my rbc is 5.38

my rbc is 5.38

If my rbc is 5.38 and I’m a man, it’s normal. But if I’m a female, 5.38 is somehow high.

High RBC count

A high RBC count, also called erythrocytosis, can be caused by a number of health conditions or health-related factors, including:

· smoking

· congenital heart disease

· dehydration; for example, from severe diarrhea

· low blood oxygen levels; hypoxia)

· pulmonary fibrosis, a lung condition that causes scarring of the lungs

· Polycythemia vera; a rare blood cancer

· Kidney tumors

· Carbon monoxide exposure

· Sleep apnea (3,5)

Remember that red blood cell count is one portion of a CBC and typically can’t diagnose any of these conditions alone. Sometimes it’s not a sign of illness; for example, living at high altitudes causes an increase in RBC counts.

Care and treatment

Treating high RBC count typically depends on its underlying cause, including:

– Exercise regularly

– Eat less red meat and iron-rich foods

– Avoid iron supplements

– Keep yourself well hydrated

– Avoid diuretics, including coffee and caffeinated drinks

– Quit smoking, especially if you have COPD or pulmonary fibrosis

– Avoid the use of steroids, erythropoietin, and other performance-enhancing drugs (4)

* You can enter your CBC test results online and get a personalized interpretation, including your condition in each test, definition, reasons for increased or decreased results, dietary and lifestyle recommendations, potential treatments, drug interactions, etc.

Red blood cells (RBCs)

Red blood cells (RBCs) are one of the major components of blood responsible for the transportation of gases and nutrients throughout the human body. Laboratory typically does a red blood cell count test as part of a complete blood count test (CBC) to check for a variety of medical conditions (1).

Several factors may affect the reference range, but generally would be around:

·         men              4.0 to 5.9    x 1012/L

·         women         3.8 to 5.2   x 1012/L (2)

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK539702/
2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/book/9780123809209/the-laboratory-rabbit-guinea-pig-hamster-and-other-rodents
3. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/red-blood-count/
4. https://www.verywellhealth.com/red-blood-cell-rbc-count-1942659#toc-treating-abnormal-rbc-levels
5. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/17810-high-red-blood-cell-count