Treatment Options For Polycythemia Vera

Avoid Extreme Temperatures

The reduced circulation that accompanies polycythemia vera can increase the patient’s vulnerability to injuries caused by temperature extremes. The patient should, therefore, avoid extreme temperatures by always dressing warmly during cold weather, and they should take particular care to protect their hands and feet. In hot weather, the patient should avoid the sun and drink a lot of fluids. The patient should also avoid heated whirlpools and hot tubs.

Patients with polycythemia vera are also quite susceptible to the skin damage caused by ultraviolet rays. They should thus avoid sunlamps and tanning booths, and they should stay out of the sun from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., which is when the sun’s rays are at their strongest. They should wear long sleeves, a broad-brimmed hat, and protective sunglasses when they are outside. Similarly, they should use a sunscreen of at least a sun protection factor (SPF) of thirty.

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