How to raise red blood cells. How to increase the level of red blood cells in the blood: tips and recipes How to raise red blood cells quickly

14.09.2024

We increase hemoglobin in the blood with the help of iron-rich foods:

liver;
legumes;
prunes, raisins;
green vegetables;
lentils, beans;
red meat.

When eating iron-fortified foods is not enough to meet the requirement, you can take vitamins and food supplements to increase red blood cell levels.

Copper is an important element that helps absorb iron, which is required for the formation of red blood cells.

Taking folic acid is mandatory. Its other name is vitamin B9, which helps form the required volume of red cells. A large decrease in folic acid levels can cause anemia.

There is a lot of vitamin B9 in cereals, vegetables that have green leaves, nuts, peas, and bread. In addition, this vitamin can be purchased in tablet form at the pharmacy. Folic acid is involved in the formation of healthy blood cells.

It is recommended to take vitamin A if the level of red blood cells is low. It is necessary for the maintenance of stem cells. A large amount of Retinol is found in carrots, potatoes, red sweet peppers, watermelon, melon and more.

The daily intake of this element for men is 900 mcg, for women – 700.

Vitamin C is also indicated in this situation. Take it together with iron to enhance each other’s effectiveness. The body absorbs vitamins better when used in parallel. However, you need to be careful not to overdose on iron and cause harm to your health.

Changing our lifestyle

Exercise daily. It is useful for everyone, including people who have low red cell levels. Exercise maintains health and prevents possible pathologies.

Sports activities play a significant role in the formation of red blood cells. Performing them, a person gets tired and sweats. Active exercise causes the body to need more oxygen, the brain receives a characteristic signal, and as a result, the production of red cells and hemoglobin is activated, which provides the organs and tissues of the body with oxygen.

Give up unhealthy habits. When it is necessary to maintain a normal level of red blood cells in the blood, eliminate smoking and alcohol. It will be better if
get rid of it for the sake of your health.

Smoking causes blood vessels to narrow and makes the blood thicker. As a result, it circulates poorly and inadequately supplies other organs with oxygen.
Drinking large amounts of alcoholic beverages can thin the blood and cause a decrease in red blood cell counts.

If necessary, perform a transfusion. This option may help if your red cell volume is very low and food and supplements are not able to correct it. Consult your doctor on this topic. You will be prescribed a general blood test. This test will determine your red blood cell count. If it is too low, a healthcare professional may suggest a blood transfusion.

Medical examination

You can monitor changes in the fluid by visiting a medical facility with some regularity. Perhaps a specialist will prescribe additional diagnostic methods to determine the factors that caused a decrease in the level of red cells. Make it a habit to make a systematic visit to the doctor.

If you have a low red blood cell count, take this information seriously. Eat and lead a lifestyle to correct this situation. Thanks to your efforts, improvements will soon occur.

Therapy at home:

Beetroot juice is an effective folk medicine.
Rose hips, wild strawberry leaves, lungwort. It is recommended to make a mixture of such herbs. Drink a small glass of infusion twice a day. You should not overdo it, since, for example, strawberry leaves have the property of lowering blood pressure. Therapy should last three months.

You can also prepare the following:

The beets should be boiled and the juice squeezed out. Mix it with honey to your taste. Drink one large spoon daily up to three times a day.
A mixture of prunes, raisins, dried apricots, walnuts and honey. It is made in identical parts. Eat three small spoons before meals.

Pomegranate and carrot juices also help. But you should consult your doctor first.

Feeling weak and lethargic may indicate anemia - a lack of red blood cells, or red blood cells. The most common cause of this is a lack of iron and possibly other minerals and nutrients. Low hemoglobin levels and low red blood cell counts are a major sign of malnutrition, malnutrition, and the development of serious diseases such as leukemia. To increase the number of red cells in your blood, follow the tips in this article.

Steps

Part 1

Changing your diet

Include iron-rich foods in your diet. In this way, the body will make up for its deficiency. By eating iron-rich foods daily, you can increase the number of red blood cells in your blood. The fact is that iron is an integral part of red blood cells and hemoglobin, as it helps deliver oxygen to other organs and parts of the body. It also helps remove carbon monoxide from the body when you exhale. The following are examples of foods rich in iron:

legumes;
lentils;
green leafy vegetables such as kale and spinach;
prunes;
animal offal, such as liver;
beans;
egg yolks;
red meat;
raisin.
- If consuming iron-rich foods is not enough to restore your iron levels, you can take supplements and minerals to increase the number of red blood cells in your blood. Vitamins containing iron are usually produced in the form of capsules of 50-100 mg, they can be taken 2-3 times a day.

Eat foods rich in copper. Copper is another essential mineral for the body that helps iron be absorbed by the body's cells. This element is found in poultry, shellfish, liver, whole grains, chocolate, beans, cherries and nuts. Supplements are also sold in tablet form containing 900 mcg of copper to be taken once daily.
- Adults require an average of 900 mcg of copper per day. Women of reproductive age lose a lot of blood during menstruation, so they need more copper than men.
Be sure to take folic acid. It is otherwise called vitamin B9 and also helps in the formation of a normal number of red blood cells. A significant decrease in the amount of folic acid in the body can lead to anemia.
- Large amounts of vitamin B9 are found in cereals, breads, dark green leafy vegetables, peas, lentils, beans and nuts. Alternatively, this vitamin can be taken as a dietary supplement once daily at 100 to 250 mcg.
- The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that adult women with regular periods take 400 mcg of folic acid daily. The American Institutes of Health also recommends that pregnant women take 600 mcg of folic acid.
- In addition to helping produce healthy blood cells, folic acid plays an important role in the production and repair of cells in normally functioning DNA.
Take vitamin A. Retinol, or vitamin A, supports the development of red blood cell stem cells in the bone marrow while providing red blood cells with sufficient iron needed to form hemoglobin.
- Vitamin A is found in large quantities in sweet potatoes, carrots, zucchini, dark green leafy vegetables, sweet red peppers and fruits such as apricot, grapefruit, watermelon, plum and cantaloupe.
- The daily requirement for vitamin A for women is 700 mcg and 900 mcg for men.
Also take vitamin C. Take it along with iron so that both vitamins enhance each other's effects. Vitamin C increases the body's ability to absorb more iron, increasing the production of red blood cells.
- Taking 500 mg of vitamin C daily along with iron will help your body absorb iron more efficiently. However, you should be careful when taking iron, as an overdose of iron is harmful to the body.

Part 2

Lifestyle change

Exercise regularly . Exercise is beneficial for everyone, including people with low levels of red blood cells, and is beneficial both physically and mentally. They help us stay healthy and even avoid some possible diseases.
- Jogging, just running and swimming are most beneficial for the cardiovascular system, although, on the other hand, any exercise is good.
- Exercise plays an important role in the production of red blood cells. As you exercise, you become tired and sweat a lot. Vigorous exercise causes the body to require more oxygen and thus sends a corresponding signal to the brain, ultimately stimulating the production of red blood cells and hemoglobin, which provide the body with oxygen.
Get rid of bad habits. If your red blood cell count is important to you, avoid smoking and drinking alcohol. It is better if you give up such habits for the sake of your health.
- Smoking can cause interruptions in blood flow; it constricts blood vessels and thickens the blood. As a result, the blood does not circulate properly and deliver oxygen to other parts of the body. In addition, this may cause the bone marrow to lack oxygen.
- On the other hand, excessive alcohol consumption can thicken the blood, slow blood flow, reduce blood oxygen levels and red blood cell counts, and lead to the production of immature red blood cells.
If necessary, a blood transfusion can be given. If the red blood cell count is so low that neither diet nor supplements can correct the situation, a blood transfusion may help. Consult your doctor and take a general blood test. With this test, the number of red blood cells in your body will be clear.
Get regular medical checkups. You can monitor changes in your blood by regularly visiting your doctor. Additional tests may need to be done to find out why your red blood cell count is decreasing. Try to see your doctor every year.
- If you've been told you have low red blood cell counts, take the above tips seriously. Live and eat in a way that increases the number of red blood cells in your blood. Thanks to the efforts made, you will notice a positive result.

Part 3

What are red blood cells

General information about red blood cells. About a quarter of all cells in the human body are red blood cells, or red blood cells. They are produced in the bone marrow, which produces approximately 2.4 million red blood cells per second.
- Red blood cells circulate in the body for 100 to 120 days. For this reason, we can donate blood only once every 3-4 months.
- Men have an average of 5.2 million red blood cells per cubic millimeter, while for women this figure is 4.6 million. If you often donate blood, you have probably noticed that more often donors are men than women.
Circulation of hemoglobin in the blood. An iron-rich protein known as hemoglobin is the main component of red blood cells. It is responsible for the red color because it binds iron with oxygen.
- Each hemoglobin molecule has four iron atoms, each of which binds to 1 oxygen molecule and 2 oxygen atoms. Approximately 33% of the red blood cell consists of hemoglobin, the normal level of which is 15.5 g/dL in men and 14 g/dL in women.
The role of red blood cells. Red blood cells play an important role in circulating oxygen-rich blood from the lungs to tissues and cells. Red blood cells have cell membranes composed of lipids and proteins essential for physiological functions while working in the capillary network through the circulatory system.
- In addition, red blood cells help get rid of carbon dioxide. They contain carbonic anhydrases, enzymes that react water and carbon dioxide to form carbonic acid, and also separate hydrogen and bicarbonate ions.
- Hydrogen ions bind to hemoglobin, while bicarbonate ions enter the plasma, removing approximately 70% of carbon dioxide. 20% of carbon dioxide binds to hemoglobin, which then enters the lungs. The remaining 7% dissolves in plasma.

Vitamin B12 and B6 are also useful. Vitamin B12 can be purchased in tablet form (2.4 mcg) and taken once daily. Vitamin B6 is also sold in tablet form (1.5 mcg) and should also be taken once a day. Vitamin B12 is found in meat and eggs, while bananas, fish and baked potatoes are rich in vitamin B6.
The lifespan of red blood cells is about 120 days. Immediately after this, the bone marrow releases a new batch of red blood cells.

Chemotherapy is quite effective for a number of cancer pathologies, but this technique also has many adverse reactions.

Chemotherapy is carried out with drugs that are active against tumor formations and cancer processes, but along with malignant cells, these drugs also destroy healthy structures of the body.

After chemotherapy treatment, all vital areas of the body suffer: the general condition worsens and the immune status decreases, toxic intraorganic lesions occur, digestive processes are disrupted and the overall blood picture changes.

Therefore, the patient requires long-term rehabilitation.

Norm of leukocytes, platelets, hemoglobin and red blood cells

It has a negative effect on the bone marrow structures, which are leading in the hematopoietic process.

Bone marrow intoxication leads to dangerous consequences, including disturbances in the chemical formula of the blood. Changes in the number of red blood cells, hemoglobin, platelets and leukocytes are especially dangerous.

Normally, in adults, these components are contained in the blood in the following quantities:

Such parameters are considered normal for the adult population, but under the toxic effects of anticancer drugs they change greatly, causing serious health problems such as anemia, leukopenia, etc.

Blood counts after chemotherapy

During chemotherapy treatment, the patient is constantly prescribed blood tests to monitor the slightest changes in the composition of the blood. Usually, under the influence of toxins, the blood formula changes significantly.

Leukocytes. The level of leukocytes during chemotherapy treatment is greatly reduced, which can be very dangerous for the patient, because his immune status drops sharply. As a result, the patient becomes defenseless even against the simplest microorganisms and infectious agents. Therefore, increasing white blood cells after chemotherapy is an important and necessary task.
Hemoglobin. Chemotherapy has a depressing effect on hematopoietic functions (hematopoiesis). The patient experiences a sharp drop in hemoglobin to critical levels and develops severe anemia. Hemoglobin drops especially after a combination of radiation and chemotherapy or when undergoing a repeated course of chemotherapy. Normalizing the hemoglobin level significantly increases the patient’s chances of a speedy recovery, because the survival rate of cancer patients directly depends on hemoglobin.
Red blood cells. Since toxins during chemotherapy inhibit hematopoietic processes, the content of red blood cells in the blood of a cancer patient also decreases. He develops pronounced erythrocytopenia, which is accompanied by a sharp loss of strength and rapid fatigue.
Platelets. Platelet counts also decrease, and acute thrombocytopenia develops. This condition is critically dangerous for the patient, since the patient’s blood clotting ability is practically zero and the slightest wound can cause severe bleeding with large blood losses. Bruises appear on the patient's skin, bleeding occurs from the gums and nose, as well as bleeding in the digestive tract.

As you can see, the blood picture becomes very dangerous for the health of a cancer patient, so it is necessary to take urgent measures to restore the blood after a chemotherapy course of treatment.

How to recover?

Restoring the blood formula requires an integrated approach.

If there is a strong decrease in leukocyte cells, then the temperature increases, the cancer patient is bothered by redness around the wounds formed on the skin, severe diarrhea, soreness in the larynx and skin rashes.

A reduced level of platelets leads to gum bleeding, uterine and gastric bleeding, which is extremely dangerous and can be fatal.

Therefore, after systemic therapy with antitumor drugs, rehabilitation measures are vital.

How to increase leukocytes in the blood after chemotherapy?

To restore the leukocyte level, it is necessary to carry out a whole range of measures, otherwise the patient will develop acute immunodeficiency. Usually they resort to medications and diet therapy.

As an additional measure, you can use the recommendations of traditional medicine, but only after medical approval.

Drug therapy

To increase leukocyte cells after chemotherapy, specialists will prescribe drugs like Granacite or Neupogen, which are among the most potent, to cancer patients.

If necessary, resort to gentle drugs such as Imunofan or Polyoxidonium. Also among the prescribed drugs may be medications such as Methyluracil or Leukogen, Batilol or Pyridoxine.

Additionally, the use of Lenograstim or Filgrastim, which stimulates the production of bone marrow leukocytes, is indicated.

Food

Diet therapy is also necessary to restore leukocyte levels.

Cancer patients after chemotherapy treatment should include baked/stewed fish, beef and chicken broths, mussels and fresh vegetables such as zucchini or pumpkin, carrots or beets in their daily menu.
If possible, it is recommended to eat red caviar and fish, red wine, and red fruits/vegetables.
It is very useful to have buckwheat for breakfast, steamed with boiling water in the evening, but not boiled. It is good to add kefir to it to improve the taste of the cereal.
It is useful to eat a spoonful of honey twice a day on an empty stomach.
Sprouted lentils and chicory also have a positive effect on white blood cell counts. They should be consumed in a large spoon twice a day.

Folk remedies

Among folk remedies, there are also many recipes that help normalize leukocyte levels.

Walnut tincture. The nuts are peeled, placed in a glass container and filled with water. For two weeks, the container is left in the light, but removed from direct sun. Then it is put away in a dark closet. Take the infusion three times a day with a large spoon for a month.
Oatmeal broth. Fill a small saucepan halfway with oats, and add milk to the rest. Bring the mixture to a boil, then simmer it in a bathhouse for 20 minutes. Drink in small portions 3-4 times a day.
Barley decoction. Pour two liters of water into 1.5 cups of grain and boil over low heat until reduced by half. Drink the decoction three times a day, half an hour before meals, 50 ml. Depending on the patient’s taste preferences, you can add honey or sea salt to the broth.

It is also useful during the recovery period after chemotherapy to drink green tea, rosehip infusion, compotes and fruit drinks, as well as freshly prepared fruit and vegetable juices.

How to raise platelets?

If, against the background of the toxic effects of chemotherapy drugs, a cancer patient develops thrombocytopenia, then his blood stops clotting properly, which is very life-threatening.

Therefore, such patients are prescribed specialized drug treatment with drugs:

Dicynone (Etamsylate) is an effective drug against thrombocytopenia and bleeding;
Sodium deoxyribonucleate (Derinat) - the basis of the product consists of an extract of sturgeon milk, the medicine is of natural origin;
Corticosteroids (glucocorticoids) – these include drugs like Dexamethasone or Prednisolone, which stimulate platelet formation.

Additionally, the intake of vitamin complexes (B+C) and microelements (lysine, magnesium, and calcium, zinc) is indicated.

It is healthy to eat nuts and seeds, sprouted grains, and fruits. Among folk remedies, nettle juice, yarrow and other herbal infusions are effective, but you cannot take them on your own; a doctor’s approval is required.

Increasing hemoglobin

To increase hemoglobin after chemotherapy, mandatory diet therapy is recommended with an emphasis on eating foods rich in iron, B12, folic acid, etc.

But such a diet requires measures, because with an excess content of the above components, the accelerated development of abnormal cellular structures will occur. Therefore, such elements are more often prescribed in the form of medications.

If the hemoglobin level drops below 80 g/l, then the cancer patient must undergo a transfusion of red blood cells.

Drugs of the erythropoietin group such as Neorecomon or Eprexa have a positive effect on the patient’s recovery. But they are quite expensive, so they are not always available to cancer patients.

Patients with low hemoglobin levels after a course of anticancer drugs are recommended to eat a large spoon three times a day of a magical mixture of lemon and figs, prunes and dried apricots, raisins and walnuts, seasoned with honey.

Juice from pomegranate and radish, beets and carrots, apples, cranberry juice, etc. is healthy.

Increasing red blood cells

Red blood cell structures are continuously produced by the bone marrow and are red blood cells.

If they decrease (along with hemoglobin), then anemia occurs. Every cancer patient has anemic processes of moderate severity, so this condition is considered normal.

But if anemia becomes severe, then a transfusion of red blood cells is indicated. But such measures must be resorted to with the utmost caution, because bedridden patients do not need increased oxygen supplies. For such cancer patients, 70-80 g/l is sufficient.

Gradually, as the patient recovers, the level of red blood cells and hemoglobin will normalize. Only an integrated approach to the rehabilitation of a patient after chemotherapy treatment will allow the body, in particular the blood, to recover more quickly.

Instructions

Don't start panicking ahead of time. Although rather narrow limits of normal blood levels have been established, we must not forget that each person is individual. And what is a pathology for many may be a pathology for others. If you yourself notice that the level of red blood cells in your blood test exceeds previous results, and the doctor did not prescribe any treatment for you, this does not mean that he is not competent. If some kind of disease arises in your body, then other indicators must change: first of all (or color indicator), platelets, .

Determine the cause. An increased level of red blood cells in the blood is determined by numerous factors. It can occur as a result of dehydration, long-term treatment with steroids and corticosteroids, disruption of the red bone marrow, pulmonary diseases, kidney diseases, Cushing's disease, and neoplasms. The detection of red blood cells in the urine indicates inflammatory processes in the genitourinary system. Only a correctly identified cause and timely treatment aimed at it will help avoid complications.

Bleeding. In addition to medications aimed at eliminating a specific cause of an increase or decrease in red blood cells, courses of bloodletting can be carried out. Due to the proliferation of red bone marrow, the volume of circulating blood increases in patients with erythrocytosis. This leads to increased arterial and venous pressure. Bloodletting using incisions, injections or leeches will help reduce blood pressure and prevent severe blood thickening, and therefore the risk of blood clots.

Remember to eat right. Since with erythrocytosis there is a danger of heart disease, you should try not to burden your body with heavy fatty foods, but rather help it by consuming milk, vegetables and fruits, fish, walnuts, raspberry jam (instead of sugar). It is not recommended to drink alcoholic beverages, as they put extra strain on the heart, liver and thicken the blood. But lemon juice will help thin the blood, so it’s useful to add a slice of lemon to green tea seasoned with honey.

Sources:

erythrocytosis treatment

Erythrocytes are anucleate red blood cells of a biconcave shape. Their average diameter, approximately equal to the internal diameter of the blood capillary, is 7-8 microns. The main feature of red blood cells is the presence of hemoglobin in them, which binds oxygen and carbon dioxide.

Instructions

A pathological increase in the number of red blood cells in the blood is rarely observed. A physiological increase in erythrocyte counts can occur in people living in the mountains due to stress, dehydration or intense physical activity. As a rule, this is due to the release of deposited blood into the bloodstream.

A decrease in the number of red blood cells - erythropenia - is observed with bleeding, intoxication, lack of iron, vitamin B12, folic acid, etc. A direct consequence of a low level of red blood cells is anemia - anemia. Most often, iron deficiency anemia occurs, associated with an improper diet, impaired absorption of iron, or an uncompensated increase in the need for it (during pregnancy, during periods of active growth, etc.).

Thank you

The site provides reference information for informational purposes only. Diagnosis and treatment of diseases must be carried out under the supervision of a specialist. All drugs have contraindications. Consultation with a specialist is required!

Red blood cells and their significance in tests: increase and decrease in the level of red blood cells in a general urine test and blood test. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and its meaning
Red blood cells are called red blood cells, which are the most numerous blood cells, which tend to enrich the tissues and organs of the human body not only with oxygen, but also with nutrients. These blood cells contain a huge amount of red pigment hemoglobin, which in turn promotes the binding of oxygen in the lung area and its release into the tissue.
A decrease in the level of red blood cells is a signal of the development of anemia. An increase in their number is possible in case of dehydration or development erythremia.
Detection of these bodies in urine is possible due to an inflammatory process in one of the organs of the urinary system, namely the kidneys, bladder, and so on.

Red blood cells - what are they?

Red blood cells are the most numerous blood cells. They have a fairly regular shape, which in appearance resembles a disk. The edges of red blood cells are slightly thicker than their center. At the cut site, these bodies take on the appearance of a dumbbell or biconcave lens. It is due to this structure that these bodies manage to absorb the maximum amount of both oxygen and carbon dioxide while moving through the bloodstream.

The formation of red blood cells occurs in the red bone marrow under the influence of a special kidney hormone called erythropoietin. If you look at a mature red blood cell that moves in the blood, you can immediately note that it contains neither organelles nor a nucleus. Mature blood cells do not tend to synthesize nucleic acids and hemoglobin. Since red blood cells have a low metabolic rate, this fact gives them the ability to survive for at least one hundred and twenty days. It is this period that is considered to be the period of wear and tear of red blood cells. At the end of this period, sedimentation of these bodies is noted, after which they undergo a series of destructions in the area of the spleen and liver. New red blood cells are constantly being formed, which is why in most cases there is a constant number of red blood cells in human blood.

Red blood cells contain a fairly large amount of hemoglobin, a special protein that contains iron. It is due to hemoglobin that red blood cells manage to deliver oxygen to tissues and organs, and carbon dioxide to the lungs. Hemoglobin is characterized by a red color. As a result, red blood cells and blood are also endowed with the same color.
The main function of red blood cells is considered to be the transfer of oxygen from the lungs to the tissues and carbon dioxide from the tissues to the lungs. In addition, they help maintain the acid-base balance in the blood, and also protect and nourish the tissues and organs of the human body.

Red blood cells

In human blood there is an accumulation of a huge number of red blood cells. For example, if you take the blood of a person whose body weight is sixty kilograms, it will contain approximately twenty-five trillion red blood cells. If all these red blood cells are laid out in one row, you can get a column of more than sixty kilometers. With all this, it is much more convenient and practical to detect not the general level of red blood cells, but their accumulation in a small volume of blood ( for example, in one cubic millimeter of blood). The level of these cells in one cubic millimeter is considered to be a fairly important indicator, since with its help you can not only get a general picture of a person’s health status, but also identify the presence of certain pathologies. In the blood of a healthy person, the normal number of red blood cells should vary within a fairly narrow range. It is also important to note the fact that the normal number of red blood cells is determined by several factors, namely the person’s age, gender, and place of residence.

Normal level of red blood cells in the blood
The level of red blood cells in the blood can be determined through a clinical blood test. In representatives of the stronger sex, the normal number of red blood cells should be from 4 to 5.1 million in one cubic millimeter of blood. For representatives of the fairer sex, this figure ranges from 3.7 to 4.7 million in one cubic millimeter of blood.

The level of red blood cells in a child’s blood is determined by his age:

On the first day of a child’s life – from 4.3 to 7.6 million in one cubic millimeter of blood
In the first month of a child’s life - from 3.8 to 5.6 million in one cubic millimeter of blood
In the first six months of a child’s life - from 3.5 to 4.8 million in one cubic millimeter of blood
In the first year of a child’s life - from 3.6 to 4.9 million in one cubic millimeter of blood
From one to twelve years - from 3.5 to 4.7 million in one cubic millimeter of blood

In children over thirteen years of age, the normal number of red blood cells should be the same as in adults, that is, from 3.6 to 5.1 million per cubic millimeter of blood.

The fact that the blood of a newborn baby has the highest number of red blood cells is very easy to explain. The fact is that, while in the womb, the child needs a higher number of red blood cells, since only in this way can his tissues and organs receive the amount of oxygen they need. As soon as the baby is born, red blood cells immediately begin to disintegrate and be replaced by new ones. If a newborn develops jaundice, it means that red blood cells are breaking down very quickly in his body.

Level of red blood cells in the blood of pregnant women
The number of red blood cells can sometimes decrease during pregnancy. In principle, this is considered to be a normal condition, since during pregnancy almost all expectant mothers experience a lack of iron in the body. In addition, the decrease in red blood cells may also be due to dilution of the blood due to water retention in the body.

Changes in the level of red blood cells in the blood and their explanation
The number of red blood cells in the blood can either decrease or increase relative to the norm.

Increased level of red blood cells in the blood - what does this mean?
A condition accompanied by an increase in the level of red blood cells per unit volume of blood is called erythrocytosis. In principle, this condition is observed extremely rarely. Sometimes people experience a physiological increase in the number of red blood cells due to excessive physical exertion, frequent stressful situations, living in the mountains, or excessive dehydration. An increase in the level of red blood cells in the blood is considered to be a pathology if:

In humans, there is an increased formation of red blood cells in the red bone marrow. In most cases, this excessive formation of red cells is due to the presence of certain blood diseases, which include erythremia. In the presence of this pathology, a person has a bright red coloration of the skin of both the face and neck.
An increase in the number of red blood cells occurred due to excessive synthesis of erythropoietin in the kidneys, against the background of pathologies of the cardiovascular system or respiratory tract, due to a lack of oxygen in the blood. As a rule, in all these cases, an increase in the level of red blood cells indicates the presence of long-term pathology of the lungs or heart.

Decreased red blood cell levels
A decrease in the number of red blood cells per unit volume of blood is called erythropenia. The most common cause of the development of this condition is considered to be one or another type of anemia. Anemia or anemia may make itself felt due to disruption of the formation of red blood cells in the red bone marrow. In addition, anemia can occur due to the loss of a large amount of blood, as well as as a result of excessive destruction of red blood cells. In most cases, people have iron deficiency anemia, accompanied by insufficient formation of red blood cells due to iron deficiency in the human body. A lack of iron in the body can be caused by both an increase in the body's need for this substance, and a violation of its absorption or insufficient intake into the body along with food. If iron deficiency anemia develops, the patient may experience not only a decrease in the level of red blood cells, but also many other signs of this pathology.

There are also cases when the level of red blood cells decreases due to a lack of vitamin B12 or folic acid. In such cases, in addition to anemia, patients experience disturbances in both sensitivity and gait.
The state of increased destruction of red blood cells is called hemolysis. This condition can arise both as a result of hereditary pathologies and due to a violation of the structure of the red cell membrane, against the background hemoglobinopathies or Marchiafava-Miceli disease. It is quite possible that increased destruction of red cells may develop due to mechanical or toxic damage to their membrane. A decrease in the level of these blood cells is also possible with excessive blood loss. The number of red blood cells can be determined by general blood test.

Red blood cells in urine

The normal number of red blood cells in a general urinalysis should be 0–2 per field of view. If the urinary sediment is examined using the Nechiporenko method, then the number of red blood cells can reach up to a thousand. Single red cells may appear in the urine if a person has stood for a very long time or done heavy physical work. If red blood cells are detected in the urine of pregnant women, children or adults, they need to get specialist advice as soon as possible.

Sometimes red blood cells are found in urine in the form of a minor impurity that cannot be seen with the naked eye. This type of impurity can only be detected through microscopic examination of urine.
In case gross hematuria in the patient’s urine there is an accumulation of a very large number of red blood cells, which can be seen with the naked eye. Plus, the urine in such cases turns red.

The reasons contributing to the development of red blood cells in the urine include:
In most cases

Kidney pathologies: pyelonephritis, glomerulonephritis ( in the presence of these diseases, the patient experiences not only the presence of red blood cells in the urine, but also pain in the lumbar region, as well as an increase in body temperature).
Urolithiasis ( in this case, there are attacks of renal colic, as well as episodes of gross hematuria, noted at the time of the passage of large stones).
Pathologies of the urethra and bladder: urethritis, cystitis ( in addition to visible blood in the urine, the patient also experiences pain in the lower abdomen, increased body temperature and painful urination).
In childhood, red blood cells may appear in the urine against the background of cystitis, pyelonephritis and glomerulonephritis.

Less often

Pathologies of the prostate gland, namely prostate adenoma, in the presence of which, along with red blood cells in the urine, the patient also experiences prolonged and progressive difficulty urinating.
Kidney tumors ( in this case, red blood cells may be present in the patient’s urine for a fairly long period of time, without making themselves felt in any way).

What does ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate) mean?

If we take fresh blood and place it in a thin glass tube that stands vertically, we can see how the red blood cells soon begin to settle to the bottom under the influence of gravity. ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate) represents the rate of separation of blood, which is previously placed in a special capillary. In such cases, the blood is divided into exactly two layers - lower and upper. The lower layer of blood consists of settled red blood cells, but the upper layer includes transparent plasma. ESR measured in millimeters per hour. Representatives of the stronger sex have a normal indicator ESR It is generally accepted to be from one to ten millimeters per hour, but in the weaker half of humanity the erythrocyte sedimentation rate should be from two to fifteen millimeters per hour.

ESR in children is determined by their age: