Recognizing erythrocytes and their function for the body

Erythrocytes or red blood cells are one type of blood cell that flows in your body, Erythrocytes play an important function in your survival, namely circulating oxygen throughout the body. Your erythrocyte level must remain within normal limits to stay healthy. Consider the explanation below to get to know the erythrocytes in your body better.

What are erythrocytes?

Erythrocytes are round pieces of blood with a slight niche in the middle, somewhat like a donut. These blood cells are made in the bone marrow through a process called erythropoiesis.

Erythrocytes have a very elastic shape and can change shape to conform as they flow through the tiny blood capillaries. This property makes erythrocytes able to spread rapidly in the bloodstream to reach various organs in the body.

The age of the red blood cells usually ranges from 120 days (4 months). After that, old and damaged cells will be broken down in the spleen and replaced with new ones.

Immature blood cells are called reticulocytes. The amount, can reach 1-2% of the total erythrocytes.

Hemoglobin in red blood cells plays a role in binding oxygen, forming circles on the pieces of blood, and giving blood its red color. Later, erythrocytes will flow throughout the body to circulate oxygen.

Another function of red blood cells is to help the process of exchanging oxygen and carbon dioxide gases in the lungs when breathing.

What is the normal number of erythrocytes?

A normal erythrocyte count is usually counted or measured through a test called a complete blood test (complete blood count).

Quoted from Lab Tests Online, the count of red blood cells in the examination includes:

• Red blood cell (RBC), which is the number of red blood cells in your blood sample.
• Hemoglobin, which is the total amount of oxygen-carrying protein in the blood.
• Hematocrit, which is the percentage of the total volume of blood consisting of red blood cells.
• Corpuscular mean (MCV), that is, the average size of erythrocytes.
• Mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), that is, the average amount of hemoglobin in erythrocytes.
• Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), namely the average concentration of hemoglobin in erythrocytes.
• Red cell distribution width (RDW), namely the variation in erythrocyte size.
• Reticulocytes, which is the absolute number or percentage of young erythrocytes that have recently formed in your blood sample.

Your doctor will measure your red blood cell count to help diagnose medical conditions and learn more about your health. The normal erythrocyte count is:

• Men: 4.7-6.1 million per microliter of blood
• Women: 4.2-5.4 million per microliter of blood
• Children: 4-5.5 million per microliter of blood

Meanwhile, the normal number of other components checked in the red blood test are:

• Hemoglobin: 132-166 gram / L in men, while 116-150 gram / L in women
• Hematocrit: In men it was 38.3-48.6 percent, while in women it was 35.5-44.9 percent

You may need more tests to determine what is causing your blood cell count to be high or low. These include tests to look for conditions that cause your body to produce too many red blood cells, such as a heart failure test, or tests to detect disorders that restrict your oxygen supply, such as sleep apnea.

What does it mean if the results are abnormal?

An abnormal amount can cause certain symptoms in your body. You can check your suspected symptoms here.

If you have high erythrocytes, you can experience symptoms such as:

• Fatigue
• Hard to breathe
• Joint pain
• Itchy skin, especially after showering
• Experiencing sleep disturbances

If you have a low erythrocyte count, symptoms can include:

• Fatigue
• Hard to breathe
• Dizziness and weakness, especially when changing body and head positions quickly
• Increased heart rate
• Headache
• Pale skin

What causes high erythrocyte levels?

High erythrocytes can indicate certain diseases or health problems, although this is not always the case. Unhealthy lifestyle habits can also cause high red blood cell counts.

Medical conditions that can cause this increase in blood cells include:

• Heart failure
• Congenital heart disease
• Polycythemia vera (a blood disorder in which the bone marrow produces too many red blood cells)
• Kidney tumor
• Lung diseases, such as emphysema, COPD, pulmonary fibrosis (lung tissue becomes scarred)
• Hypoxia (low blood oxygen level)
• Carbon monoxide exposure (usually from smoking)

Lifestyle factors that can cause a high red blood cell count include:

• You smoke
• Living in a high land like the mountains
• Take other energy-boosting or hormonal drugs such as anabolic steroids (for example, synthetic testosterone) or erythropoietin

How do you deal with high red blood cell levels?

If your red blood cell count is high, your doctor may recommend procedures or medications to lower it.

In a procedure called a phlebotomy, your doctor will insert a needle into your vein and drain the blood through the tube into a bag or container. You may need to undergo this procedure repeatedly until your erythrocyte level is close to normal.

If you are diagnosed with polycythemia vera or bone marrow disease, your doctor may also prescribe a drug called hydroxyurea to slow down erythrocyte production.

You should see your doctor regularly while taking hydroxyurea to make sure your levels don't drop too low.

What causes low erythrocyte levels?

Low blood cell counts are usually caused by:

• Anemia
• Bone marrow failure
• Lack of erythropoietin, which is a major cause of anemia in patients with chronic kidney disease
• Hemolysis, or red blood cell damage caused by transfusions and blood vessel injury
• Internal or external bleeding
• Leukemia
• Malnutrition
• Multiple myeloma, cancer of the plasma cells in the bone marrow
• Lack of nutrients, including deficiencies in iron, copper, folate, and vitamins B-6 and B-12
• Is pregnant
• Thyroid disorders

Certain medications can also lower your red blood cell count, especially:

• Chemotherapy drugs
• The drug chloramphenicol, which treats bacterial infections
• The drug quinidine, which can treat an irregular heartbeat
• The medicinal hydantoins, which were traditionally used to treat epilepsy and muscle spasms

How to increase erythrocytes?

Diets that can increase erythrocytes are:

• Eat iron-rich foods (such as meat, fish, poultry), as well as dried beans, peas, and green vegetables (such as spinach) for your diet
• Eat foods rich in copper such as shellfish, poultry, and nuts
• Eat foods that are more high in vitamin B-12 with foods such as eggs, meat and whole grains.