What does it mean when your red blood cell count is high?

What is a high red blood cell count? 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.

Is high red blood count bad?

An RBC count that is higher than normal can be a sign of many health problems, including: Dehydration. Lung diseases. Heart diseases.

How can I lower my RBC count?

Low RBC Count Treatment

Maintain a healthy, balanced diet.
Take a daily vitamin and iron supplement, if needed.
Exercise regularly to improve heart and lung function.
Stop smoking.
Avoid aspirin, which reduces clotting and can cause slow blood loss.

What cancer causes high red blood cell count?

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.

How much RBC count is normal?

A normal RBC count would be: men – 4.7 to 6.1 million cells per microlitre (cells/mcL) women – 4.2 to 5.4 million cells/mcL.

What does high RBC count signify?

A high RBC count tells us that there has been an increase in oxygen-carrying cells in blood . In some cases, this may indicate that the body is compensating for some condition that is depriving the body of oxygen, 2 in others, the cause may be related to diseases or drugs that alter the production of RBCs.

What are the reasons for low RBC count?

Other potential causes of a low red blood cell count include: Anemia. Bone marrow failure. Bleeding. Erythropoietin deficiency due to kidney disease. RBC destruction from blood vessel injuries or transfusions. Malnutrition; nutritional deficiencies of vitamins B6 or B12, folic acid, copper, or iron. Leukemia.

What is a dangerously low RBC count?

A slightly low hemoglobin count isn’t always a sign of illness – it may be normal for some people. Women who are pregnant commonly have low hemoglobin counts. Low hemoglobin counts associated with diseases and conditions. A low hemoglobin count can be associated with a disease or condition that causes your body to have too few red blood cells.