Polyglobules
and Martina Feichter, medical editor and biologistDr. med. Andrea Reiter is a freelance writer for the medical editorial team.
More about the expertsMartina Feichter studied biology with an elective subject pharmacy in Innsbruck and also immersed herself in the world of medicinal plants. From there it was not far to other medical topics that still captivate her to this day. She trained as a journalist at the Axel Springer Academy in Hamburg and has been working for since 2007 - first as an editor and since 2012 as a freelance writer.
More about the experts All content is checked by medical journalists.
Polyglobules have too many red blood cells in the blood. This can be the result of an illness or an independent illness. Because the blood is thickened by the high number of red blood cells, there is a risk that more blood clots will form. Read about the exact reasons for too many red blood cells in the blood and which readings are considered normal!
What is a polyglobule?
Sometimes an increased number of red blood cells will be found in a blood sample. One then speaks of a polyglobule. In most cases, polyglobules are caused by a lack of oxygen. The reason for this can be outside (for example when staying at high altitude for a longer period of time). Often it is also an "internal" lack of oxygen, caused for example by a heart or lung disease. The lack of oxygen stimulates the body to produce the hormone erythropoietin. This ensures that more erythrocytes are formed in the bone marrow. When the oxygen deficiency is corrected, the number of red blood cells decreases again.
Sometimes a so-called proliferative disease is also the reason for an increased number of erythrocytes. However, the number of white blood cells (leukocytes) is then too high. The increased formation of cells (proliferation) is triggered by a gene mutation. Since the blood becomes more viscous due to the excess of blood cells, there is a risk of thrombosis and embolism.
In summary, the most important causes of polyglobules are:
- heavy smoking
- Heart failure
- Lung disease
- prolonged stay at high altitudes
- certain kidney tumors
- myeloproliferative diseases (diseases with abnormally increased cell formation in the bone marrow)
Symptoms of polyglobulia
Typical symptoms of polyglobules are:
- severe flushing of the face
- headache
- dizziness
- tinnitus
- Itching all over the body (which often gets worse on contact with water)
- increased tendency to thrombosis and embolism
Polyglobules - what to do?
If the polyglobules have arisen due to an "external" lack of oxygen, they usually regress as soon as there is enough oxygen in the breath again. In the event of a lack of oxygen due to a disease such as heart failure, this must be treated professionally. Then the oxygen supply to the body often returns to normal.
Sometimes, with polyglobules, it is necessary to carry out a so-called bloodletting at regular intervals. Blood is drained through a thin needle. This may be necessary if the underlying disease cannot be treated or cannot be treated adequately. To reduce the risk of thrombosis and strokes if the blood is too thick, the doctor can also prescribe blood-thinning medication.
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