Contributed by – Healthians Team
What is the hemoglobin test?
The hemoglobin test measures the amount of hemoglobin in the blood. Keeping the levels of hemoglobin in check is important because it has a crucial role to play in the body. It is the iron-containing protein found in red blood cells that give these cells their characteristic red color. Its main job is to transport oxygen from the capillaries in the lungs to all the tissues in the body. It also transports a small portion of carbon dioxide from the tissues back to the lungs where it is exhaled. Any abnormality in the levels of hemoglobin indicates some kind of blood disorder.
Who should get tested?
Usually, a hemoglobin test is ordered in case you have the following symptoms:
- Weakness
- Fatigue
- Paleness
- Shortness of breath
- Fast or irregular heartbeat
- Cold hands and feet
- Disturbed vision
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Enlarged spleen
Why is the hemoglobin test needed?
Bone marrow produces the red blood cells and releases them into the bloodstream when they mature or are nearly mature. Typically, these cells live for about 120 days and the bone marrow has to continually produce new RBCs to replace those that degrade or are lost due to bleeding. Several conditions affect the RBCs and accordingly the level of hemoglobin also gets influenced. Both the increase and decrease can be harmful to the body. Therefore, a hemoglobin test is used to keep an eye on these levels. Usually, your physician may order a hemoglobin test for the following reasons:
- Check your overall health – Hemoglobin test is often ordered as a part of CBC (Complete Blood Count) test for regular health checkups.
- Diagnose a condition – When symptoms related to blood disorder are present, a hemoglobin test is ordered to make an accurate diagnosis.
- Monitor a condition – If you have already been diagnosed with conditions that affect RBCs and hemoglobin levels, then a hemoglobin test is ordered on a regular basis to keep an eye on the severity of the disease or to check how well the body is responding to the treatment.
What does hemoglobin test results mean?
The normal range of hemoglobin is:
- Men – 13.5 to 17.5 g/dL
- Women – 12.0 to 15.5 g/dL
Remember that each lab has its own reference range and thus, test results from different labs may slightly differ. Plus, age, gender, and overall well-being also influence the test results. Therefore, always get your reports checked by a doctor to correctly understand what they actually say about your health.
Nonetheless, the following are usually the causes behind having lower than normal hemoglobin levels in the blood:
- Iron deficiency
- Vitamin B12 deficiency
- Folate deficiency
- Bleeding
- Certain cancers
- Kidney diseases
- Liver diseases
- Hypothyroidism
- Thalassemia
- Damage to bone marrow
- Chronic inflammatory conditions
- Excessive destruction of RBCs
And, having higher than normal levels of hemoglobin may indicate:
- Condition wherein bone marrow produces excess RBCs
- Lung disease
- Dehydration
- Living at a high altitude
- Smoking excessively
- Burns
- Excessive vomiting
- Extreme physical exertion
- Certain genetic conditions
How is the test done?
The hemoglobin test is a simple blood test. Any kind of special preparation is generally not needed. However, if it is being performed along with a few other tests, then you may have to fast for several hours before the sample collection. Otherwise, the test is usually completed in a few minutes and is relatively painless. But, make sure that you inform your doctor about any existing medical conditions you may have or medicines you might be on as they can influence your test results.
