Blood Cells

[Eastender]

Does anyone know the various complications of having to many Red Blood Cells or to many White Blood Cells. thanks

[campbellking]

polycythaemia (too many rbcs) makes your blood more 'sticky', therefore reducing blood flow to the organs. Can also cause clots to form if running parallel with high blood pressure or diabetes. Google 'polycythaemia' and you'll get lots of info.

[LazyGun]

too many red blood cells = polycythaemia / erythrocytosis.
as campbell said, reduced blood flow to the organs, increased risk of thrombosis, headaches, blurred vision etc.

too many white cells = Leukaemia.
All sorts of complications can arise from this, largely dependent upon what sort of leukaemia it is (acute or chronic), and which type of white cell has been effected.Complications can range from reduction in platelets and consequent bleeding/severe bruising episodes,, reduction of red cells, leading to anaemia and essentially O2 deficiency, problems with renal and other organs due to abnormally high quantities of white cell breakdown products.

[aurelia]

If your blood is sticky and clots more easily than you can be given drugs to thin the blood. some people have to take Warfarin which means you must go to have your blood levels checked regul;arly as they can go from low to high.

My friend died last year aged 42 and had a hole in her heart and a problem with her lungs present from birth and she had to take medicine to thin her blood every so often when she was taken into hospital this would need to be done.

My dad also has to tske a medicine to thin the blood - not warfarin as well as his tiny heart aspirin which also thins the blood.

If you have an infection your blood will show a change in the white blood cells. I have ME and last year my immune system was really low and I picked up nearly every infection going. I work in a school for special needs children so I get sneezed and coughed over regularly. I had picked up a throat infection and my energy levels were even lower than normal. My doctor took a blood sample and sent it to be tested and the results she said showed I was fighting an infection as there was a change in my white blood cell count. She did say - sdon't panic as I knew about the link between white blood cells and leukaemia, but she said it was just a subtle change but the blood test showed this up