Asked by: Hanan Dilgen
medical health diabetes

What causes high HGB and HCT levels?

44
Medical conditions that can cause high hemoglobin levels include: Polycythemia vera (the bone marrow produces too many red blood cells) Lung diseases such as COPD, emphysema or pulmonary fibrosis (lung tissue becomes scarred) Heart disease, especially congenital heart disease (the baby is born with it)


Also question is, is high hemoglobin A sign of cancer?

Polycythemia vera is a cancer of the blood in which your bone marrow overproduces red blood cells. With polycythemia, a blood test also shows that you have a high red blood cell count and high hematocrit. Common symptoms of high Hgb levels include: itchiness.

Furthermore, what level of hemoglobin is dangerously high? Abnormally low or high levels of hemoglobin can indicate a range of health conditions, including anemia and sickle cell disease. The hemoglobin levels chart below outlines normal hemoglobin ranges according to the World Health Organization: 6 months to 4 years: At or above 11 g/dL. 5-12 years: At or above 11.5 g/dL.

Secondly, why would hemoglobin be high?

Causes. A high hemoglobin count occurs most commonly when your body requires an increased oxygen-carrying capacity, usually because: You smoke. You live at a high altitude and your red blood cell production naturally increases to compensate for the lower oxygen supply there.

What Causes Low HGB and HCT levels?

Diseases and conditions that cause your body to produce fewer red blood cells than normal include: Aplastic anemia. Cancer. Certain medications, such as anti-retroviral drugs for HIV infection and chemotherapy drugs for cancer and other conditions.

Related Question Answers

Gergina Casa

Professional

Does exercise decrease hemoglobin?

Regular exercise causes an increase in the number of RBCs in the blood. As an adaptation to training, there's also an increase in plasma volume in the resting state. For most runners, hemoglobin will be approximately 0.5g/dl lower than normal, while it can be 1g/dl lower in highly trained runners.

Shahnaz Holzmanns

Professional

Does stress affect hemoglobin levels?

It's the molecular effect of stress, and how that regulates hemoglobin production. So the stress response in the red blood cell stops. The cell can produce protein again, and the protein that it produces, being a red blood cell, is, 95% of the time, hemoglobin.

Xiaojuan Varaksin

Professional

Can drinking too much water lower hemoglobin?

In conclusion, a steady intake of water may reduce anemia and CVD risk by increasing hemoglobin synthesis and decreasing MPV; it may also enhance humoral immunity by increasing IgG levels.

Vianney Vrancken

Explainer

What should I eat if my hemoglobin is high?

How to increase hemoglobin
  • meat and fish.
  • soy products, including tofu and edamame.
  • eggs.
  • dried fruits, such as dates and figs.
  • broccoli.
  • green leafy vegetables, such as kale and spinach.
  • green beans.
  • nuts and seeds.

Elson Hackerschmied

Explainer

How can I lower my hemoglobin levels naturally?

taking iron supplements. increasing the intake of iron-rich foods (eggs, spinach, artichokes, beans, lean meats, and seafood) and foods rich in cofactors (such as vitamin B6, folic acid, vitamin B12, and vitamin C) important for maintaining normal hemoglobin levels.

Chiquita Gesa

Explainer

Is high hemoglobin serious?

High hemoglobin levels
This can lead to clots, heart attacks, and strokes. It is a serious lifelong condition that can be fatal if it is not treated. High hemoglobin can also be caused by dehydration, smoking, or living at high altitudes, or it can be linked to other conditions, such as lung or heart disease.

Azzie Viets

Pundit

Can high hemoglobin cause fatigue?

High hemoglobin levels may be a sign of: Lung disease. Polycythemia vera, a disorder in which your body makes too many red blood cells. It can cause headaches, fatigue, and shortness of breath.

Virginia Nobrega

Pundit

What is the treatment for high hemoglobin?

If a medical condition is causing high hemoglobin levels, your doctor may recommend a procedure or medication to lower it. In a procedure called a phlebotomy, a health professional inserts a needle into your vein and drains blood through a tube into a bag or container.

Ketty Calvelo

Pundit

Why would HGB and HCT be high?

A high hematocrit with a high RBC count and high hemoglobin indicates polycythemia. Dehydration—this is the most common cause of a high hematocrit. As the volume of fluid in the blood drops, the RBCs per volume of fluid artificially rises; with adequate fluid intake, the hematocrit returns to normal.

Chaoyang De Peña

Pundit

What does it mean if hematocrit is high?

A higher than normal hematocrit can indicate: Dehydration. A disorder, such as polycythemia vera, that causes your body to produce too many red blood cells. Lung or heart disease.

Abdelhakim Keir

Pundit

Why would your hemoglobin and hematocrit be high?

Medical conditions that can cause high hemoglobin levels include: Polycythemia vera (the bone marrow produces too many red blood cells) Lung diseases such as COPD, emphysema or pulmonary fibrosis (lung tissue becomes scarred) Hypoxia (low blood oxygen levels)

Ferruccio Bonachea

Teacher

What is a good hemoglobin?

The normal range for hemoglobin is: For men, 13.5 to 17.5 grams per deciliter. For women, 12.0 to 15.5 grams per deciliter.

Annette Klode

Teacher

What are the symptoms of high red blood cell count?

If you have a high RBC count, you could experience symptoms such as:
  • 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.

Hicham Vinchi

Teacher

Can dehydration cause high hemoglobin?

Mild dehydration that results from restriction of food and fluid intake for 8 to 12 hours before patients provide blood samples for laboratory tests can also cause spurious elevations of hemoglobin concentration and hematocrit. If values are high in this setting, recheck them following hydration.

Lamara Blankenhagel

Teacher

What is considered a high red blood cell count?

A high red blood cell count is an increase in oxygen-carrying cells in your bloodstream. A normal range in adults is generally considered to be 4.35 to 5.65 million red blood cells per microliter (mcL) of blood for men and 3.92 to 5.13 million red blood cells per mcL of blood for women.

Piere Uhles

Reviewer

How do you treat high red blood cell count?

If you are diagnosed with the bone marrow disease polycythemia vera, your doctor may also prescribe a medicine called hydroxyurea to slow your body's production of red blood cells. You'll need to see your doctor regularly while taking hydroxyurea to be sure your red blood cell level does not drop too low.

Madelene Nino

Reviewer

What should my hematocrit level be?

Hematocrit (Hct) Levels
This is the ratio of the volume of red cells to the volume of whole blood. Normal range for hematocrit is different between the sexes and is approximately 45% to 52% for men and 37% to 48% for women.

Arnulfo Zastrojny

Reviewer

Is 18.5 hemoglobin high?

Polycythemia is an increased number of red blood cells in the blood. Hemoglobin levels greater than 16.5 g/dL (grams per deciliter) in women and greater than 18.5 g/dL in men suggest polycythemia.

Horatio Nido

Reviewer

Can I donate blood with high hemoglobin?

To help ensure that it is safe for you to donate, females must have a minimum hemoglobin level of 12.5g/dL and males must have a minimum level of 13.0g/dL. A donor's hemoglobin level cannot be higher than 20.0g/dL to donate.

Co-Authored By:

EveryThingWhat Staff Editor

15

8th January, 2020

36

88% of readers found this page helpful.

4.6/5

Click a star to add your vote

Similar Asks
Trending