Polycythemia Vera (PV) is a type of blood cancer. There are many signs that you may be suffering from it. These include being itchy (especially after you’ve taken a warm bath or shower); numbness, burning, tingling, or weakness in your arms, feet, hands, or legs; feeling full or bloated after you’ve eaten; and unusual bleeding. While there are a lot of different symptoms you may experience, the hallmark sign is that of elevated hematocrit. This indicates that you are producing a lot of RBCs (red blood cells).
When your doctor wants to inquire about a PV diagnosis they’ll perform a complete blood count (CBC). This test checks if your number of red blood cells is higher than normal. They may also test your blood to if it contains enough erythropoietin because not having enough of this hormone can also be a sign that you have PV.
