“Should I go to the hospital for high hemoglobin?”

High hemoglobin level, or polycythemia, can be serious depending on the level. As the concentration of hemoglobin in your blood increases, the viscosity increases. A more viscous blood slows down the circulation, especially in the small, tiny arteries called capillaries. These capillaries are the final destination of your arterial system - they are an extensive network of small blood vessels that deliver oxygen to all tissue in the body, and if you connect all the capillaries, they can be scores of thousand miles. When circulation slows down due to high viscosity, oxygen delivery slows down, and you feel sluggish. In severe cases, the circulation may be so impaired that one particular area may not get enough oxygen to stay alive, and that can cause irreversible damage to that area. When you have this condition, you need phlebotomy to remove the excess hemoglobin. You also need to see a hematologist to find out why the hemoglobin is high. Ideally, you always what to identify and treat the root cause. All of these steps are done at a doctor's office, unless you sustain tissue damage (such as a stroke or heart attack) due to exceedingly high level of hemoglobin.

Vinh-Linh Nguyen, M.D.