Low Red Blood Cell Count - What Does it Mean?

The red blood cell count not only determines the number of red blood cells in a sample of blood, it helps in evaluating their shape and size, as well. Age and sex of a person influence this count. As you read further, you will come across the answer to the question 'low red blood cell count - what does it mean?' Also know what symptoms does this medical condition may exhibit and how can it be tackled. But before coming to that, it is imperative that you should know about the normal red blood cell count in children as well as in adults.

Normal Red Blood Cell (RBC) Count

In adult men, the RBC count ranges from 4.2 - 5.72 million red blood cells/microliter of blood, while for adult women, the measure ranges from 4.2 - 5.0 million red blood cells/microliter of blood. For children, the count normally lies between 3.5 - 5.5 million red blood cells/microliter of blood. So, when the count falls below the normal figures, it is known as a low red blood cell count.

Low Count of Red Blood Cell - What Does It Mean?

When we speak of the meaning of low count of red blood cell in the body, we are basically pointing out to the underlying causes. The common ones may include anemia, malnutrition, chronic inflammation and acute or chronic blood loss. Nutritional deficiencies including those of iron, copper, vitamin B12, or vitamin B6 could also cause the red blood cell count to dwindle. Other causes include:

• Failure of the bone marrow
• Destruction of the red blood cells
• Leukemia
• Neurological conditions such as multiple myeloma
• Pregnancy
• Medications such as those used in chemotherapy

Besides the above causes, myelosuppression is also a condition that may cause low blood count in the body. It is defined as the decreased ability of the bone marrow to make blood cells. Pancytopenia is another condition that may be responsible for the same. It causes a dearth in red and white blood cells, and platelets as well.

Symptoms

Signs and symptoms which might help you to recognize and diagnose the issue include fatigue and weakness (due to low transport of oxygen to organs and tissues), dizziness (due to low supply of oxygen to brain), and pale skin and nails (due to lack of hemoglobin). Patients with low red blood cell count are also prone to or suffer from shortness of breath, chest pain (due to the heart not receiving ample amount of oxygen), headache, and feeling cold or experiencing numbness in her hands or feet. As the brain is cut off from its full supply of oxygen, concentration is also affected.

Treatment

Treatment is about increasing the count of the red blood cells in the body. The first treatment method is to administer iron supplements. Such products may be required to be taken for several months or longer. If the condition is caused due to nutritional deficiencies, then the patient might be treated with injections or supplements for boosting the vitamin levels. Some patients may have to undergo the process of blood transfusion to boost the levels of the RBCs. Diseased bone marrow cannot make healthy blood cells and therefore, medications or chemotherapy may be used to counter this kind of problem. Avoiding medications which might be causing the count of low red blood cell to fall, treating infections and using drugs that may suppress the immune system are also encompassed in the treatment.

Low red blood cell cannot be completely prevented. However, the risks can certainly be reduced. This can be done by including iron-rich foods in the diet. Rich sources include meat products, beans, lentils, green leafy vegetables, dried fruit, and nuts. Also, do not ignore the need to increase folate rich foods, and foods high in vitamin B12. It is important to know that keeping up the levels of vitamin C enhances iron absorption.

To conclude this article, the condition cannot be prevented or encountered by mere changing your food choices. The need to indulge in regular exercise is equally important. It is the body's mechanism to increase the red blood cells once it gets used to regular workouts. So the body is able to deliver larger amount of oxygen with time thus, preventing the onset of such conditions.