At first, you may need the treatment every week, but once your erythrocytosis is under control you should need it less often. How often this is needed will be different for each person. Venesection involves removing about 1 pint (half a litre) of blood at a time, in a similar way to the procedure used for blood donation. It may be recommended if you have polycythaemia vera, a history of blood clots, or symptoms suggesting your blood is too thick. Venesection is the simplest and quickest way of reducing the number of red cells in your blood. Treatment for erythrocytosis aims to prevent symptoms and complications (such as blood clots), and treat any underlying causes. an ultrasound scan of your tummy to look for problems in your kidneys.a blood test to look for the changed JAK2 gene.Your GP may refer you to a haematologist (a specialist in blood disorders) for more tests, to confirm the diagnosis and to determine the underlying cause. the amount of space the red blood cells take up in the blood (haematocrit level)Ī high concentration of red blood cells suggests you have erythrocytosis.Įrythrocytosis is sometimes only discovered during a routine blood test for another reason.the number of red blood cells in your blood ( red blood cell count).a problem with the kidneys – such as a kidney cancer or narrowing of the arteries supplying blood to the kidneysĮrythrocytosis can be diagnosed by carrying out a blood test to check:.chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) – this can cause an increase in erythropoietin, due to not enough oxygen reaching the body's tissues.Health conditions that can cause secondary erythrocytosis include: This is a hormone produced by the kidneys that stimulates the bone marrow cells to produce red blood cells. Secondary erythrocytosis is where an underlying condition causes more erythropoietin to be produced. The affected bone marrow cells can also develop into other cells found in the blood, which means that people with polycythaemia vera may also have abnormally high numbers of both platelets and white bloods cells.Īlthough caused by a genetic change, polycythaemia vera isn't usually inherited. It’s a slow-growing type of blood cancer. It's usually caused by a change in the JAK2 gene, which causes the bone marrow cells to produce too many red blood cells. Primary erythrocytosis - polycythaemia vera secondary erythrocytosis – too many red blood cells are produced as the result of an underlying condition.primary erythrocytosis – there's a problem in the cells produced by the bone marrow that become red blood cells the most common type is known as polycythaemia vera."Absolute erythrocytosis" is where your body produces too many red blood cells. It can happen as a result of dehydration. This is similar to apparent erythrocytosis. Stopping smoking or reducing your alcohol intake, for example, may help. "Apparent erythrocytosis" is where your red cell count is normal, but you have a reduced amount of a fluid called plasma in your blood, making it thicker.Īpparent erythrocytosis is often caused by being overweight, smoking, drinking too much alcohol or taking certain medicines – including diuretics (tablets for high blood pressure that make you pee more).Īpparent erythrocytosis may improve if the underlying cause is identified and managed. In some cases, an underlying cause can't be identified. What causes erythrocytosis?Įrythrocytosis can be divided into several different types, depending on the underlying cause. Seek emergency medical help if you think that you or someone you're with is having a heart attack or stroke. pain, swelling, redness and tenderness in one of your legsĮrythrocytosis also increases your risk of heart attack and stroke.Seek medical help immediately if you or someone you're with shows signs of DVT or a pulmonary embolism. deep vein thrombosis (DVT) – a blockage that forms in the blood vessels in your leg before moving elsewhere in your body.pulmonary embolisms – a blockage in the blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to the lungs.These put you at risk of life-threatening problems such as: itchy skin – especially after a bath or showerĮrythrocytosis can cause blood clots.
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