What happens if you have too many red blood cells?

Having too many red blood cells might cause stomach ulcers, gout, or kidney stones. PV can also lead to more serious blood diseases like acute leukemia or myelofibrosis. Acute leukemia is a blood cancer that gets worse quickly. Myelofibrosis is a condition in which your bone marrow fills with scar tissue.

What causes your body to produce too many red blood cells?

It’s usually caused by a change in the JAK2 gene, which causes the bone marrow cells to produce too many red blood cells. The affected bone marrow cells can also develop into other cells found in the blood, which means that people with PV may also have abnormally high numbers of both platelets and white bloods cells.

What is the life expectancy of someone with polycythemia vera?

Median survival in patients with polycythemia vera (PV), which is 1.5-3 years in the absence of therapy, has been extended to approximately 14 years overall, and to 24 years for patients younger than 60 years of age, because of new therapeutic tools.

What are the symptoms of too much blood?

The increase in blood cells makes the blood thicker. Thick blood can lead to strokes or tissue and organ damage. Symptoms include lack of energy (fatigue) or weakness, headaches, dizziness, shortness of breath, visual disturbances, nose bleeds, bleeding gums, heavy menstrual periods, and bruising.

How can I lower my red blood cell count naturally?

Treatment

1. Exercise to improve heart and lung function.
2. Eat less red meat and iron-rich foods.
3. Avoid iron supplements.
4. Keep yourself well hydrated.
5. Avoid diuretics, including coffee and caffeinated drinks.
6. Stop smoking, especially if you have COPD or pulmonary fibrosis.

Can you live a long life with polycythemia?

Polycythemia vera (PV) is a rare blood cancer. While no cure exists for PV, it can be controlled through treatment, and you can live with the disease for many years.

How does the body get rid of excess blood?

Treatment Overview Phlebotomy is a procedure that removes blood from the body. Regular phlebotomy treats people who have too much iron in their blood, such as with hemochromatosis, or who are producing too many red blood cells, such as with polycythemia.

What food reduces red blood cells?

No single food will cure anemia. But eating an overall healthy diet rich in dark, leafy greens, nuts and seeds, seafood, meat, beans, and vitamin C-rich fruits and vegetables can help you get the iron you need to manage anemia.

What if person makes too many red blood cells in their body?

Polycythemia vera (PV) is a rare disease that causes your body to make too many red blood cells. Your blood may become too thick. This causes serious health problems. PV increases the risk of abnormal blood clots, which could lead to a stroke.

What happens if your body makes too much blood?

A transfusion reaction can also occur if a person receives too much blood. This is known as transfusion-associated circulatory overload (TACO). Having too much blood can overload your heart, forcing it to work harder to pump blood through your body and resulting in fluid buildup in the lungs.

What does it mean to have too many red blood cells?

Having too many RBCs in your blood is medically termed as “Polycythemia” or “Erythrocytosis”. This can caused by an overproduction of RBCs from the Bone Marrow or excess production due to a long term exposure to Low Oxygen levels or due to a Malignancy (Cancer).

What causes excessive red blood cells?

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.