Not necessarily. While a high red blood cell count can indicate a disease or disorder, it doesn't always mean you have a health condition. Other factors — like living at a high altitude — can also have an impact on your red blood cell count.
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.
Polycythaemia, also known as erythrocytosis, means having a high concentration of red blood cells in your blood. This makes the blood thicker and less able to travel through blood vessels and organs.
Aside from leukemia, most cancers cannot be detected in routine blood work, such as a CBC test. However, specific blood tests are designed to identify tumor markers, which are chemicals and proteins that may be found in the blood in higher quantities than normal when cancer is present.
Some blood tests used to diagnose cancer include: A test to count your blood cells. A complete blood count (CBC) measures the amount of each type of blood cell in a sample of your blood. Blood cancers may be found using this test.
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.
Polycythemia vera can be fatal if not diagnosed and treated. It can cause blood clots resulting in a heart attack, stroke, or pulmonary embolism. Liver and spleen enlargement are other possible complications.
An abnormal RBC test result is often the first sign of an illness. A low RBC may be caused by an infection or a medical condition related to anemia. Low RBC counts are those below 4.7 for men, 4.2 for women, and 4.1 for children.
Treatment for high hemoglobin count varies depending on the underlying cause. In some cases, your healthcare provider may recommend a phlebotomy. In a phlebotomy, a healthcare provider inserts a needle into one of your veins and removes extra red blood cells.
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), and hepatitis C virus (HCV) are three of the most common bloodborne pathogens from which health care workers are at risk.
Recent studies estimate the average life expectancy after diagnosis with polycythemia vera to be about 20 years. The average age of death is about 77. The most common cause of death is complications from blood clots (about 33%). Advancing cancer is the second most common cause (15%).
Polycythemia is a blood cancer caused by a gene mutation. If you have polycythemia, your bone marrow makes too many red blood cells. This causes your blood to thicken and flow more slowly, putting you at risk for blood clots that can cause heart attacks or strokes. There is no known cure.
Anemia of Chronic Disease. Anemia of chronic disease, also called anemia of chronic disorders, is the most common form of anemia in the elderly.
What is the most common type of blood disorder? Anemia represents the most common type of noncancerous blood disorder. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates about 3 million people in the U.S. have some type of anemia. Anemia happens when you don't have enough healthy red blood cells.
Many people with polycythemia vera don't have noticeable signs or symptoms. Some people might develop vague symptoms such as headache, dizziness, fatigue and blurred vision. More-specific symptoms of polycythemia vera include: Itchiness, especially after a warm bath or shower.
Fat: With polycythemia vera, it is important that you avoid consuming too much high-fat foods because they can increase your risk of blood clots and inflammation. These include red meat with fat, chicken with skin on it, and deep-fried foods or dessert made with heavy creams or large amounts of butter.
Patients with hypothyroidism have a decreased erythrocyte mass due to reduction of plasma volume and may undetectable by routine measurement such as hemoglobin concentration, whereas an increased erythrocyte mass is observed in most hyperthyroid patients (11-12) .
Nutrient deficiency of either folate or vitamin B12 results in enlarged red blood cells (megaloblastic anemia), with an MCV increased to a range of 105 to 160 fl [49].
3) Phlebotomy or Blood Draw
It reduces red blood cell count and brings the blood density closer to normal. It's usually used in certain conditions in which there is abnormally high production of red blood cells, such as polycythemia vera or sickle cell disease [34].
Foods rich in iron help you maintain healthy red blood cells. Vitamins are also needed to build healthy red blood cells. These include vitamins B-2, B-12, and B-3, found in foods such as eggs, whole grains, and bananas. Folate also helps.