoietin, thus increase red blood cell production.

What are the conditions that cause chronic hypoxia?

Conditions that cause chronic hypoxia such as chronic bronchitis, sleep apnea, chronic cardiovascular disease, and emphysema are called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( COPD ). Additionally, individuals who reside in high altitudes may develop polycythemia. At high altitudes, increased red blood cell production happens in order to make up for the low oxygen levels and low level tissue oxygenation.

What is the purpose of a health examination?

Health examination is performed to look for signs of possible hidden conditions. Red cell mass study that is typically carried out in a health center’s nuclear medicine department. Vitamin measurement such as iron, folic acid and vitamin B12, which are all important in red cell production.

What causes high hemoglobin levels?

Lifestyle factors that can cause a high hemoglobin count include: 1 Smoking cigarettes 2 Living at a high altitude 3 Taking performance-enhancing drugs such as anabolic steroids (for example, synthetic testosterone) or erythropoietin

What is the hematocrit test?

Hemoglobin is usually measured as part of a complete blood count (a routine blood test), along with hematocrit (the percentage of the blood that is made up of red blood cells), to help diagnose medical conditions and learn more about ...

What is the function of hemoglobin?

Hemoglobin is a protein in red blood cells that helps blood carry oxygen throughout the body. (Hemoglobin contains iron, which gives blood its red color.) The hemoglobin count is an indirect measurement of the number of red blood cells in your body.

How does a phlebotomy work?

In a procedure called a phlebotomy, a health professional inserts a needle into your vein and drains blood through a tube into a bag or container. You might need to have this procedure on a repeated basis until your hemoglobin level is close to normal.

What causes a high RBC count?

What causes a high red blood cell (RBC) count? Although having a high red blood cell count doesn’t always indicate a health problem, it could also be a symptom of a disease or disorder in certain cases. Lifestyle and health factors can also cause an increase in the red blood cell count. They include:

What does it mean when your blood count is high?

They are also one of the major components of blood. Having a high red blood cell (RBC) count means that the number of RBCs in the bloodstream is higher than normal. When you have signs and symptoms of a disease that might involve problems in the production of red blood cells, a complete blood count (CBC), which includes an RBC count, ...

What happens when you have too many RBCs?

Too many RBCs can lead to a decreased flow of blood and other related health problems, while too few RBCs can significantly affect the amount of oxygen reaching the tissues.

Is polycythemia vera a chronic disease?

Polycythemia vera is a chronic blood disease that can be life-threatening if not properly diagnosed and treated. Although the condition has no cure, there are treatments that can help manage the disease and its complications. Treatment for PV may also involve more than one treatment method to help manage the disease.

What are the symptoms of anemia?

Healthcare providers may order a CBC when patients show some of the common signs and symptoms of anemia, such as: Lack of energy. Fatigue or general weakness. Paleness. Patients with a high RBC count may show any of the following signs and symptoms: Dizziness. Headache.

Does methyldopa increase blood count?

Certain medications, such as methyldopa and gentamicin can increase red blood cell (RBC) counts. Methyldopa is a drug used for the treatment of hypertension (high blood pressure) and gentamicin is an antibacterial drug used for the treatment of bacterial infections in the blood. Make sure to inform your doctor about the medications you take.

What happens when blood clots form?

When there is an overproduction of red blood cells, blood becomes abnormally thicker, making people more prone to developing blood clots. The formation of blood clots can affect the normal flow of blood through the veins and arteries, and cause a heart attack or stroke.

What is the difference between WBC and RBC?

WBC (white blood cell) count signifies the number of white blood cell s in the blood and usually ranges between 4,300 and 10,800 cells per cubic millimeter (cmm). RBC (red blood cell) count measures the number of red blood cells in a volume of blood and usually ranges between 4.2 to 5.9 million cells per cmm. Hemoglobin (Hbg) measures the amount of ...

How do you know if you have polycythemia vera?

Symptoms of polycythemia vera can be vague and quite general. Some of the important symptoms include: Easy bruising. Easy bleeding. Blood clot formation (potentially leading to heart attacks, strokes, blood clots in the lungs [ pulmonary embolism ]). Bone and joint pain ( hip pain or rib pain). Headache.

Where does erythropoiesis occur?

Production of red blood cells (erythropoiesis) occurs in the bone marrow and is regulated in a series of specific steps. One of the important enzymes regulating this process is called erythropoietin (Epo). The majority of Epo is produced and released by the kidneys, and a smaller portion is released by the liver.

Low oxygen levels

Your body may increase red blood cell production to compensate for any condition that results in low oxygen levels, including:

Increased red blood cell concentration

Dehydration (If the liquid component of the blood (plasma) is decreased, as in dehydration, the red blood cell count increases. This is due to the red blood cells becoming more concentrated. The actual number of red blood cells stays the same.)

Kidney disease

Rarely, in some kidney cancers and sometimes after kidney transplants, the kidneys might produce too much erythropoietin. This enhances red blood cell production.

Bone marrow overproduction

Causes shown here are commonly associated with this symptom. Work with your doctor or other health care professional for an accurate diagnosis.