Why would your red blood count be high?

Your body may increase red blood cell production to compensate for any condition that results in low oxygen levels, including: Heart disease (such as congenital heart disease in adults) Heart failure. A condition present at birth that reduces the oxygen-carrying capacity of red blood cells (hemoglobinopathy)

What problems can high red blood cells cause?

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.

What happens if your red blood cells are too big?

Red blood cells larger than 100 fL are considered macrocytic. When the cells grow too large, there are fewer of them than there needs to be and they carry less hemoglobin. This means the blood is not as oxygen-rich as it should be. Low blood oxygen can cause a range of symptoms and health problems.

Can you live a normal life with polycythemia?

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.

Can you live 40 years with polycythemia vera?

Polycythemia Vera: Prognosis and Life Expectancy. 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.

What is a high red blood cell count for a child?

A high red blood cell count is generally considered to be anything above 6.1 million red blood cells for men, 5.4 million for women, and 5.5 for children. Additional tests will help your doctor determine the cause of your high red blood cell count and next steps in your care. What is high red blood cell count?

Is a high red blood cell count always a health problem?

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. Red blood cells (RBCs), also called erythrocytes, are the cells that carry oxygen throughout the body.

What does a high RBC count mean?

A high RBC count tells us that there has been an increase in oxygen-carrying cells in blood. This usually indicates that the body is compensating for some condition that is depriving the body of oxygen, including: 2  A low RBC count indicates a decrease in oxygen-carrying cells in the blood.

What do you need to know about red blood cell count?

Understanding the Red Blood Cell (RBC) Count 1 Complete Blood Count. Typically speaking, an RBC count is less useful on its own to diagnose a medical condition. 2 Normal Ranges. An RBC count is the number of red blood cell per a particular volume of blood. 3 High or Low RBC Counts. 4 Treatment.