What is polycythemie vera?

Polycythemia vera, also known as erythermia, is a rare blood disorder that is caused by blood cell overproduction in the bone marrow. The red blood cells are most noticeably overproduced, but white blood cells and plates are usually excessive with this condition. As a result of excess red blood cells, blood will intensify. This can cause problems with blood flow through smaller blood vessels, leading to a number of symptoms. If treated is not usually fatal. Polycythemia Vera, like the others in this category, can be considered as blood cancer. It occurs in approximately one in 100,000 people and is not discrimination against age, although some studies suggest that this happens more after 60 years and is my common in men than women.

Since erythremia evolves slowly, no symptoms may initially present. Polycythemia vera is often detected only when a blood test is performed. If they are notDiagnosed, symptoms such as headache, dizziness and itching may occur, especially after a warm bath. Other symptoms include fatigue, shortness of breath, breathing problems and a bloated feeling in the upper left abdomen due to an enlarged spleen. There may be armor, dullness or burning feeling in their hands or legs. If it is not treated, the thickening of the blood caused by polycytemia may lead to clots, which can lead to stroke and its related symptoms.

There may be other related problems with vera polycythemia. Peptic ulcer disease seems common in people with this disease, although no one is sure why. Long arthritis occurs in a fifth of all patients with polycytemhemia vera. Other problems caused by blood clotting such as heart failure may also occur.

The diagnosis for polycythemic vera is mainly based on blood and any visible symptoms. Blood is controlled in terms of increased number of red blood cells, white blood cells and plates.It is also checked for reduced erythrocyte sedimentation (ESR), a speed at which red blood cells are coagulated. Patients are also controlled in terms of increased hemoglobin or hematocrit, the percentage of red blood cells in the blood. It has also been found that more than 90% of people with polycythemia vera have a gene known as Jak2, which can be useful in the diagnosis of future cases where blood work does not show increased hemoglobin or hematocrit.

Since Polycythemia Vera is considered incurable, the treatment consists in controlling symptoms. Aspirin with low dose is administered to maintain blood thin and often used in bloodshed, which is a process that gradually decreases the amount of blood. Chemotherapy can be administered, but may lead to acute myelogenic leukemia (AML), so many doctors prefer not to use chemotherapy. The bone marrow transplant is rarely performed. As long as the symptoms are managed, there is often no risk of death.