Should I worry about enlarged red blood cells?
Should I worry about enlarged red blood cells?
Macrocytosis is a condition in which your red blood cells are larger than they should be. While it isn’t a condition of its own, macrocytosis is a sign that you have an underlying health condition and may lead to a severe form of anemia called macrocytic normochromic anemia.
Can enlarged red blood cells be reversed?
Most cases of macrocytic anemia that are caused by vitamin B-12 and folate deficiencies can be treated and cured with diet and supplements. However, macrocytic anemias can cause long-term complications if left untreated. These complications can include permanent damage to your nervous system.
What causes red blood cells to become enlarged?
Without vitamin B12 and folate, RBCs remain in an immature stage of development, which is larger than their mature size. With some metabolic problems, such as those caused by alcoholism or liver disease, fat can accumulate in the RBCs, causing them to be enlarged.
What does size of red blood cells indicate?
Red blood cells move oxygen from your lungs to every cell in your body. Your cells need oxygen to grow, reproduce, and stay healthy. If your red blood cells are too small or too large, it could be a sign of a blood disorder such as anemia, a vitamin deficiency, or other medical condition.
Why is macrocytosis bad?
General symptoms of macrocytosis are related to anemia and include fatigue, poor concentration, dizziness, pallor, and shortness of breath. In severe cases, macrocytosis can lead to neurological symptoms, such as confusion, dementia, depression, loss of balance, and numbness or tingling in the arms and legs.
What causes slightly enlarged red blood cells?
There are multiple causes of enlarged red blood cells, which is termed macrocytosis, and most of them are easily corrected. Two of the most common causes are deficiencies in vitamin B12 and folic acid, which are frequently associated with anemia, as well.
What are the side effects of too many red blood cells?
If your organs don’t get enough blood, you could have chest pain or heart failure. Having too many red blood cells might cause stomach ulcers, gout, or kidney stones. PV can also lead to more serious blood diseases like acute leukemia or myelofibrosis. Acute leukemia is a blood cancer that gets worse quickly.
What diseases cause large red blood cells?
Polycythemia is a blood cancer caused by a gene mutation. If you have polycythemia, your bone marrow makes too many red blood cells. This causes your blood to thicken and flow more slowly, putting you at risk for blood clots that can cause heart attacks or strokes. There is no known cure.
What does it mean if your red blood cells are too large?
Anemia is a term for low hemoglobin or red blood cells. Anemia can be divided into different types based on the volume of the red blood cells. Macrocytic anemia means that the red blood cells are larger than normal. In microcytic anemia, the cells are smaller than normal.
