What should I do if my hemoglobin is high?

What should I do if my hemoglobin is high?

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.

What does high blood hemoglobin mean?

High Hgb is known as polycythemia. This means you have too many red blood cells. 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.

Is high hemoglobin good?

If you have a high hemoglobin count without other abnormalities, it’s unlikely to indicate a related serious condition. Conditions that can cause a high hemoglobin count include: Congenital heart disease in adults.

When is hemoglobin too high?

The threshold for a high hemoglobin count differs slightly from one medical practice to another. It’s generally defined as more than 16.6 grams (g) of hemoglobin per deciliter (dL) of blood for men and 15 g/dL for women. In children, the definition of a high hemoglobin count varies with age and sex.

What hemoglobin level causes death?

People also sometimes want to know how low can hemoglobin go before causing death. In general, a hemoglobin less than 6.5 gm/dL is considered life-threatening.

What causes high Haemoglobin?

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.

Can hemoglobin change from day to day?

Many factors can produce hemoglobin fluctuations in the same individual and in a group of individuals. Hemoglobin may decrease as much as 1 gm/dL with bed rest. Changes in fluid balance may affect plasma volume and therefore hemoglobin concentration. Gender and age are responsible for important normal variations.

What are the side effects of high hemoglobin?

You may not experience any symptoms if your hemoglobin level is mildly elevated. But when it is too high, symptoms that occur can include headaches, vision problems, fatigue, dizziness, periods of mental confusion, and abdominal discomfort. You may also experience nosebleeds and flushing in your feet, hands, and face.

What diseases can high hemoglobin cause?

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) Kidney tumors Dehydration (from diarrhea or lack of fluids) Hypoxia (low blood oxygen levels)

What is the reason for high hemoglobin?

In most cases, high hemoglobin count is caused by exposure to high altitudes, smoking, dehydration or tumors. The most common cause of increased hemoglobin is dehydration, and with adequate fluid intake, the results return to normal.

What does an elevated hemoglobin level mean?

Elevated Hemoglobin Levels. High hemoglobin levels, like low hemoglobin levels, can cause or indicate health problems. In some cases, high hemoglobin levels are an adaptive response to a chronic condition that increases your oxygen needs, such as living at high altitude, smoking or having chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.