Funny I had the exact same results lately. Now I don’t want to scare with the info I am about to give as I am no professional not even sure that I have it yet! No final diagnosis. Just saying what I learned the past 3 days.
When RBC's are high or elevated it can be a whole host of things mainly related to not having enough oxygen in the blood. Polycythemia seems to be the most well documented disorder involving High RBC count.
Types of Polycythemia:
I am going to list Secondary Polycythemia because that is what seems very strongly I may have and most people overall have.
Secondary polycythemia is an acquired form of a rare disorder characterized by an abnormal increase in the number of mature red cells in the blood.
Secondary polycythemia is also called secondary erythrocytosis.
Polycythemia means too many red blood cells. The resulting excess of red cells thickens the blood and impedes its passage through small blood vessels.
Secondary polycythemia usually affects people between the ages of 40 and 60.
Types of secondary polycythemia
Known as spurious polycythemia, stress polycythemia, or Gaisbock's syndrome, relative polycythemia is characterized by normal numbers of red blood cells but decreased levels of plasma (the fluid part of the blood). Overweight, middle-aged white men who smoke, have high blood pressure, and are on diuretic medicines to remove excess water from their bodies may develop Gaisbock's syndrome.
In smoker's polycythemia, the number of red blood cells is elevated. Plasma levels are abnormally low.
Causes and symptoms
Smoking, which impairs red blood cells' ability to deliver oxygen to body tissues, can cause secondary polycythemia. So can the following conditions:
carbon monoxide poisoning
chronic heart or lung disease
hormonal (endocrine) disorders
exposure to high altitudes
tumors of the brain, liver, or uterus.
Causes of spurious polycythemia include:
hemoconcentration (higher-than-normal concentration of cells and solids in the blood, usually due to becoming dehydrated or taking diuretics)
Weakness, headaches, and fatigue are usually the first symptoms of secondary polycythemia. Patients may feel lightheaded or experience shortness of breath.
Visual disturbances associated with this disorder include distorted vision, blind spots, and flashes of light. The gums and small cuts are likely to bleed, and the hands and feet may burn. Extensive itching often occurs after taking a bath or shower.
Pain in the chest or leg muscles is common. The face often becomes ruddy, then turns blue after exercise or other exertion. Confusion and ringing in the ears (tinnitus) may also occur.
A very important part of diagnosing secondary polycythemia is differentiating it from primary polycythemia (also called polycythemia rubra vera or Vaquez' disease). Unlike secondary polycythemia, primary polycythemia cannot be traced to an underlying condition such as smoking, high altitude, or chronic lung disease.
Doctors diagnose polycythemia by measuring oxygen levels in blood drawn from an artery. A patient whose oxygen level is abnormally low probably has secondary polycythemia. Erythropoietin may also be measured. Levels of this hormone, which stimulates the bone marrow to produce red blood cells, may be normal or elevated in a patient with secondary polycythemia. Red blood cell mass is also frequently measured in diagnosing the disorder.
Imaging studies are sometimes performed to determine whether the spleen and liver are enlarged and to detect erythropoietin-producing kidney lesions. Other diagnostic procedures include chest x rays and an electrocardiogram (EKG).
Secondary polycythemia is treated primarily by treating the underlying condition causing the disorder. For example, patients with Gaisbock's syndrome are often taken off diuretics and encouraged to lose weight. Lung disorders, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), may cause secondary polycythemia; treating the lung disorder generally improves the polycythemia.
Some medications may also be taken to treat symptoms caused by polycythemia. For example, antihistamines can alleviate itching, and aspirin can soothe burning sensations and bone pain.
Until the underlying condition is controlled, doctors use bloodletting (phlebotomy) to reduce the number of red blood cells in the patient's body. In most instances, a pint of blood is drained from the patient as needed and tolerated, until the hematocrit (the proportion of red cells in the blood) reaches an acceptable level. Chemotherapy is not used to treat secondary polycythemia; however, it may be used to treat the primary form.
Curing or removing the underlying cause of this disorder generally eliminates the symptoms.
Now why do I think I have Secondary polycythemia? Well there’s just to many things that seem to fit together to well lately.
- When in high school played allot of flag football, and afterwards in gym class in locker room I would be flat out purple severely hot and it would not where off even slightly for hours. Still happens till this day just can’t play as hard as I did then. Also my health is flat out POOR right now
- “The face often becomes ruddy, then turns blue after exercise or other exertion” This has been the main most bothersome symptom I have been bitching about to doctors for 5 years now and just seems to baffle there weak minds. My jaw dropped when I seen this written the way it was. It described my exact symptom to a T. Of course it’s not just the flushing that seems to last for hours, it’s the severe mental impairment that comes and stays with the episodes.
- RBC Rouleau = Common in 95% of Polycythemia
- It is often difficult to prepare a good peripheral blood smear in PV due to the increased viscosity of the blood
- I recently had my blood microscopicly tested the first drop of blood was so loaded with the red blood cells that she could not even see what was going on. It took her 3 tries to get a drop of blood that was exceptable. Guess what, I had a level 5 out of a possible 5 of RBC Rouleau.
- SIGNS: Fatigue, shortness of breath - RBC's cannot carry oxygen; stress on heart. Cold hands/feet - poor circulation
- I think the flushing in the face is because, they say it makes the blood thicker. Thick blood can’t travel well though tiny blood vessels. Guess what your face has some of the smallest blood vessels in the whole body.
Now I am waiting on the slow family doctor of mine to let me know what the next step should be for me. If it turns out that I had this for the past 5 years of this hell I have been living. I will be F&*KIN FURIOUS because it could have been detected using a simple blood test which this current doctor finally choose to do. And I may have aged every organ in my body that blood touches as a result.
By the way I am only 23 and dealing with this S&*T. I hope what I said can get you started I recommend that you see a Hematologist ASAP that is what I am doing. They specialize in blood disorders.
Never fully confide in a doctor, and never trust there diagnosis they are more worried about patient load, and how many meds they can get you on so that they can make more money. They never work on a source problem just the symptoms. ALWAYS get a second opinion, if that don’t work Naturopaths seem to figure out what all doctors can’t.
Hope all is well