Polycythaemia
Treating and preventing other conditions
Source: NHS
In this topic (8)
Some people may alsoneed treatment for any other symptoms or complications of polycythaemiathey have, or for any underlying cause of the condition.
For example, you may be givenmedication to help relieve itching, manage COPD or treat gout.
Manycases are mild andmay not leadto any further complications. However, some cases particularly cases of PV can bemore serious and require long-term treatment.
If well controlled, polycythaemia shouldn't affect your life expectancy, and you should be able to live a normal life. However, people with PV can have a slightly lower life expectancy than normal due to the increased risk of problems, such as heart attacks and strokes.
PV can also sometimescause scarring of the bone marrow (myelofibrosis), which can eventually lead to you having too few blood cells. In some rare cases, the condition can develop into a type of cancer called acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) .
If you have polycythaemia, it's important to take any medication you're prescribed and keep an eye out for signs of possibleblood clots to help reduce your risk of serious complications.
Articles for Polycythaemia
How polycythaemia is diagnosed
Polycythaemiacan bediagnosed by carrying out a blood test to check: the number of red blood cells in your blood ( red blood cell count ) the amount of space the red blood cells take up in the blood
Information about you
If you havepolycythaemia, your clinical team will pass information about you on to the National Congenital Anomaly and Rare Diseases Registration Service (NCARDRS). This helps scientists look for bet
Introduction
Read about polycythaemia, or erythrocytosis, which means having a high concentration of red blood cells in your blood.
Symptoms of polycythaemia
Mild cases of polycythaemia may not cause any problems, butsome people with polycythaemia can experience: Headaches blurred vision red skin particularly in the face, hands and feet tiredness
Treating and preventing other conditions
Some people may alsoneed treatment for any other symptoms or complications of polycythaemiathey have, or for any underlying cause of the condition. For example, you may be givenmedication to help rel
Treating polycythaemia
Treatment forpolycythaemia aims to prevent symptoms and complications (such as blood clots), and treat any underlying causes. Some of the main treatments used are described below. Venesection Venes
What causes polycythaemia?
Polycythaemia can be divided into several differenttypes, depending on the underlying cause of the condition. In some cases,an underlying cause can't be identified. Apparentpolycythaemia "Apparent p
When to seek immediate medical advice
Theslow blood flow associated with polycythaemia can also cause blood clots . These can be seriousbecause theymay put you at risk of life-threatening problems such as: heart attacks pulmonary em
