How do you control high hemoglobin?

If you’re reading this, chances are your blood is thicker than a Béchamel sauce (for those non-culinary inclined folks out there, that’s pretty darn thick). You might be thinking, “What the heck is high hemoglobin anyways?” Well hold onto your veins and arteries because we’re about to blow your mind. High hemoglobin essentially means you have too many red blood cells, which can lead to health problems. Don’t worry though – with these tips and tricks, you’ll be able to take control of your blood flow like a pro.

What Causes High Hemoglobin?

Before we dive into how to fix it, let’s talk about what causes high hemoglobin in the first place. There are numerous reasons why someone might wind up with an excess amount of red blood cells swimming around in their bloodstream. Here are just a few:

Genetics

Yes ladies and germs – sometimes genetics simply suck. If someone in your family has had issues with high hemoglobin levels before (thanks Mom and Dad!) then odds are greater for you.

Smoking

We all know smoking is bad news bears when it comes to our health. One of its lovely side effects? It raises your risk for polycythemia or excessive production of red blood cells.

Dehydration

Not being properly hydrated can mess up more than just how often we visit the bathroom each day (although that can get problematic too…). When the body doesn’t have enough fluids running through it, it produces more red blood cells as an attempt at staying oxygenated despite decreased fluidity.

Altitude Training

It sounds cool right? Training at higher altitudes has become increasingly popular amongst athletes looking for ways to enhance their performance but couldn’t find doping as exciting anymore.. Unfortunately this method can also cause our bodies to produce more red blood cells because it’s not getting as much oxygen.

The Risks of High Hemoglobin

Now that we know why high hemoglobin is a thing, let’s talk about the potential risks associated with it. First and foremost – too many red blood cells in our bloodstream can lead to thicker, stickier blood (ew) which puts us at risk for dangerous clotting (just like middle school dances am I right?). Additionally, having thickened blood also puts extra strain on your heart and makes circulation more difficult (no one wants an overworked heart). If left unchecked, high hemoglobin levels could progress into more serious conditions like strokes or heart attacks. Scary stuff huh?

How Can You Tell if Your Hemoglobin Levels Are High?

The only way to be certain you’re dealing with this issue is by seeing a medical professional who will perform tests such as measuring your hematocrit (there’s some fancy terminology for ya) or checking iron levels. Still curious? Here are some common symptoms and signs you might notice:

  • Dizziness when standing up from sitting/lying down
  • Headaches
  • Breathing difficulties during exercise
  • An overall sense of fatigue
    Pro-Tip: if you experience all of these symptoms simultaneously, go see a doctor immediately or perhaps consider vampirism as an alternative lifestyle choice

Prevention Methods

Stay Hydrated

One easy-peasy method for keeping those pesky RBCs at bay? Drink lots and lots of water! Ensuring adequate hydration promotes optimal fluidity within the bloodstream which means less chance for unwanted guest red-blood-cells crashing the party.

Quit Smoking

As aforementioned smoking increases both risk and onset likelihood of developing polycythemia vera thus quitting cigarettes does better than just helping take away bad smells off clothings.

Watch Medications

Certain medications can increase the amount of red blood cells our bodies produce. If you’re on regular medication, be sure to ask your doctor about potential side effects and what they can do to help.

Bloodletting

This might seem like an archaic (and scary) solution but it has been used for treating high hemoglobin levels for over 2,000 years (wow even ancient civilizations had a phlebotomist!) . While we don’t suggest taking this option lightly or condone trying it at home, when performed by professionals, bloodletting is one way to significantly reduce red blood cell count.

Treatment Methods

Medications

Prescription medications are available that help reduce excessive RBC production (nope not THE RBC!) although there can be negative side effects as well so should only be undertaken under professional guidance.

Phlebotomy

As mentioned above, many moons ago people believed letting out some blood would solve all sorts of problems – including too thick a livelihood in that little thing called circulatory system. In modern times controlled removal of donor blood is more common with treatments being repeated until iron stores drop sufficiently enough that excess RBCs ain’t quite so overrunneth-izing anymore.

Oxygen Therapy

Increasing oxygen parameters may lead to decrease in stimulationof ribsomes.. Uhh…I mean increased oxygen content means fewer required redwood trees providing life needs due to greater efficiency thus resultant lower RBC counts overall (Talk about poetic justice).

Wrapping Up

Well hopefully now you’re thoroughly educated on the topic of high hemoglobin levels! Taking preventative measures such as drinking plenty of water and avoiding cigarettes will go a long way towards helping keep your hematocrit where it needs to be while seeking medical advice when needed becomes paramount if concerned.At the end importance goes beyond just making parents proud but putting oneself into higher priority than anything. Because why tuck yourself away because of a possible impending health issue when so much can be done to combat what’s going on in the ol’ veins and arteries!

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