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Elevated levels of hemoglobin can heighten the likelihood of heart attacks, strokes, and blood clots, caution health specialists.
Polycythemia, recognized for an abnormal surge in red blood cells within the body stemming from bone marrow irregularities, thickens the blood due to excess cells, slowing its circulation and potentially leading to severe complications such as blood clotting.
Factors contributing to polycythemia encompass smoking, cardiac or pulmonary ailments, and extended periods at high altitudes. Hemoglobin levels surpassing 16.5g/dL for males and 16g/dL for females are considered atypical. Notably, heightened hemoglobin might not present symptoms but can be detected during routine blood assessments.
Dr. Rahul Bhargava, Principal Director of Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplant at Fortis Memorial Research Institute in Gurugram, emphasizes the significance of addressing elevated hemoglobin levels, citing their link to increased clotting risks and the potential development of perilous conditions like strokes, heart attacks, and abdominal or leg blood clots.
When high hemoglobin levels surface during routine evaluations, Dr. Bhargava advises consulting a hematologist for further assessment. Identifying secondary causes, such as obstructive sleep apnea, heart or lung diseases, is imperative.
Standard procedures for assessing hemoglobin levels involve peripheral smear tests, serum erythropoietin level checks, and JAK2 mutation studies. In select cases, a bone marrow examination is conducted to ascertain the root cause of polycythemia.
Dr. Neha Rastogi Panda, Senior Infectious Diseases Specialist at Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram, underscores that elevated hemoglobin might provoke symptoms like recurrent headaches, blurred vision, generalized itching after warm showers, and painful, swollen joints. Moreover, it can lead to grave complications such as strokes, heart attacks, or leg blood clots.
Dr. Panda stresses the importance of avoiding smoking to mitigate clotting risks, managing diabetes and high blood pressure as they independently amplify stroke and heart attack risks, and maintaining adequate oral fluid intake.
Treatment strategies for polycythemia encompass procedures like phlebotomy to withdraw blood from the body, employment of blood thinners like aspirin to prevent clotting, and medications like hydroxyurea to curtail excessive cell production in the bone marrow.
