Thick blood Definition, Reason, Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention
Understanding
Thick blood or polycythemia is an increase in the number of blood cells (red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets) above the normal number. This disease has many variations. Some are conditions due to hypertension, obesity or overweight, stress, hypoxia (lack of oxygen levels in cells), or due to gene mutations in stem cells in the bone marrow. If there is a gene mutation, it is called polycythemia vera.
Polycythemia can increase the risk of blockages in blood vessels (arteries or veins). This makes it easier for complications to occur in the form of several types of stroke or heart attack.
Reason
The causes of thick blood or polycythemia are divided into two groups, namely primary and secondary causes.
- Primary cause. The bone marrow produces too many red blood cells due to a genetic mutation. This is known as polycythemia vera. This condition is rare but can be found in middle age and the elderly.
- secondary cause. Bone marrow produces too many red blood cells due to lack of oxygen levels in the body. When oxygen levels decrease, the bone marrow responds to the need for additional oxygen by producing more red blood cells.
Lack of oxygen can be caused by chronic lung diseases such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), kidney disease, Cushing’s syndrome, hemangioblastoma, and someone who is at altitude (eg mountains).
There is another form of polycythemia, namely relative polycythemia. The causes are quite diverse, including drinking too much alcohol, obesity, hypertension, stress, and dehydration (lack of fluids). Generally, this type of polycythemia is temporary and can return to normal as long as the cause is treated.
Symptoms
Most people with thick blood or polycythemia do not feel significant symptoms. However, in some cases, symptoms of polycythemia have been reported. For example:
1. Itching, especially after bathing in warm water
2. Headache or dizziness
3. Weak
4. Excessive sweating
5. Shortness of breath, especially when lying down
6. Swelling with pain in one joint, often the big toe joint
7. Numbness or numbness, tingling, weakness in hands, arms, legs, or feet
8. Bloating or swelling in the upper left abdomen due to an enlarged spleen organ
Diagnosis
Determining the diagnosis of thick blood or polycythemia can be done through a blood test. A blood test will be examined to find out several things, such as:
1. Increase in the number of red blood cells. Sometimes it can also be accompanied by an increase in platelets and white blood cells.
2. Increased hematocrit. Hematocrit is the percentage of red blood cells in the blood volume of increased hemoglobin.
3. Increased hemoglobin. It is an iron-rich protein that transports oxygen in red blood cells.
4. Erythropoietin. This is a hormone that stimulates the bone marrow to produce new red blood cells.
5. Bone marrow aspiration or biopsy. If the blood laboratory examination is suspected of polycythemia. A bone marrow sample will be taken and analyzed for histological examination.
Treatment
Current polycythemia therapies aim to reduce symptoms and prolong patient survival. Unfortunately, until now there has not been found a therapy that can cure patients one hundred percent. However, polycythemia patients still need treatment to improve their quality of life.
Therapy will be adjusted to the cause of the polycythemia. If the cause of polycythemia is unknown, what is needed is regular monitoring. The main treatment is aimed at preventing the formation of blockages and reducing complaints of itching that appear. The trick is the use of drugs and therapy.
Drugs used function to suppress the production of blood cells in the bone marrow. Treatment of polycythemia is generally carried out by reducing or removing blood from the body until the hematocrit count is within normal limits.