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What Causes Elevated WBC When Diagnosed With Beta Thalassemia Minor?
Question: I have thalasemia b minor and my rbc is 7 my wbc is slightly high on 11 . I have few questions :
1- is rbc level normal for minor thal?
2- does this amount of rbc can cause itchness? Because thats why i visited a dr for.
3- dr told me to take it easy with excersices because in thos condition bone marrow will require more work and rbc can become higher?is this true because am about to have gym membership
4- another dr asked me to think abt taking aspirin because high rbc is at risk of clotting? Is that true
5- i did a1c test and it showed 6.48 result so am i in prediabetec level or thal minor gives false a1c?
6- will attaching all results help in finding the itching cause? As ige level was normal and ultrasound showed slighltly enlarged spleen 11.9
1- is rbc level normal for minor thal?
2- does this amount of rbc can cause itchness? Because thats why i visited a dr for.
3- dr told me to take it easy with excersices because in thos condition bone marrow will require more work and rbc can become higher?is this true because am about to have gym membership
4- another dr asked me to think abt taking aspirin because high rbc is at risk of clotting? Is that true
5- i did a1c test and it showed 6.48 result so am i in prediabetec level or thal minor gives false a1c?
6- will attaching all results help in finding the itching cause? As ige level was normal and ultrasound showed slighltly enlarged spleen 11.9
Brief Answer:
Your RBC level is high.
Detailed Answer:
Hi, dear
I have gone through your question. I can understand your concern.
I will give your answers one by one.
1. In thal minor RBC level is slightly higher then normal but your level is very high.
2. High level of RBC can cause itchiness but other cause of itchiness should be rules out.
3. You should stop exercise for sometime and repeat your complete blood count.
4. High RBC level can increase the risk of clotting. But aspirin generally used in polycythemia patients to reduce the risk of clotting. In thal minor generally it is not needed.
5. Thal minor gives false high value in HBa1c results so in case of thal minor it not reliable. You should check fasting and postprandial blood sugar level.
6. please send me your all reports so that I can help you further. Your reports may help me to find some cause.
Hope I have answered your all questions. If you still have any doubts then feel free to ask me. I will be happy to answer.
Thanks for using health care magic. Wish you a very good health.
Your RBC level is high.
Detailed Answer:
Hi, dear
I have gone through your question. I can understand your concern.
I will give your answers one by one.
1. In thal minor RBC level is slightly higher then normal but your level is very high.
2. High level of RBC can cause itchiness but other cause of itchiness should be rules out.
3. You should stop exercise for sometime and repeat your complete blood count.
4. High RBC level can increase the risk of clotting. But aspirin generally used in polycythemia patients to reduce the risk of clotting. In thal minor generally it is not needed.
5. Thal minor gives false high value in HBa1c results so in case of thal minor it not reliable. You should check fasting and postprandial blood sugar level.
6. please send me your all reports so that I can help you further. Your reports may help me to find some cause.
Hope I have answered your all questions. If you still have any doubts then feel free to ask me. I will be happy to answer.
Thanks for using health care magic. Wish you a very good health.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Hello dr,
Thank you for your support. I have uploaded all the lab results including 3 c b c done in 3 months and all results that allergist and internal md asked me to do.
I hope to find an underlying cause of my results all its all normal? i want to roll out any other conditions like polycythemia or tumors also i would like to know what you think regarding itchiness connection because i visited dermatologist and allergist and both couldn't find anything wrong except the c b c results.
1- If rbc is too high even for that minor what you think the cause is?
2- when my rbi was 6.6 in one result i was doing more exercise than when it was 7, i really want to know the exercise reason as i was not sold on that department, will it affect oxygen levels or increase risk of clot?because one dr is telling me to increase exercise and other one to cool it down.
3- I understood from your post that am at high risk of clot but yet i don't need aspirin and still i should stop exercise, i am getting confused in this department.
Also i would like to mention that the last dr i visited gave me these supps to try and then do another blood test,but i didn't bought them yet do you think i should try them? :
1- folic acid 5 mg
2- Neurobion
3- Flagyl 400 mg for 5 days
and he said ferritin level should be lower but he didn't mention how to do that.
In the end all i want to know is should i roll out any other dangerous underlying caused based on my results?and should i live normal active lifestyle or further tests are needed? many thanks for your support
Thank you for your support. I have uploaded all the lab results including 3 c b c done in 3 months and all results that allergist and internal md asked me to do.
I hope to find an underlying cause of my results all its all normal? i want to roll out any other conditions like polycythemia or tumors also i would like to know what you think regarding itchiness connection because i visited dermatologist and allergist and both couldn't find anything wrong except the c b c results.
1- If rbc is too high even for that minor what you think the cause is?
2- when my rbi was 6.6 in one result i was doing more exercise than when it was 7, i really want to know the exercise reason as i was not sold on that department, will it affect oxygen levels or increase risk of clot?because one dr is telling me to increase exercise and other one to cool it down.
3- I understood from your post that am at high risk of clot but yet i don't need aspirin and still i should stop exercise, i am getting confused in this department.
Also i would like to mention that the last dr i visited gave me these supps to try and then do another blood test,but i didn't bought them yet do you think i should try them? :
1- folic acid 5 mg
2- Neurobion
3- Flagyl 400 mg for 5 days
and he said ferritin level should be lower but he didn't mention how to do that.
In the end all i want to know is should i roll out any other dangerous underlying caused based on my results?and should i live normal active lifestyle or further tests are needed? many thanks for your support
Brief Answer:
You don't have any risk of clotting or polycythemia.
Detailed Answer:
Hi, dear
I have gone through your question and your all reports. I can understand your concern.
I will explain in details about your all reports and question.
You don't have any risk of polycythemia, tumour or clotting. So don't worry about that.
Your itchiness also has no relation with your thalassemia minor.
Your RBC count is high but it is common in thalassemia minor. It is due to increased production of RBC. It is not a cause of big concern.
Exercise itself is useful in beta thallasemia minor. But stop exercising if you become fatigued. Otherwise no need to worry.
In thallasemia there is low oxygen carrying capacity, exercise increase the blood flow and it will help in bone strengthening and overall health.
So to be very clear, exercise is helpful in thalassemia but if you feel fatigued then you should stop it.
Don't confuse about risk of clotting. In thalassemia minor you don't have high risk because your hematocrit is not high. No need of aspirin in thalassemia minor. And stop exercising if you feel fatigued or breathlessness. Otherwise there is no harm in that.
Now comes to your reports, You have HbA2 level 4.6 which is confirmatory for thalassemia minor. Your all three CBC shows similar pictures that is commonly seen in thalassemia minor. RBC is high but it may occur and it is not a cause of big concern.
You have mild spleen enlargement. If it increase in size and severe enlargement occur then removal of spleen is needed.
Your HBA1c is high but it is not reliable in thalassemia. Your fasting sugar is normal so no risk of diabetes.
Your kidney function tests are normal.
Your Iron and vitamin B12 level is normal. Your allergy test is almost normal except indicator. For that you need to consult dermatologist.
You are given folic acid, vitamin B12 and flagyl.
Folic acid and vitamin b12 is helpful in thalassemia patient. You should take that drugs. Flagyl is one type of antibiotic used in diarrhea. It should be taken only if it is needed.
You don't have any major disease. You can have normal active life style. No further test is needed for thalassemia or rbc. For itchiness you may need further test according to dermatologist advice.
Hope I have answered your all questions. If still have any doubts then feel free to ask me. I will be happy to answer. Thanks for using health care magic. Wish you a very good health.
You don't have any risk of clotting or polycythemia.
Detailed Answer:
Hi, dear
I have gone through your question and your all reports. I can understand your concern.
I will explain in details about your all reports and question.
You don't have any risk of polycythemia, tumour or clotting. So don't worry about that.
Your itchiness also has no relation with your thalassemia minor.
Your RBC count is high but it is common in thalassemia minor. It is due to increased production of RBC. It is not a cause of big concern.
Exercise itself is useful in beta thallasemia minor. But stop exercising if you become fatigued. Otherwise no need to worry.
In thallasemia there is low oxygen carrying capacity, exercise increase the blood flow and it will help in bone strengthening and overall health.
So to be very clear, exercise is helpful in thalassemia but if you feel fatigued then you should stop it.
Don't confuse about risk of clotting. In thalassemia minor you don't have high risk because your hematocrit is not high. No need of aspirin in thalassemia minor. And stop exercising if you feel fatigued or breathlessness. Otherwise there is no harm in that.
Now comes to your reports, You have HbA2 level 4.6 which is confirmatory for thalassemia minor. Your all three CBC shows similar pictures that is commonly seen in thalassemia minor. RBC is high but it may occur and it is not a cause of big concern.
You have mild spleen enlargement. If it increase in size and severe enlargement occur then removal of spleen is needed.
Your HBA1c is high but it is not reliable in thalassemia. Your fasting sugar is normal so no risk of diabetes.
Your kidney function tests are normal.
Your Iron and vitamin B12 level is normal. Your allergy test is almost normal except indicator. For that you need to consult dermatologist.
You are given folic acid, vitamin B12 and flagyl.
Folic acid and vitamin b12 is helpful in thalassemia patient. You should take that drugs. Flagyl is one type of antibiotic used in diarrhea. It should be taken only if it is needed.
You don't have any major disease. You can have normal active life style. No further test is needed for thalassemia or rbc. For itchiness you may need further test according to dermatologist advice.
Hope I have answered your all questions. If still have any doubts then feel free to ask me. I will be happy to answer. Thanks for using health care magic. Wish you a very good health.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj
Thank you dr XXXXXXX for clearing all the doubts, my dr didnt explain all that and now i know what those figures means :)
Just want to know for how long should i stay on folic acid and B supps? Is it one pill for life or should i do on and off?
Also i might need to do a nose rhienuplasty surgery to improve my breathing, is my blood condition generally affect surgeries or healing? Or should i mention it to my dr or its fine to do surgeries, my condition is not severe and i can ignore it.
Many thanks
Just want to know for how long should i stay on folic acid and B supps? Is it one pill for life or should i do on and off?
Also i might need to do a nose rhienuplasty surgery to improve my breathing, is my blood condition generally affect surgeries or healing? Or should i mention it to my dr or its fine to do surgeries, my condition is not severe and i can ignore it.
Many thanks
Brief Answer:
You should explain your doctor first before surgery.
Detailed Answer:
Hi, dear
I have gone through your question. I can understand your concern.
You should take folic acid and vitamin B12 supplements on and off for few days according to your doctor's advice.
Before surgery you should explain your doctor about thalassemia minor. It is definitely asymptomatic condition. But in surgery it can cause some complications. You should check your hemoglobin before surgery. If it is normal then no need to worry. But just inform your doctor about that.
Hope I have answered your question, if you have doubt then I will be happy to answer. Thanks for using health care magic. Wish you a very good health.
You should explain your doctor first before surgery.
Detailed Answer:
Hi, dear
I have gone through your question. I can understand your concern.
You should take folic acid and vitamin B12 supplements on and off for few days according to your doctor's advice.
Before surgery you should explain your doctor about thalassemia minor. It is definitely asymptomatic condition. But in surgery it can cause some complications. You should check your hemoglobin before surgery. If it is normal then no need to worry. But just inform your doctor about that.
Hope I have answered your question, if you have doubt then I will be happy to answer. Thanks for using health care magic. Wish you a very good health.
Note: Do you have more questions on diagnosis or treatment of blood disorders? Ask An Expert/ Specialist Now
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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