Polycythemia Vera

It is defined as the hematogenous malignancy. In polycythemia there is mutation occur in the bone marrow cells which cause abnormal increase in the red blood cells count. It may thicken the blood and affect in the laminar flow of blood. It is a rare type of blood cancer.

Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of polycythemia vera include:

Painful swelling
Itching
Numbness
Burning sensation in hands and feet
Breathing difficulty
Epistaxis
Bleeding gums

Causes

The exact cause of this malignancy is still unknown. But it may be assumed that mutation in the bone marrow cells cause this cancer and produce abnormal and increase number of red blood cells.

Complications

It may cause the following complications:

Peptic ulcers
Splenomegaly
Blood clots
Thrombosis

Diagnosis

After taking history your doctor will recommend the following tests to diagnose the disease:

Blood tests to check the complete blood count
Check hematocrit measurement
Measure erythropoietin level
Bone marrow biopsy

Treatment

There is no any treatment present for this cancer the focus of treatment is to reduce the signs and symptoms and increase the quality-of-lifefollowing treatment options include:

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors will help to reduce the itching.
Frequent blood withdrawal to decrease the red blood cell count
Hydroxyurea will decrease the red blood cell count
Anti-thrombotic drugs

Lifestyle and home remedies

Following home remedies will help you to reduce your signs and symptoms:

Take bath in cool water to reduce itching
Exercise to improve the blood flow
Avoid smoking
Avoid areas of low oxygen level

Polycythemia Vera