Polycythaemia vera also increases the risk of a heart attack or stroke.
What causes polycythaemia?
When there is a normal amount of red blood cells, but you have a reduced amount of fluid in the blood, it’s called “apparent polycythaemia”.
This type of polycythaemia is often caused by being overweight, smoking, drinking too much alcohol, or taking diuretics (medication that makes you pee more than usual).
For apparent polycythaemia, the condition can improve if the underlying cause is identified and managed.
