Polycythaemia
The term polycythaemia applies to
several conditions where there are too many red blood cells in the blood. The
number of red cells you have varies according to your age and sex. Men have
higher levels than women and newborn babies often have more than adults.
The main problem caused by polycythaemia
is that the high number of red cells increases the thickness of the blood,
which in turn reduces blood flow to the bodys organs. Symptoms can include:
- blurred vision or patchy
loss of vision
- confusion
- headaches
- red complexion
Conditions which contribute towards polycythaemia
include:
- chronic lung disease
- high altitude
- smoking
- various types of tumours
brain, kidney and liver