A rare blood condition turns life-saving red blood cells into a hidden threat—early detection is key.

Image by Vector8DIY from Pixabay, public domain.

Maggie had been feeling a bit off for a while—a headache here, a dizzy spell there. But when she started gasping for air just walking up the stairs, she knew something was seriously wrong. After a bunch of tests, she learned that her body was producing way too many red blood cells, making her blood super thick. The blood keeping her alive was threatening her life.

This is the reality for people with polycythemia.

The term “polycythemia” consists of three parts—"poly" meaning many, "cyt" meaning cell, and "emia" referring to blood, so it translates to "many blood cells.” It’s a rare condition where your body makes too many red blood cells.

Red blood cells are important because they carry oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body, but having too many can make your blood thick. This thick blood can lead to serious problems like blood clots. Imagine a blood clot as a traffic jam in your bloodstream. When it forms, it can block blood flow to your heart and brain, causing heart attacks and strokes.

About 1 person out of every 100,000 is diagnosed with primary type of this condition each year, and in total, between 44 and 57 people out of 100,000 currently live with it in North America. It may start without noticeable symptoms or show unclear symptoms at first. However, over time, you may begin to experience headaches, blurred vision, and shortness of breath. People over 60 and heavy smokers are more likely to develop polycythemia. If you live at a high altitude, there is increased risk.

There are two types of polycythemia: primary and secondary.

Primary is also called polycythemia vera, where "vera" means "true," making polycythemia vera mean "true increase in blood cells." A problem with a gene in your bone marrow causes polycythemia vera. Genes are like instructions that tell your body what to do. When this gene doesn’t function correctly, it can cause your bone marrow to make too many red blood cells.

In comparison, secondary polycythemia happens when your body thinks it needs more red blood cells because of where you live (like a high altitude) or a health problem like lung trouble. Sometimes, tumors can cause secondary polycythemia. Tumors are unusual lumps of cells. Some tumors are harmless, while others can be dangerous.

To diagnose polycythemia, doctors will ask about your health history and run some blood tests to see if your body is making too many red blood cells. Some treatments that can help manage it include removing some of your blood to reduce the number of red blood cells, taking medication to prevent blood clots, quitting smoking, or using supplemental oxygen. In some cases, surgery may be needed to remove tumors causing this condition.

Maggie learned a lot about living with polycythemia. She knew how important it was to see her doctor regularly and stay up-to-date on her condition. One day, while waiting in the doctor's office, she met someone who had found out they had polycythemia after experiencing shortness of breath. It reminded Maggie that being aware of new physical symptoms and catching polycythemia early can help you manage it.

By: Melak Ifrim

Melak holds an Honors Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in Life Science from the Faculty of Science at McMaster University.