Definition

1. Noun:
   • A blood disorder marked by an abnormal increase in red blood cells: Polycythemia is a condition where the body produces too many red blood cells, which can thicken the blood and lead to complications.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The patient was diagnosed with polycythemia after a routine blood test showed a high red blood cell count.
  • Symptoms of polycythemia can include headaches, dizziness, and a reddish complexion.

Advanced Usage

• "Polycythemia vera": A specific, chronic type of polycythemia, which is a myeloproliferative neoplasm (a blood cancer) where the bone marrow makes too many red blood cells.

  • Polycythemia vera is the most common form of primary polycythemia.

• "Relative polycythemia": A condition where the red blood cell count appears high due to a decrease in blood plasma volume, not an actual overproduction of cells.

  • Dehydration can cause a temporary state of relative polycythemia.

Variants and Related Words

• Polycythemic (adj): Relating to or affected by polycythemia.
  • The doctor noted the patient's polycythemic condition.

Synonyms

• Erythrocytosis: A synonym often used interchangeably to describe an increase in red blood cells, though it can sometimes refer specifically to a secondary form of the condition.

Different Meanings

• The term polycythemia is specific to medical pathology. It does not have general, non-medical meanings. It refers exclusively to the abnormal proliferation of red blood cells.

Noun

1. a disorder characterized by an abnormal increase in the number of red blood cells in the blood