A rare form of persistent leukemia called polycythemia vera causes the bone marrow to overproduce red blood cells. The blood you have becomes heavier and moves at a slower pace as a result of the additional cells, which can create serious problems like blood clots. You may endure it for ages before realizing you have it because it often takes time to manifest. Frequently, the issue is identified following a blood test that was performed for another reason. However, receiving the right medical attention might lessen this disease’s symptoms and effects.
Introduction:
A blood condition called polycythemia vera (PV) makes your body create an excessive amount of red blood cells. A surplus of red blood cells can thicken and slow down the blood, which raises the risk of blood clots and other issues like heart attacks and strokes. Additionally, it may result in oblique but bothersome symptoms, including itching, ringing in the ears, stomach ache, nosebleeds, and blurred or distorted vision.
Although there is no known treatment for polycythemia vera, receiving medical care can help you control your symptoms and reduce the chance of complications. Primary polycythemia, polycythemia rubra vera, erythema, and Osler-Vaquez disease are further names for polycythemia vera. Myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN), a kind of blood malignancy, causes polycythemia vera.
A group of illnesses known collectively as MPNs, some of which lead to the overproduction of particular blood cells. Polycythemia vera is a genetic condition that normally develops at some point throughout a person’s lifetime due to an unforeseen gene mutation. They progress relatively slowly, and diagnosis frequently occurs after the age of 60. Typically, this particular malignancy does not result in death. Blood clotting issues or the slight possibility that they will advance more aggressive blood cancers pose a risk.
Causes:
A clonal disorder with malignant mutations in the inherited material (DNA) inside a single bone marrow cell is the root cause of polycythemia . The majority of blood cell creation takes place in the soft, spongy bone marrow. It is uncertain what causes this malignant transformation to take place. This alteration is acquired, not inherited, and happens after conception. According to research, the JAK2 gene is altered in about 90% of people who have polycythemia vera. The instructions for making proteins, which are essential to numerous bodily processes, are provided by genes.
The protein that results from a gene mutation may be defective, ineffective, absent, or overproduced. A kinase protein, namely Janus kinase 2, is created by the JAK2 gene. Kinases are extremely effective cell growth promoters. The JAK2 gene is hyperactive in individuals with polycythemia vera due to the underlying genetic alteration.
Signs and Symptoms:
Many people with polycythemia vera don’t exhibit any overt symptoms or indicators. Nebulous indications like headaches, vertigo, tiredness, and reduced vision may be experienced by certain people.
- Itching
- Your hands, feet, arms, or legs are numb, tingly, burning, or weak.
- Bloating or soreness in your left upper belly as a result of an enlarged spleen, as well as a feeling of fullness shortly after eating
- Abnormal profuse bleeding, such as nosebleeds or gushing gingival
- Swollen joints
Diagnosis of Polycythemia Vera:
Your healthcare provider will do an examination of your body and take a thorough medical history. Blood testing for polycythemia vera may show that:
- There are more red blood cells than usual and, occasionally, there are also more platelets or white blood cells.
- A higher proportion of red blood cells in relation to total blood volume (Hematocrit measurement)
- Elevated amounts of hemoglobin, a protein rich in iron that delivers oxygen to red blood cells
If your healthcare provider has a suspicion that you might have polycythemia vera, they can advise doing a bone marrow biopsy or extraction to obtain a small amount of your bone marrow. A fragment of substantial bone marrow is taken during a bone marrow biopsy. Typically, an aspiration of the bone marrow is performed concurrently. Your doctor takes an extract of the liquid part of your marrow during an aspiration.
Treatment for Polycythemia Vera:
Perhaps the oldest and most widely recognized comprehensive medical approach is homeopathy. By employing a comprehensive strategy, the principles of customization and commonality of conditions are used to determine the best treatment. Someone who is sick can only achieve full health in this way by getting rid of all of the signs and symptoms that are causing them. Treatment options for polycythemia symptoms can be chosen based on the etiology, location, sensation, modality, and extent of the complaints. The following are some crucial treatments for polycythemia vera symptoms: Natrum sulph, Kali sulph, Phosphorus, Natrum muriaticum, Ceonanthus, Arsenic iodide, sulfur, vanadium met, radium bromide, thiosinaminum, etc.
The most popular method of treating polycythemia vera is phlebotomy, which involves taking numerous blood samples using an instrument inserted in a vein. The volume of your blood and the number of extra blood cells both drop as a result. The frequency of your blood draws will depend on how serious your disease is.
Transplantation of bone marrow may be recommended in specific cases. The physician treating you will consider an assortment of factors, including the severity of your condition and your body’s capacity for self-healing. Your doctor will concentrate on treating your symptoms if polycythemia doesn’t improve despite treatment. Anaemia and growing spleen size are frequent signs of late-stage polycythemia vera. You might receive treatment for:
- Respite from discomfort
- Transfusions of blood
- Your spleen is receiving low-dose radiation.