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Most people, when they find out that their hemoglobin level is elevated, find a simple explanation for this. They believe that the reason for this is “thick blood”. However, blood clotting is not a variant of the norm, therefore, it is required to find out the causes of this condition, as well as to take certain measures aimed at eliminating it.
First you need to understand what the concept of “thick blood” includes.
It combines the following states:
An increase in the level of red blood cells.
The growth of hemoglobin.
An increase in hematocrit values, that is, the volume of red blood cells in the blood.
When determining all these indicators, one should focus on the age of a person, since they have a direct relationship with this value. It is impossible to measure the blood parameters of a child, an adult and an elderly person with the same standards.
If we turn to medical terminology, then the concept of “viscous blood” will sound like “syndrome of increased blood viscosity”, or “hyperviscosity syndrome”.
Blood viscosity and hematocrit
To study the problem of blood viscosity, one should be guided in terms of the norm.
1048-1066 are normal values that determine the density of the blood. This indicator should not go beyond these limits. It determines the level of salts, protein components and blood cells.
1092-1095 are indicators of the norm of the specific gravity of red blood cells.
1024-1050 are indicators of the norm of plasma density.
40-54% is a normal hematocrit level for men.
37-47% is a normal hematocrit level for women.
4,0-5,5 is the normal level of blood viscosity.
The more red blood cells in the blood, the higher the viscosity of the blood. The fewer red blood cells, the lower the viscosity of the blood.
If a person drinks too much, or the fluid in his body is delayed due to kidney disease, then the blood viscosity will be below the permissible limits of the norm. A similar situation develops against the background of bearing a child, with anemia, while undergoing therapy with certain drugs (Aspirin, Heparin). The lower the density of the blood, the faster its current through the vessels. The higher the blood density, the slower the blood flow. This can lead to the development of many pathologies of the heart and blood vessels.
Diagnosis of various blood indications is carried out in different ways:
A viscometer measures the viscosity of blood.
The method of immunoelectrophoresis determines which proteins are present in the blood.
Immunochemical methods make it possible to calculate the amount of these proteins.
Thick blood – what is the reason?
A healthy person will not have thick blood.
Various pathological processes in the body lead to a change in its viscosity, among which are:
Food poisoning and other diseases that are accompanied by severe diarrhea or vomiting.
Hypoxia of the body.
Syndrome of antiphospholipid antibodies.
True polycythemia, accompanied by the accumulation of red blood cells in the blood.
Leukemia is a specific form of the disease.
Bone marrow tumor (Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia).
Diabetes mellitus and non-ketonemic coma.
Violations in the work of the adrenal glands.
All diseases that are accompanied by the production of pathological immunoglobulins or B-lymphocytes (altered in their structure, molecular weight and other indicators) in the body, for example, myeloma.
Paraproteinemic hemoblastoses (PTC) and amyloid degeneration.
Thrombophilia.
Serious disorders in the liver (cirrhosis and hepatitis).
Inflammation of the pancreas.
Childbearing period.
Varicose veins.
Burns.
The thicker the blood, the harder it will be for the heart to do its job.
Increase in blood viscosity as an adaptation mechanism
Pregnancy and thick blood
Sometimes the blood becomes thicker during pregnancy. In some cases, the body thus tries to prevent the threat of miscarriage. Also, the blood becomes more viscous immediately before childbirth, because they are associated with blood loss. Nature endowed the woman’s body with the ability to thicken the blood in order to prevent the development of heavy bleeding.
Therefore, all women during pregnancy regularly take blood samples to control the level of hematocrit, hemoglobin and red blood cells. To track changes in the amount of certain blood proteins, the expectant mother is sent to a coagulogram. It takes place at different stages of pregnancy.
If the blood viscosity rises significantly, the doctor will prescribe therapy for the woman. Sometimes, in order to normalize blood viscosity, you just need to adjust your menu, folk methods of treatment have a good effect, but you should consult a doctor before using them.
Also, for blood thinning, the doctor may prescribe medications, the scheme is selected on an individual basis.
It is impossible to ignore a significant increase in blood viscosity, since during pregnancy this can lead to thrombosis, thrombophilia, leukemia or varicose veins. The defeat of the vascular bed is a danger not only for the woman herself, but also for the child.
Thick blood in a newborn baby
In a child who has just been born, the blood has a dark color and increased viscosity. The blood counts of a newborn are significantly different from similar data in older children. So, in the first 24 hours after the birth of the crumbs, the level of red blood cells is 5,5 * 1012/ l, and the level of hemoglobin reaches 200 g / l. You should not worry about this, it will take a few days and these numbers will decline.
Thick blood in a newborn is not a deviation from the norm. It’s just that the child grew up and developed in a radically different environment, and now he has entered a new world. His body needs time to adapt to the changed environment, for example, to learn to breathe differently.
About 50% of hemoglobin will disintegrate already in the first days after the birth of the child. By the way, it is this hemoglobin, which is called fetal, that causes the development of jaundice in newborns. By the first year of life, fetal hemoglobin in the blood of a child will occupy no more than 1%. Other blood parameters, including viscosity and hemoglobin level, will be equated to similar values in an adult.
Symptoms of thick blood
Thick blood is not an independent disease. An increase in its viscosity only indicates the presence of a particular pathology in the body. Multiple circumstances can lead to thickening of the blood. Therefore, it is so important to determine the true cause that led to the increase in blood viscosity. The symptoms of this condition will directly depend on them.
Sometimes a person does not even suspect that the blood in his body is too thick. Since the symptoms of this disorder develop only in severe cases: when there are problems with the normal flow of blood, blood clots form in the vessels, etc.
Blood clotting can be suspected only by such indirect signs as:
Frequent headaches.
Numbness of the extremities, tingling in various parts of the body.
Chronic fatigue and weakness.
If thickening of the blood occurs against the background of dehydration of the body or during hypoxia, then after the elimination of these conditions, the person’s well-being will return to normal.
Complications and consequences
If the blood has an increased viscosity, then this can lead to serious health problems.
Possible consequences include:
The formation of blood clots, which most often clog vessels of small diameter, disrupting the normal blood flow in them. Sometimes blood clots can form in the main vessels and even in the brain. In this case, the consequences for the body can be very deplorable, up to death due to a stroke or heart attack.
If a person’s blood thickens against the background of a decrease in the level of platelets, which is accompanied by a violation of blood circulation, then the consequence of this situation may be an increase in bleeding. Such disorders develop with leukemia, with myeloma, with Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia, and not only. All these diseases are very serious and often incurable.
Hyperosmolar coma, in which there is increased blood viscosity, can lead to the development of intracerebral bleeding. The pathogenesis of coma is incredibly complex, but the viscosity of the blood will always be increased. This condition is associated with a risk of death.
Thick blood can cause serious disorders in the body. They will be the harder, the more complex the underlying disease or pathological condition that led to the thickening of the blood.
Conservative treatment
In atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease, a person is prescribed Acetylsalicylic acid and preparations based on it to thin the blood. This measure reduces the likelihood of developing a myocardial infarction.
Depending on the cause that led to the thickening of the blood, the patient may be recommended to undergo the following treatment:
Regulate metabolic processes.
Take drugs that prevent the formation of blood clots in the body.
Undergo treatment to eliminate bone marrow tumors.
The patient must understand that there is no single treatment regimen. Therapy depends on what kind of problem led to an increase in blood viscosity. To eliminate increased blood clotting, drugs such as Heparin, Fragmin, Warfarin, etc. will be prescribed.
In the presence of a high risk of bleeding, for example, with multiple myeloma, anticoagulant therapy, on the contrary, is categorically contraindicated. In order to prevent the development of hemorrhagic syndrome, the patient is prescribed plasmapheresis, a platelet mass is transfused, or other treatment is prescribed, according to the symptoms.
Treatment of increased blood viscosity without medication
To thin the blood without taking medication, you should consult a doctor. This is possible only if the blood thickens for a reason not related to serious diseases. So, the blood can become thicker due to age-related characteristics. As a rule, elderly patients are prescribed Aspirin to thin it. However, many of them refuse to take the drug and try to correct this indicator with changes in diet or other folk remedies.
There is a belief that red wine is very useful for blood. In fact, this is so, but only when taking a drink in a volume of not more than 50 ml per day. Wine must be made from grapes and not from chemicals.
Diet is indicated for blood thinning. For this purpose, table number 10 is practiced. It is recommended for patients with atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, after a heart attack. If a person does not have such serious health problems, then he can somewhat expand the menu of dietary table No. 10.
To thin the blood, it is useful to eat foods such as:
Berries: currants, cranberries, grapes, cherries, sweet cherries, blueberries, strawberries.
Fruits: citrus fruits, apples and peaches.
Vegetables: tomatoes, cucumbers and beets.
Seasonings and spices: ginger, chili, cinnamon.
Seafood: sea fish and seaweed.
Drinks: cocoa, coffee and chocolate.
You can also reduce the density of the blood, using medicinal plants for this purpose. So, yellow clover can become an alternative to Aspirin. In order for the plant to have maximum healing properties, it must be harvested during flowering. You can combine yellow sweet clover with other plants, including: meadow clover (flowers), elm-leaved meadowsweet (grass), hawthorn (fruits), medicinal valerian (roots). You can supplement the fees with lemon balm and narrow-leaved fireweed. All components are taken in the amount of 2 teaspoons, which must be poured into 0,2 liters of boiling water. The mixture is insisted on a water bath, cooled and drunk in its entire volume for 2 days.
Willow bark can be used to speed up the flow of blood through the veins. A tablespoon of the bark is brewed with 0,5 liters of boiling water and taken 0,2 ml 2 times a day.
Chestnut flowers also have a good effect in terms of blood thinning. To prepare a decoction, take a teaspoon of flowers, pour it with a glass of boiling water and boil for 15 minutes. Drink the entire amount of the received funds before going to bed.