What level of RBC is dangerously low or high?

Blood plays an important role in the health of a person. Our blood is made up of plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. It is the blood that carries oxygen and nutrients to the tissues and lungs of the body. Along with this, it also works to stop bleeding in case of injury, to carry infection-fighting antibodies and cells to different parts of the body, and to control body temperature.

If the red blood cells present in the blood become less or more, then the person starts having many problems. Over time RBC levels can become dangerous. RBC level below 3.5x10E6/uL are considered dangerous. Your body may show many symptoms but with some measures you can avoid these uncomfortable symptoms.

In this article, you will learn whether you need to be concerned about your low or high RBC levels. You will also know the symptoms of deficiency of red blood cells and symptoms of excessive red blood cells

What are red blood cells?

The special type of cells present in the blood are called red blood cells. Red blood cells are made in the bone marrow inside your bones. These cells are spherical, but the middle part is slightly depressed.

The number of red blood cells in the blood can increase or decrease according to the age of the person. According to the age of the person, having more or less than the normal number of these cells, both conditions can cause problems.

Red blood cells perform many other important functions in the body, including carrying oxygen and removing carbon dioxide. These cells normally live for about 120 days, after which they die.

Is low or high RBC serious?

The red blood cell count is different in men and women. Men's blood normally contains 47 to 61 million red blood cells per microliter. While the number of these cells in a normal woman is about 42 to 54 lakhs per microliter. Children's blood contains about 40 to 55 lakh red blood cells per microliter. This count can vary from person to person and from lab to lab. A low or high RBC count can affect the body's ability to transport oxygen and nutrients around the cardiovascular system

Causes of deficiency and excess of red blood cells

There are many reasons for the deficiency and excess of red blood cells. The reasons for both these situations are explained in detail in this article.

Symptoms of low red blood cells :

• Heavy bleeding
• Malnutrition
• Kidney disease
• Bone marrow failure
• Pregnancy
• Hyperhydration

Symptoms of high red blood cells :

Having more than the normal number of red blood cells is dangerous for a person and can lead to a fatal condition. This could be due to the following reasons.

• Cardiovascular diseases
• Bone marrow disease
• Smoking
• Kidney problems
• Dehydration in the body

Certain types of medicines can also be the reason for having more or less red blood cells.

How to increase red blood cells?

Iron increases red blood cells

Iron is one nutrient that is commonly associated with anemia. Your body uses iron to make hemoglobin. Hemoglobin stores oxygen in red blood cells. Without iron, red blood cells may be destroyed or unable to carry oxygen to various parts of the body.

Children need 7 to 10 milligrams of iron daily, teenage girls about 15 milligrams, and women of childbearing age about 18 milligrams.

Consuming a diet rich in iron can increase the production of red blood cells in your body. To get enough iron in your diet, you should include green leafy vegetables like spinach and dry fruits, beans, legumes, broccoli and egg yolk.

Take Vitamin B12 to increase RBC

Vitamin B12 is important for brain function and making red blood cells. Vitamin B12 deficiency in the body prevents the formation of complete red blood cells. This deficiency causes abnormal red blood cells (RBCs), called megaloblasts and megaloblastic anemia.

To take vitamin B12, you should include red meat, fish, dairy products like milk and cheese, eggs etc. in your diet.

Folic acid is the way to increase red blood cells

Vitamin B9 is also known as folic acid and folate. Unlike vitamin B12 and iron, it is not directly associated with the formation of red blood cells. But it affects the number of red blood cells, playing an important role in cell division. An adult needs 400 to 600 micrograms of folic acid daily. It is also present in multivitamins.

If a person does not take enough folate, then his red blood cells are not able to develop fully. Folate plays an important role in the production of hemoglobin.

Folate is needed to make heme, a component of hemoglobin that carries oxygen from the blood to all parts of the body. You can include folate-rich sources such as rice, spinach, peanuts, kidney beans and avocados in your diet to get enough folic acid.

Vitamin C is the way to increase red blood cells

Vitamin C does not directly affect red blood cells, but it does help the body absorb iron. Iron helps in increasing the red blood cells in the body.

To get enough vitamin C in the diet, you should include sources rich in vitamin C like kiwi, strawberries, oranges and citrus fruits.

Take Vitamin A and Copper to Increase RBC

Copper is considered an essential mineral for the body to use the iron in the bloodstream. If there is not enough copper in the body, it is difficult for the blood cells to absorb the iron needed for survival. To get adequate amount of copper, you should include cashews, sunflower seeds and pulses in your diet.

Vitamin A helps in the same way as copper in the number of red blood cells. Vitamin A is also called Retinol. It helps in the absorption of iron which is needed to keep the cells healthy.

You can meet the requirement of Vitamin A by including foods rich in Vitamin A like sweet potatoes, carrots, green leafy vegetables, and mangoes etc. in the diet.

Make lifestyle changes to increase red blood cells

The count of red blood cells can also be increased by adopting certain habits in our daily routine and by removing bad habits. The changes to be made in the routine to increase the red blood cells are further explained in detail.

Exercise regularly:

Exercise is beneficial for everyone, but exercise is considered very important in the formation of healthy red cells. High-intensity exercise increases the heart rate, which in turn requires more oxygen to the body and brain. Due to this, the heart starts beating fast and the lungs start taking deep breaths quickly.

The body is stimulated to make red blood cells to meet the oxygen requirement. Regular exercise along with a healthy diet helps in the formation of red blood cells in the bone marrow. You can include running, jogging, cycling, swimming and aerobics in your exercise routine.

Do not smoke and drink alcohol:

If you want to increase your red blood cells then you have to give up the habit of smoking and drinking. Smoking cigarettes affects the blood flow of your body and due to this oxygen does not reach all the organs properly.

Apart from this, drinking alcohol starts thickening the blood and due to this also there is a lack of oxygen in the blood. Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol lowers red blood cells.

Blood Transfusion:

Doctors may also opt for a blood transfusion if your red blood cell count is low despite diet and supplements.

If you need our help diagnosing the severity of your illness and want to fix your RBC problem, you can upload your blood report here. Upload blood test report now

What level of anemia is severe?

The table below represents the values ​​of the severity of anemia:

Should I be worried if my RBC is low?

Despite the fact that the word "anaemia" is made up of two Greek origins that collectively imply "without blood," it would be absurd to define it using this exact meaning. Nevertheless, the contemporary definition of anaemia is straightforward: it is any disorder marked by an unnatural decrease in the body's overall amount of red blood cells.

Red blood cells make up almost half of the body's estimated 50 trillion cells, which include all cell kinds. Until one realises how tiny and closely packed together the red cells are compared to the other cells, it may appear odd that half of the body's cells are contained in 7% of its volume.

Red cells, like most blood cells, are made in the bone marrow, the spongy internal core of most bones. Hematopoietic (blood cell-producing) marrow is present throughout the entire skeleton in children, but as we get older, this marrow cell production is restricted to the bones in the middle of the body, such as the spine, pelvis, head, sternum, hip, and shoulder. The marrow is the second-largest organ in the body in an adult, weighing around 4 1/2 pounds when it is active (after the skin). The marrow cells known as erythroblasts are where red blood cells are born (in biological parlance, a "blast" is a primitive cell from which other, more mature, cells form). These cells can self-replicate and have DNA-containing nuclei, just like many other

The illness known as anaemia is characterised by an unnatural decline in the body's overall mass of red blood cells. The physical characteristics of the blood then have two possible outcomes. The first is that the overall volume of blood decreases as the mass of red cells increases. In actuality, whether from a cut or a sickness, this is precisely what occurs whenever there is considerable bleeding over a brief period of time (such as a bleeding ulcer). When this occurs, there is less blood in the body, but it is still as thick and concentrated as it is in the typical state. This condition is known as acute blood loss anaemia. Despite fitting our definition of anaemia exactly, this falls into a different category, primarily because the loss in total blood volume takes precedence over the reduction in red cell mass. Maintaining blood volume is crucial for medical professionals to perform when acute bleeding occurs, even if that means using fluids other than blood.

The second explanation for the decrease in total red cell mass is the one that is most frequently connected to all anemias, with the exception of acute blood loss anaemia. In this case, the loss of red blood cells happens gradually over a period of weeks or months, giving the body time to adjust. In this situation, the body begins its own "IV" and increases the amount of blood that is circulated. It accomplishes this by inducing the kidneys to save the water that is consumed through regular drinking. The blood grows thinner, or less syrupy and more watery, as more water is added to the plasma and as the amount of red cells keeps declining.

This adaptability is beneficial up to a point. Early on in the development of anaemia, the blood actually becomes more effective at supplying the tissues with oxygen because thinner blood can pass through the microscopic capillaries faster than thick blood. But like with many short solutions the body uses to address issues, things inevitably go wrong. Hemoglobin carrying oxygen is delivered to the tissues less frequently as the blood continues to thin. Cells suffer from oxygen deprivation as a result. However, the body has a few sly tactics up its sleeve since it isn't yet ready to give up:

It is common for people to have low RBC levels but some people can also develop high RBC levels.

What level of RBC is concerning?

High red blood cell count may be caused by low oxygen levels, kidney disease or other problems. Symptoms of a high red blood cell count include Vision problems, Dizziness and Body ache. An RBC level above 5.4x10E6/uL is a concern for patients with blood disorders.