Smoking makes your body produce more erythropoietin, the kidney hormone that stimulates red blood cell production. Smoking: Smoking affects hematocrit levels in two ways.Obstructive sleep apnea: Studies show links between obstructive sleep apnea and high hematocrit levels.Scarring or thickening of your lungs: Scarring in your lungs makes it difficult for your red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout your body.Lower plasma levels increase the ratio of red blood cells to blood volume. Dehydration: Dehydration lowers all water content in your body, including plasma in your blood.Heart disease: Studies show high hematocrit levels increase your risk of developing cardiovascular disease.Some conditions that may cause high hematocrit levels include: Your healthcare provider is your best resource for information about your test result. What does it mean if your hematocrit is high?Ī high hematocrit level may be a sign of several conditions, including polycythemia vera. Here are normal hematocrit levels by sex and age: What’s the normal range for hematocrit levels? They’ll take steps to help you to feel better. If that happens, tell your healthcare provider. Most people feel fine after their blood test. Are there any side effects or complications? No, this test doesn’t require special preparation such as fasting. They’ll place a small bandage on the spot where they placed the needle.ĭo I need to prepare for this blood test?.Your provider will put gentle pressure on the site where they placed the needle.When your provider has collected enough blood to be tested, they’ll release the tourniquet and remove the needle.Your blood moves through the needle and into a collecting tube or syringe.Next, they insert a needle into your vein.Your provider cleans the area around the vein selected for the blood draw.Pressure from the tourniquet helps fill veins below the tourniquet, making it easier for your provider to see or feel your veins. They place a tourniquet on your upper arm.They typically pick a vein on the inside surface of your elbow. Your provider looks for a vein from which to draw blood.Other times, providers use a needle prick to obtain a drop of blood. Sometimes, providers obtain blood from a vein, using a needle to fill one or more sample tubes. How do healthcare providers obtain blood for hematocrit levels?īlood tests to check hematocrit levels are simple, safe procedures with very few complications.
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