what happens when your body produces too much red blood cells?
18396
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.
707243
Abnormal results may indicate that your body has an electrolyte imbalance, or that there is a problem removing carbon dioxide through your lungs. Too much CO2 in the blood can indicate a variety of conditions including: Lung diseases. Cushing's syndrome, a disorder of the adrenal glands.
81282
A high count of red blood cells in the urine can indicate infection, trauma, tumors, or kidney stones. If red blood cells seen under microscopy look distorted, they suggest kidney as the possible source and may arise due to kidney inflammation (glomerulonephritis).
1331020
Being pregnant, donating blood, bleeding a lot. An infection or allergic reaction. Having drugs or alcohol in your system. Having an underlying illness such as a heart condition, anaemia, or a hormonal or nervous system disorder.
98662
The baby's body makes more red blood cells than it should. The baby got extra red blood cells from another source, such as from a twin during pregnancy. Just after birth, too many red blood cells traveled from the umbilical cord to the baby before the cord was clamped.
1324076
Too much iron can irritate the stomach and digestive tract, sometimes causing bleeding. Within hours of an acute overdose, the body's cells can be poisoned and their chemical reactions can be affected. Within days, liver damage can occur.
1144033
Most people with polycythemia vera have too many red blood cells. But it can also cause you to have too many white blood cells and platelets.
440244
Due to the excess red blood cells, though, some people may eventually develop skin itchiness and redness, headaches, dizziness, shortness of breath, and numbness, tingling, burning or weakness in their hands, feet, arms or legs.
641766
Decreased red blood cell production may be caused by primary bone marrow diseases (such as aplastic anemia or hematopoietic malignancy), kidney failure, toxins, or drugs such as phenylbutazone. Longterm debilitating diseases may also be associated with mild anemia.
19763
Why you can die from anemia. Red blood cells carry oxygen throughout your body. When you don't have enough red blood cells, your organs don't get enough oxygen and can't work properly. This can have severe consequences.
362735
Too much calcium in your blood can weaken your bones, create kidney stones, and interfere with how your heart and brain work. Hypercalcemia is usually a result of overactive parathyroid glands.
866235
Too many red cells can cause blood to sludge and clot in arteries and veins, causing bad things like stroke and heart attack. Blood doping has the same end result as using EPO. In effect, the athlete donates a unit (about a pint) or two of blood to himself.
1146980
Red blood cells may be destroyed due to: An autoimmune problem in which the immune system mistakenly sees your own red blood cells as foreign substances and destroys them. Genetic defects within the red cells (such as sickle cell anemia, thalassemia, and G6PD deficiency)
448052
A low hemoglobin count can be associated with a disease or condition that causes your body to have too few red blood cells. This can occur if: Your body produces fewer red blood cells than usual. Your body destroys red blood cells faster than they can be produced.
343714
If your kidneys are damaged, they produce less of a hormone called erythropoietin which is needed to make red blood cells. This results in fewer cells being made and causes anaemia. Red blood cells contain haemoglobin which carries oxygen around your body.
47538
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.
158932
If a medical condition is causing a high red blood cell count, your doctor may recommend a procedure or medication to lower it. 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.