High red blood count?

[leealee]

Hello, I've recently been to the doctor to have my blood count done. It came back and my red blood count and hemoglobin count was higher than it should be. I was wondering what are some symptoms of this? I've been tired, listless, lack of energy, maybe a headache. I was wondering if someone could tell me more symptoms, since less oxygen gets to the heart and head, is that why a headache can occur? Please help me! Now cause of headaches, I'm looking up stuff online about brain tumors and things like that, which obviously worries me.

[MAVERICK1]

JUST WONDERING I STARTED FEELING DIZZY ABOUT A WEEK AGO AND WENT TO URGENT CARE SINCE I ALSO HAD THE FLU/HEAD COLD THE DOCTOR SAID IT WAS AN INNER EAR INFECTION AND GAVE ME ANTIBIOTICS. MY DIZZINESS HAS GOTTEN BETTER HOWEVER THE PALMS OF MY HANDS ARE EXTREMELY RED WHEN I MOVE THEY ARE NOT AS RED BUT WHEN THEY ARE STILL THEY GET REALLY RED COULD THIS BE DUE TO ANEMIA?

[MAVERICK1]

JUST WONDERING I STARTED FEELING DIZZY ABOUT A WEEK AGO AND WENT TO URGENT CARE SINCE I ALSO HAD THE FLU/HEAD COLD THE DOCTOR SAID IT WAS AN INNER EAR INFECTION AND GAVE ME ANTIBIOTICS. MY DIZZINESS HAS GOTTEN BETTER HOWEVER THE PALMS OF MY HANDS ARE EXTREMELY RED WHEN I MOVE THEY ARE NOT AS RED BUT WHEN THEY ARE STILL THEY GET REALLY RED COULD THIS BE DUE TO ANEMIA?

[PlateletGal]

Check out the link... people with polycythemia vera have a high hematocrit and can have symptoms, including a headache.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000589.htm

Make sure when you have your blood drawn, that you aren't dehydrated, as that can raise your hematocrit.

Good luck !

[leealee]

I'm actually a male...and they never said anythign about my red blood cells except that my red blood cell count and hemoglobin was higher than normal. I have been going to a hematologist for the past couple appointments, and he said he'd see me in a month cause he thinks it should go down by itself. I was wondering what does everyone think? and what symptoms could I have form higher hemoglobin and red blood cell counts?

[utahmomma]

Just a question:  Did they tell you if your red blood cells are either small or misshapen?

There are some types of heredity anemia that can cause excessive numbers of red blood cells.  There are more red blood cells because they are needed to get enough oxygen to your cells (quantity - not quality).  :-)

Some people of Northern European decent can be prone to hereditary spherocytosis (large number of small, misshapen red blood cells).  I have this and it was incorrectly treated as an iron-deficient anemia when I was a child (until my mother nearly OD'd me on toxic levels of iron).  :-(

African Americans, Africans, Arabs, Greeks, Italians, Latin Americans, those from India and some Caucasians have hereditary sickle cell anemia.

There are many, many more causes of a high red blood count.  Have you been referred to a hematologist?

[PlateletGal]

You are a female, correct ? Can you tell me what your hematocrit (HCT) was ?