Question

how is having an increase concentration of RBC's dangerous? especially in a long distance race where dehydration can be a factor?

Answer 1

Ans. Having a high concentration of RBC in someone's body is also dangerous and lethal. Several factors are involved in the rise in the RBC level in someone's body such as bone marrow diseases, heart conditions.

Polycythemia means increased red blood cell concentration.

Polycythemia is further divided into two categories :

Primary Polycythemia

Secondary Polycythemia

Primary Polycythemia is caused due to abnormal and increased production of RBC due to acquired or inheritance of genetic mutations. Erythremia is the case of an increase in RBC which generally occurs during excess production of red blood cells resulting in bone marrow dysfunctioning.

Secondary Polycythemia can be linked to secondary causes, such as chronic hypoxia or tumors releasing erythropoietin. Secondary polycythemia is defined as an absolute increase in red blood cell mass that is caused by enhanced stimulation of red blood cell production.

In a long-distance race where dehydration can be a factor lower plasma (liquid part of the blood) volume results in the relative elevation of hemoglobin levels

Any condition that causes a loss of fluids, such as diarrhea or severe burns, results in relatively high hemoglobin levels.

In the short term, exercise can also transiently increase hemoglobin levels when fluids are not sufficiently replaced. But hemoglobin levels usually go back to normal over the following 24 hours.

Also, acute dehydration leads to 10-15% of increases in hemoglobin volume.

Symptoms in an individual having high RBC concentration

• fatigue.
• shortness of breath.
• joint pain.
• tenderness in the palms of the hands or soles of the feet.
• itching skin, particularly after a shower or bath.
• sleep disturbance

Treatment - Hydroxyurea is the medication prescribed for the patient diagnosed with polycythemia to slower the rate of RBC production, but the ent also need to visit the physician on a gular basis so that their RBC level should not drop too low during medication.