Is it normal for asthma patients to have high red blood cell count?
Patient: I am 53 years old and have had asthma my entire life.  I was explained yesterday that I have a high amount of red blood cells and they asked me if I spend a lot of time in the mountains.  Is it normal for asthmatics to have high red blood cell count because of the breathing ? Doctor: Hello dear,High red blood cell count in asthmatics can be explained by the following reason:1. In asthmatics, there is obstruction to the smaller airways of the respiratory tract.2. Due to this, there decreased availability of oxygen to the tissues.3. Depletion of Oxygen in quantity or molecular concentration results in a state of Hypoxia.4. This hypoxia is sensed by few specialized cells in the Kidney & they produce a hormone called Erythropoietin.5. Erythropoietin in turn acts on the bone marrow & stimulates the production of Red Blood Cells.Thus, asthmatics tend to have a high red blood cell count.Hope I have been able to answer your query.Wishing you a good health.Take care.