All You Need to Know About Erythropoietin

Fast facts

• Erythropoietin is a type of hormone that is produced by the kidneys primarily.
• It assists the body in the production of RBCs by the bone marrow.
• Erythropoietin can be used as a synthesizer for the treatment of anemia.
• Measuring blood erythropoietin can be used to diagnose certain medical conditions, such as chronic kidney disease.
• It is measurable with the help of a blood test.
• Athletes have been misusing erythropoietin as a drug to enhance their performance.

What is erythropoietin?

The kidneys are the functional and supportive unit of our body system. Apart from helping the body cleanse and filter the blood, they carry out various other functions. One such function is to procure hormones for regulating blood pressure and generating RBCs. Erythropoietin is a hormone that our kidneys produce in order to facilitate the production of red blood cells.

The cells of the kidneys that make erythropoietin are sensitive to deficit-oxygen levels in the blood. When this blood travels through the kidneys, the cells recognize the low oxygen levels and start to release erythropoietin.

A low oxygen level may indicate a lesser number of RBCs or hemoglobin molecules than normal. Both RBCs and hemoglobin are responsible for transmuting oxygen throughout the entire body.

But when the kidneys are not working properly, there is a lesser production of erythropoietin in the body which is going to be a troublesome situation. To treat erythropoietin, you need to take treatment in Ayurveda.

What does erythropoietin do?

Erythropoietin triggers the production of RBCs by the bone marrow. With a subsequent rise in the red blood cells, there is an increased capacity of the blood to transport oxygen throughout the body. Their major functions correspond to:

1. The development of RBCs.
2. Synthesis of hemoglobin which is the molecule within red blood cells that commutes oxygen to and fro.

Chemically erythropoietin is a protein with a glycoprotein.

When a person is suggested for an erythropoietin test?

Normally, when a person is anemic, he is suggested to go for such a test. But such anemic cases do not appear because of iron, vitamin B12 or folate deficiency, excessive bleeding, damaged RBCs, etc.

Secondly, it is recommended when the hemoglobin level, hematocrit, and RBC count get decreased and the reticulocyte count is appropriately abnormal. Or it may also be suggested when there is an increased number of RBCs, hematocrit, and hemoglobin.

In other cases when a person has chronic kidney disease, the erythropoietin level can be linked to a decrease in kidney function.

Other conditions linked to the diagnosis of erythropoietin are bone marrow disorder or myelodysplastic syndrome or myeloproliferative neoplasms.

What does the test result indicate?

Low levels of erythropoietin may indicate underlying damage to the kidneys. And so it resulted in low erythropoietin production.

Increased levels of erythropoietin when a person is anemic may be due to iron or vitamin deficiency or a bone marrow disorder.

Too much of RBCs and erythropoietin levels likely tell the kidneys or other tissues in the body are producing more erythropoietin. You may refer to this condition as secondary polycythemia.

With increased RBCs but normal or low erythropoietin levels, it indicates the cause of polycythemia being independent of the erythropoietin levels. It is called primary polycythemia.

Primarily, if your kidneys have got damaged and you are experiencing variations in the level of erythropoietin, you should initiate ayurvedic treatment for erythropoietin.

With this treatment approach, it is possible to restore erythropoietin production in the body and rejuvenate the kidney function. On the contrary, erythropoietin replacement therapy is suggested in allopathy to minimize the effects of erythropoietin production and anemia. Such therapies may have ongoing side effects such as:

• High blood pressure.
• Swelling.
• Fever.
• Dizziness.
• Nausea.
• Pain at the site of the injection.

But ayurvedic treatment for erythropoietin has no such potential ill conditions as it is completely authentic and organic. Only herbs and spices are used, the properties of which cannot be compared to allopathic medications.

Visit Karma Ayurveda Hospital if you have any underlying kidney damage and are looking for organic ways to restore it. We are the pioneers of ayurvedic treatment socially working for kidney patients since 1937.

Disclaimer: The purpose of the content on this page is not to substitute any professional medical advice but to only provide information to the reader. If the reader is a kidney patient, we recommend not making any diet or routine changes without consulting his/her doctor or dietitian. For appointments, call at our 24×7 helpline: +91-9821929797 or visit www.karmaayurvedahospital.com.