When To Seek Immediate Medical Advice
Polycythaemia can cause blood clots. These put you at risk of life-threatening problems such as:
- pulmonary embolisms a blockage in the blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to the lungs
- deep vein thrombosis a blockage that forms in the blood vessels in your leg before moving elsewhere in your body
Seek medical help immediately if you or someone you’re with shows signs of DVT or a pulmonary embolism. These include:
- pain, swelling, redness and tenderness in one of your legs
- a heavy ache in the affected area
- warm skin in the area of the clot
- feeling lightheaded or dizzy
- fainting
Polycythaemia also increases your risk of heart attack and stroke. Seek emergency medical help if you think that you or someone you’re with is having a heart attack or stroke.
What Is Relative Polycythemia
Relative polycythemia describes conditions in which red cell volume is high due to increased blood concentration of red cells as a result of dehydration. In these situations the number of red blood cells is normal, but because of the fluid loss affecting the blood , red blood cell counts may seem elevated.
What Is The Treatment Of A High Blood Cell Count
The mainstay of therapy for polycythemia vera remains phlebotomy . The goal of phlebotomy is to keep the hematocrit around 45% in men and 42% in women. Initially, it may be necessary to do phlebotomy every 2 to 3 days and remove 250 to 500 milliliters of blood each session. Once the goal is reached, maintenance phlebotomy can be performed less frequently.
A commonly recommended medication for the treatment of polycythemia is called hydroxyurea . This is especially advised in people at risk of clot formation. At age greater than 70, having both an elevated platelet count greater than 1.5 million and cardiovascular disease makes the use of hydroxyurea more favorable. Hydroxyurea is also recommended in patients who are unable to tolerate phlebotomy. Hydroxyurea can lower all elevated blood counts , whereas phlebotomy only lowers the HCT.
Aspirin has also been used in treating polycythemia to lower the risk of clotting events. Its use is generally avoided in those people with any bleeding history. Aspirin is usually used in conjunction with phlebotomy.
- Treatment of secondary polycythemia depends on its cause.
- Supplemental oxygen can be provided for individuals with chronic hypoxia.
- Other therapies can be directed toward treating the cause of polycythemia .
- Treatments for primary polycythemia play an important role in improving the outcome of the disease.
You May Like: Moderate Persistent Asthma Life Expectancy
Icles Other Than Those Included In Cigarette Smoke And Air Pollution
Asthma can be associated with exposure to numerous, disparate particles. The weight of indoor dust samples taken in the home correlated with asthma . Total suspended particles from a pre-harvest sugar cane burning had an acute effect on asthma admissions, starting at day one and remaining elevated for four days . Likewise, exposures to particles other than cigarette smoking and air pollution particles are associated with decrements in pulmonary function and bronchial hyperreactivity . Regarding transgenerational asthma, cooking with a wood stove during pregnancy, yet another particle-related exposure, is similarly associated with both asthma in children .
All particle exposures are associated with a disruption in iron homeostasis . Surface functional groups will complex lung iron following inhalation and deposition . While total iron will increase, the available metal will decrease. A functional deficiency in iron results, and this will impact the risk for asthma.
High Number Of Eosinophils
Often, people are first tested and treated for more common causes of their symptoms. For example, they might undergo testing for infection and even receive antibiotics even though no infection is found. Because people still have symptoms after treatment, doctors often take a sample of tissue for examination , which will show eosinophils within the organ that is affected.
Treatment of these conditions frequently includes oral corticosteroids.
You May Like: Smoking Weed And Asthma
What Are Normal Hemoglobin Values
The hemoglobin level is expressed as the amount of hemoglobin in grams per deciliter of whole blood, a deciliter being 100 milliliters.
The normal ranges for hemoglobin depend on the age and, beginning in adolescence, the gender of the person. The normal ranges are:
- Newborns: 17 to 22 gm/dL
- One week of age: 15 to 20 gm/dL
- One month of age: 11 to 15 gm/dL
- Children: 11 to 13 gm/dL
- Adult males: 14 to 18 gm/dL
- Adult women: 12 to 16 gm/dL
- Men after middle age: 12.4 to 14.9 gm/dL
- Women after middle age: 11.7 to 13.8 gm/dL
All of these values may vary slightly between laboratories. Some laboratories do not differentiate between adult and “after middle age” hemoglobin values. Pregnant females are advised to avoid both high and low hemoglobin levels to avoid increased risks of stillbirths and premature birth or low-birth-weight baby .
Asthma And Sickle Cell Anemia
Figure 1.Kaplan-Meier plot of age of death for subjects with sickle cell anemia and asthma and those without asthma conditional on survival beyond age 5 years. Relative survivorship given here is conservative because asthmatic subjects were enrolled at younger ages and mortality risk increases with age.
Table 2.Cox regression estimates of mortality predictors, including estimates from both the final multivariate model and each predictor in a univariate model.
To summarize, based on the analysis of a large, well characterized cohort of individuals with SCA, we have demonstrated that asthma was associated with a significant increase in the risk of mortality. We provide evidence that even after adjustment for the presence of ACS and other known risk factors, asthma is an independent predictor of mortality in patients with SCA. Future prospective studies to classify lung disease associated with SCA and determine the effectiveness of asthma management in preventing SCA-related morbidity and mortality are warranted.
Read Also: Long Term Effects Of Albuterol Inhaler
Normal Range For Hematocrit And Hemoglobin
The normal reference range of hematocrit for men is 40.7 to 50.3%, whereas reference range for women is 36.1 to 44.3%. The normal range for red blood cell count for men is 4.7 to 6.1 million cells per microliter. In case of women, the normal range is 4.2 to 5.4 million cells per microliter. The reference range for hemoglobin, hematocrit, and the RBC indices may slightly differ from one laboratory to another.
| Normal Range for Hemoglobin |
Homeostasis As A Mechanism And A State
In the rain example above, we described homeostasis as a mechanism, or the way that your body reacts to a stimulus in order to achieve equilibrium. There are many different examples of homeostasis as a mechanism. Another good one is a fluid balance. Your body always wants to keep enough fluids on hand to keep all of your organs and processes running smoothly, but it will expel more fluids through waste when you drink more water in order to maintain healthy fluid levels. This is also important to asthma as dehydration can negatively impact your respiratory status, the mechanism by which your body senses how much fluid you have consumed, reacts to that, and then stops reacting once you have expelled enough, is an example of homeostasis as a mechanism.
However, theres a big caveat that throws off the what is homeostasis question. The term homeostasis can also be used as a state to refer to the equilibrium that your body is trying to achieve through the mechanisms discussed above. Homeostasis is the place your body wants to be its 98.6, fully hydrated, well nourished, and with all of the right vitamins and nutrients.
Also Check: Inhaled Tobramycin Pseudomonas
Pathophysiologic Events Underlying Asthma
Disruptions in iron homeostasis with decreased concentrations of available metal can initiate pathophysiologic events culminating in asthma. Such events include inflammation and muscle contraction involved in bronchoconstriction and obstruction.
Regarding the participation of iron in inflammation, changes in the availability of this metal activate numerous pathways that coordinate inflammation . Cellular iron deficiency and its associated oxidative stress affect an activation of specific kinases including p38, JNK, ERK1, and ERK2 . Increasing the cell concentration of available iron can diminish phosphorylation of kinases following exposure to inflammatory agents. Comparable to kinase phosphorylation, diminished cell iron concentrations correspond to an activation of pro-inflammatory transcription factors including NF-B, AP-1, HIF-, and CREB . Inflammatory mediator release also increases with diminished availability of iron . The biological effects after exposure to inflammatory agents have been demonstrated to be related to iron homeostasis .
Information On Children And Teens
While children have been less affected by COVID-19 compared with adults, children can be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 and some children develop severe illness. Children with underlying medical conditions are at increased risk for severe illness compared to children without underlying medical conditions. Current evidence on which underlying medical conditions in children are associated with increased risk is limited. Current evidence suggests that children with medical complexity, with genetic, neurologic, metabolic conditions, or with congenital heart disease can be at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19. Similar to adults, children with obesity, diabetes, asthma or chronic lung disease, sickle cell disease, or immunosuppression can also be at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19. One way to protect the health of children is to ensure that all adults in a household are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Also Check: Can You Smoke Weed With Asthma
Causes Of Anemic Hypoxia
In the setting of anemia, low hemoglobin levels result in a reduced ability of the blood to carry oxygen that is breathed in, and hence, a diminished supply of oxygen available to the tissues. Causes include:
- Anemia of any cause: This can include iron deficiency anemia, pernicious anemia, and chemotherapy-induced anemia.
- Hemorrhage: Hemorrhage can be obvious, such as from injuries sustained in an accident, or hidden due to internal bleeding.
- Methemoglobinemia: Methemoglobinemia, also known as affinity hypoxia, is an abnormal hemoglobin that doesnât bind oxygen very well.
- Carbon monoxide poisoning: With carbon monoxide poisoning, hemoglobin is unable to bind oxygen.
Prenatal And Perinatal Factors
Asthma diagnoses are increased among newborns with low birth weight and those born preterm . Size at birth is associated with the occurrence of asthma not only in the neonate but also in later life . A gender difference has been observed in the effect of birthweight on the prevalence of asthma in childhood and even among adults, with females showing a disproportionate effect . Similar to birthweight, preterm delivery predicts asthma with an approximately fourfold increase in the incidence for individuals born prematurely . A negative doseresponse association has been noted between gestational age and the purchase of prescription asthma medication in infancy and childhood . In another study, children born preterm were observed to have a higher risk of asthma compared to term children at ages 05 and 69 years . Preterm babies also have a higher prevalence of abnormally low pulmonary function and bronchial hyperresponsiveness at 21 or 22 years of age .
Fig. 2
Serum ferritin levels in full term and premature children. Diminished levels of available iron in the premature infant increase the risk for asthma
Regarding anemia in the neonate, term newborns demonstrate a decline in hemoglobin after birth reflecting inadequate quantities of iron . In infants, iron deficiency anemia most frequently occurs 3 months after iron stores are depleted, which is typically at 69 months of age .
Don’t Miss: Are Chihuahuas Good For Asthma
Causes Of Elevated Hematocrit And Hemoglobin
When the hematocrit value is higher than the normal range, it is usually indicative of an elevated red blood cell count. Hematocrit values could be affected by the size, as well as the numbers of the red blood cells. High hemoglobin and hematocrit could be a sign of polycythemia vera. Here are some of the common contributing factors for high levels of hemoglobin, as well as hematocrit.
How Is A Red Blood Cell Count Diagnosed
In the majority of instances, polycythemia may be detected incidentally in routine blood work ordered by a physician for an unrelated medical reason. This may then prompt further investigation to find the cause of polycythemia.
In evaluating a patient with polycythemia, a comprehensive medical history, physical examination, family history, and social and occupational history are very important. In the physical exam, special attention may be paid to the heart and lung exam. An enlarged spleen is one of the prominent features of polycythemia vera therefore, a careful abdominal exam to evaluate for an enlarged spleen is important.
Routine blood work including a compete blood count , clotting profile, and metabolic panel are basic components of laboratory tests in assessing the cause of polycythemia. Other typical tests to determine the potential causes of polycythemia include chest X-rays, electrocardiogram , echocardiogram, hemoglobin analysis, and carbon monoxide measurement.
In polycythemia vera, usually other blood cells are also affected, represented by an abnormally high number of white blood cells and platelets . Bone marrow examinations are sometimes necessary to examine blood cell production in the bone marrow. Guidelines also recommend checking for the JAK2 gene mutation as a diagnostic criterion for polycythemia vera.
Read Also: Is A Humidifier Good For Asthma
Sinusitis And Asthma: Whats The Connection And How To Manage It Effectively
Sinusitis is nothing but the inflammation of the sinus lining which is mostly caused by either bacteria or viruses.
This can affect a person of any age group and can become severe if accompanied by other conditions such as asthma and allergies.
The word sinusitis is made up of two words.
- One is the Sinus which stands for the anatomical structure of the human body which are basically air-filled cavities present behind the cheekbones as well as the forehead.
- The other word It is stands for inflammation.
Thus the word sinusitis explains the inflammation of the sinus.
In This Article …
Lung Functions And No
Spirometry was performed using an automated spirometer according to American Thoracic Society guidelines with National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey predicted equations. Subjects withheld short-acting -agonist treatments for 4 hours, long-acting -agonist treatments for 12 hours, and other asthma medications for the appropriate length of time to avoid interference with the spirometry. FENO was completed using a NIOX Mino consistent with American Thoracic Society guidelines.
Read Also: Airway Inflammation
What Is Being Tested
Hemoglobin is the iron-containing protein found in all red blood cells that gives the cells their characteristic red color. Hemoglobin enables RBCs to bind to oxygen in the lungs and carry it to tissues and organs throughout the body. It also helps transport a small portion of carbon dioxide, a product of cell metabolism, from tissues and organs to the lungs, where it is exhaled.
The hemoglobin test measures the amount of
Hemoglobin is the iron-containing protein found in all red blood cells that gives the cells their characteristic red color. Hemoglobin enables RBCs to bind to oxygen in the lungs and carry it to tissues and organs throughout the body. It also helps transport a small portion of carbon dioxide, a product of cell metabolism, from tissues and organs to the lungs, where it is exhaled.
The hemoglobin test measures the amount of hemoglobin your sample of blood. A hemoglobin level can be performed alone or with a hematocrit, a test that measures the proportion of blood that is made up of RBCs, to evaluate your red blood cells. It is also one component of the complete blood count , a group of tests that are often used in the general evaluation of your health.
Several diseases and conditions can affect RBCs and consequently the level of hemoglobin in the blood. In general, the hemoglobin level and hematocrit rise when the number of red blood cells increases. The hemoglobin level and hematocrit fall to less than normal when there is a decrease in RBCs.
Health Problems That Raise Hemoglobin Levels
There are also health concerns that result in elevated hemoglobin levels. The most common, as well as one of the most dangerous, among these is smoking. Cigarette smoke contains carbon monoxide, which binds to hemoglobin. The body produces more hemoglobin to compensate for the hemoglobin that remains in circulation but that can no longer carry oxygen. It takes about three months for hemoglobin levels to return to normal after you quit smoking .
Elevated hemoglobin levels also occur in:
Remember, elevated hemoglobin is always a symptom, never a disease in itself. However, changes in your hemoglobin lab results are often an important indicator of the progress you are making toward getting back to health, and hemoglobin results can also play a role in the diagnostic process.
Don’t Miss: Does Weight Gain Make Asthma Worse
Red Blood Cells Explained
Red blood cells are produced in the bone marrow and have a life span of about 120 days. The bone marrow is always making new red blood cells to replace old ones. Millions of new red blood cells enter the blood stream each day in a healthy person.
You need certain nutrients in your diet to make and maintain red blood cells. Each red blood cell contains a protein called haemoglobin. This protein gives red blood cells their colour.Oxygen molecules absorbed in the lungs attach themselves to haemoglobin, which is then delivered to all parts of the body. All of the bodys cells need oxygen to live and perform their various duties.The bone marrow needs enough dietary iron and some vitamins to make haemoglobin. If you dont have enough iron in your diet, your body will draw on the small reserves of iron stored in your liver. Once this reservoir is depleted, the red blood cells will not be able to carry oxygen around the body effectively.
Lifestyle Changes That Help
As well as improving some cases of apparent polycythaemia, making healthy lifestyle changes can also reduce the risk of potentially serious blood clots for people with all types of polycythaemia.
Having polycythaemia means you’re already at high risk of a blood clot, and being overweight or smoking only increases this risk.
You may find the following advice and information helpful:
Recommended Reading: Does Weight Gain Make Asthma Worse