Thick Blood and Headaches – A Dangerous Combination
A rare disorder could be causing your headaches – and it could be life-threatening.
Thick blood and headaches isn’t something we talk about a lot – and to be fair it is a pretty rare condition. But it’s another reason why any new symptoms should be taken very seriously.
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“Thick blood” is actually a condition known as polycythemia. There are different types of polycythemia. A mutation in a bone marrow cell may cause problems with red blood cell production – and your body starts making too many of certain red blood cells. Polycythemia may also come from other underlying conditions.
Why is thick blood so serious? Because the thick blood can lead to blood clots, which can lead to stroke and heart attack. It can also slow the flow of blood, meaning that oxygen isn’t getting distributed properly in the body. It can even lead to other diseases, in addition to the symptoms which we’ll talk about next.
Symptoms
Thick blood headaches go together, but the pattern is usually different in polycythemia than in conditions such as migraine.
Other symptoms include dizziness, trouble breathing, numbness or tingling, weakness, and fatigue. Your skin may get itchy (especially after a warm shower or bath), and you may feel bloated in you upper left abdomen.
Because of the lack of oxygen to the brain, thick blood may cause neurological symptoms, such as those we see in migraine. This could include vision problems, memory problems, loss of balance, or trouble speaking or understanding language.
The difference is that in polycythemia you’ll rarely get a repeating pattern – in other words, you won’t get repeated “attacks” when the same symptoms tend to occur.
The symptoms, although they may come and go, tend to appear gradually and get progressively worse.
Polycythemia is a chronic disease. There is no cure.
The Good News
The good news is that if you see a doctor, you should be able to get a clear diagnosis, and there is treatment. Just what kind of treatment you get and how well it works will depend on what type of polycythemia you have.
Once again, it’s very important to see a doctor if your symptoms change, or if you have new symptoms. If polycythemia is suspected, your doctor may refer you to a specialist.
References:
- What Is Polycythemia Vera? (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 2011)
- Polycythemia (MedicineNet.com)
- Polycythemia vera (Mayo Clinic, 2011)
- Migraine aura without headache (Dr. Robert S. Kunkel, 2005)
1 October 2013 @ 9:38 pm
great info..thx 🙂
1 October 2013 @ 10:12 pm
Hmmm, worth looking into. I have had a constant 24/7 headache for 16 months, all tests are negative, I am literally losing my mind!
1 October 2013 @ 10:12 pm
A daily aspirin to help with my Anti-phospholipid syndrome. Aka- thick blood!
1 October 2013 @ 10:48 pm
..wonder if I should get tested ??
1 October 2013 @ 10:49 pm
Kami Smith have they tested u for factor 5?
1 October 2013 @ 10:58 pm
U probably should, I was told I had lupus because I was ANA positive but no other symptoms of lupus. Just migraines and thick blood. Daily allergy pill because of severe allergies that I never knew I had caused headaches also. Because of both treatments I have only had one headache each month for a year now. Compared to once a week!
1 October 2013 @ 10:59 pm
@Kami- have u gone to a neurologist? That’s who put my puzzle together and helped try crazy alternatives that u normally don’t think of
1 October 2013 @ 11:15 pm
Tracy Byrens-Richardson, what do you know abt factor 5? I just found out I have one mutation of it, inherited from my dad…
2 October 2013 @ 12:38 am
I have thick blood and chronic migraine, so now some even more great news to deal with!
2 October 2013 @ 2:43 am
hmmm…….
31 January 2014 @ 11:43 am
My grandson age 25, has headaches, dizzy. I just found out he
is waiting results of a blood test. The lab tech attempted to take blood from his arm but the blood was thick, so he took the blood from his leg. He has no insurance….I am praying it is not serious. God bless.
6 October 2015 @ 9:38 pm
I hope your grandson is ok mitzi. I recently found out I do have polycythemia, unknown cause, but we only know I don’t have the mutation. My treatment is 2 regular aspirin twice a day to thin my blood and make it not sticky
4 June 2016 @ 8:48 pm
It can also be Waldenstrom’s Syndrome. Night sweats? Out of breath? Tingly/spongy skin? Rare, but worth a check.