When you take a deep breath, you realize that your lungs are inflated and when you exhale, it shrinks again. It may seem like a fairly simple system, but have you ever wondered how the oxygen in that breath you take is carried to the tip of your toe? Here is the erythrocyte or red blood cells, known by everyone, with the abbreviation RBC, which carries the oxygen we breathe and has vital importance for us to every part of our body.
RBC erythrocytes are like little couriers coursing through our blood vessels. They take the oxygen in our lungs and spread it throughout the body, but they return not empty-handed, but carrying carbon dioxide waste. Since they have such a vital task, low and high erythrocyte levels can be risky from time to time. Let’s take a closer look at our red blood cells, RBC erythrocytes, and see the ideal RBC value for our health.
Contents
First of all, what is an RBC erythrocyte?
Also referred to as RBC, erythrocytes are red blood cells. Their main task is to carry the oxygen we take into our lungs through breathing to all parts of our body through blood vessels. Oxygen-carrying erythrocyte collects carbon dioxide waste on its return and carries it to the lungs, thus allowing them to be expelled. In other words, thanks to erythrocytes, we breathe in a healthy way.
What does erythrocyte do?
Erythrocytes, popularly known as red blood cells, are produced in the red bone marrow of spongy bones. At the end of a production process of about seven days, they mix with the blood and carry the oxygen we take to our lungs through breathing to every part of our body through blood vessels. On the way back, they bring carbon dioxide to the lungs and allow it to be expelled.
Erythrocytes have an average life span of 100 – 120 days. The erythrocytes, which are retired at the end of a working period of approximately 3 months, are used by cells and organs such as spleen, liver, bone marrow, lymph nodes, macrophages, and are recycled within the body.
Even if it is not the function of erythrocytes, there is another function that they have gained thanks to modern medicine. Since they have a lifespan of 100 – 120 days, they reveal the health status of the person for 3 months. Erythrocytes are the basis of the hemoglobin HbA1c test performed regularly for diabetic patients.
What do erythrocytes look like?
The reason why erythrocytes are called red blood cells is that they are red in color because of the hemoglobin protein they have. Since there is 40 percent of erythrocytes in our blood, they also cause the blood to appear red.
Erythrocytes are not round like other cells, but rather a flat disk like a donut. They are not empty, but they do not have nuclei either. They have a more flexible structure because they do not have a core. In this way, it has the opportunity to reach every part of our body by changing its shape and to carry oxygen.
What is the ideal erythrocyte RBC value?
- 4.7 – 6.1 million per 1 microliter of blood in men
- 4.2 – 5.4 million per 1 microliter of blood in women
- 4 – 5.5 million per 1 microliter of blood in children
This is the RBC value, which is generally accepted as ideal in men, women and children. However, these are general figures. The number of erythrocytes in the blood varies from person to person. However, as a result of the complete blood count test, your RBC value is considered low if it is less than these ranges, and high if it is too high.
What is low erythrocyte RBC, why does it happen?
- Anemia, which causes your blood to carry less oxygen than normal
- Losing more blood than normal
- Bone marrow disorders caused by leukemia, lymphoma and similar causes
- some types of cancer
- chemotherapy for cancer
- Vitamin deficiencies such as iron, B9, B12
- Not enought feeding
- ongoing medical problems
If your erythrocyte RBC value is less than the lower limit of the ideal range, it is considered low RBC. Some of the common causes of low RBC are as above.
What is erythrocyte RBC elevation, what causes it?
- Polycythemia Vera, a type of blood disease
- congenital heart diseases
- Lung diseases such as emphysema, COPD, and pulmonary fibrosis
- hypoxia, which lowers the oxygen level in the blood
- Carbon monoxide in the blood increased in smokers
- living at high altitudes
- Using performance-enhancing drugs such as anabolic steroids
- dehydration
- Ongoing heart and lung diseases
If your erythrocyte RBC value is higher than the upper limit of the ideal range, it is considered as RBC elevation. Some of the common causes of high RBC are as above.
Symptoms of low and high erythrocyte RBC:
- feeling of burnout
- weakness in muscles
- lack of energy
- Headache
- dizziness
- blurred vision
- Constant cold hands and feet
Similar symptoms are seen in case of low and high erythrocyte count, that is, RBC value in your blood. For this reason, do not have any prejudices unless it is diagnosed by a specialist physician. Some of the symptoms seen in low and high RBC are as above.
How to treat low and high erythrocyte RBC?
First of all, when you see one or more of the symptoms mentioned above, you should go to the nearest health institution and be examined by a specialist doctor. If your doctor requests a complete blood count test depending on the situation, he or she will diagnose low or high erythrocyte RBC based on the results.
After the diagnosis is made, it is found out what causes the low or high erythrocyte RBC. If this situation has not occurred due to a disease, the treatment process can be started with taking vitamins, a balanced diet or blood transfusion. However, if this condition is caused by a disease, a special treatment process will be initiated according to the disease in question.
What should you do for a healthy erythrocyte RBC value?
- Quit smoking.
- Exercise regularly.
- Be sure to take vitamins such as iron, B9, B12.
- Consume red meat.
- Consume fish.
- Eat green leafy vegetables like kale and spinach.
- Consume lentils, beans and peas.
- Consume nuts and dried fruits.
This is generally what you need to do to have healthy red blood cells. But beware, these are general recommendations. You may need to follow different methods according to your disease, low or high RBC.
We talked about low and high levels by answering questions such as what is the RBC erythrocyte, which is responsible for the transport of oxygen, which is vital for our body, what is its use, what is its ideal value. What we describe is for informational purposes only. Do not forget that you should get the most accurate and specific information about red blood cells from a specialist physician, as in all health issues.
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