Polycythemia vera (PV) develops slowly, and it may not cause symptoms for many years. The condition is often diagnosed during a routine blood test before severe symptoms occur.
Symptoms may include:
- Itchy skin, called “pruritus,” especially after warm baths or showers
- Headaches
- Excessive sweating
- Blurred vision, double vision, or seeing dark or blind spots that come and go
- Ringing in the ears
- Fatigue
- Shortness of breath
- Weakness
- Dizziness
- Excessive bleeding or bruising
- Reddened skin
- Numbness, tingling or burning sensation in the feet
- Feeling of fullness or bloating in the left upper abdomen due to an enlarged spleen
- Weight loss for no known reason
- Painful inflammation in the joints caused by gout
Related Links
- Download or order The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s free booklet, Myeloproliferative Neoplasms.