What Is Hemoglobin?
Hemoglobin is a protein present on the surface of red blood cells. The word hemoglobin stands for heme, which means iron and globulin means porphyrin, which provides the red color pigment that makes the blood red in color. Hemoglobin plays an important role in carrying oxygen from the lungs to the tissues of the body and also returns carbon dioxide from the rest of the body. It is also responsible for maintaining the shape of the red blood cells. Red blood cells are disc or doughnut-shaped and have a slight depression in the middle.
The structure of hemoglobin consists of four subunits; each unit has polypeptide chains, iron, one heme group, and amino acids. There are some abbreviations used for hemoglobin, like Hb and Hbg.
What Is a Hemoglobin Test?
A hemoglobin test is a blood test performed to determine the presence of hemoglobin in a given blood sample. This investigation helps to examine the low and high content of hemoglobin which are associated with blood-related disorders.
What Is the Purpose of the Hemoglobin Test?
A hemoglobin test is a routine investigation performed to determine the hemoglobin content in the blood.
The purpose of the hemoglobin test are as follows:
-
Routine Health Check - A hemoglobin test helps determine an individual's overall health.
-
For Diagnosis of Medical Conditions - A hemoglobin test is performed to test a medical condition of an individual. It is suggested by the health care provider if an individual is suffering from weakness, fatigue, shortness of breath, long-term infection, iron deficiency, or other clinical signs similar to blood-related disorders like anemia or excessive bleeding, and leukemia.
-
Follow-up - This is also performed for follow-up. Suppose an individual is diagnosed with blood-related disorders like anemia and polycythemia vera. It helps to determine the progress of the disease or whether the prescribed treatment is effective or not.
What Is the Unit to Measure Hemoglobin?
The hemoglobin test is performed to determine hemoglobin content in the blood, and it is measured in grams per deciliter (g/dL) or grams per liter (g/L) of blood.
What Are the Normal Ranges of Hemoglobin?
The hemoglobin content is different in every age group; in infants and children, the hemoglobin is a bit higher than in adults, and infant has higher average hemoglobin because they have a higher oxygen level in the womb and a high number of red blood cells. But as the child grows, the hemoglobin level drops to normal. In older people, it may drop due to insufficient iron intake, chronic inflammation, poor nutritional supplementation, kidney problems, or some side effects of certain medications. The hemoglobin level varies in different individuals according to their age, and gender.
Following is the normal range of hemoglobin -
In Infants
Male - 13.4 to 14.1 g/dL.
Female - 13.4 to 14.1 g/dL.
In Children
Male - 10.9 to 17.7 g/dL.
Female - 10.9 to 15.0 g/dL.
In adults, the hemoglobin levels may vary in males and females. However, males tend to have higher hemoglobin content than females.
In Adults
Male - 13 - 15 g/dL.
Female - 10 - 13 g/dL.
What Are the Causes of High Hemoglobin Levels in the Blood?
Hemoglobin is a protein present on the surface of red blood cells. The change in the content of hemoglobin is related to an increased count of red blood cells.
Following are the indicated conditions that cause the higher hemoglobin content in the blood -
-
Polycythemia vera is an abnormal increase in the red blood cell count, and it is characterized by a persistent increase in the red blood cell count above 14 million/cubic millimeters of blood.
-
Congenital heart disorder is a serious condition caused by the excessive production of red blood cells. It makes it difficult for the heart to function at its full efficiency and deliver oxygen to all the body tissues.
-
Kidneys also get affected by kidney tumors by producing excessive erythropoietin.
-
Lung disorders are associated with excessive red blood cell production. For example lung scarring.
-
Bone marrow disorder also leads to high hemoglobin content by producing extra red blood cells.
-
Dehydration is one of the common problems arising when the fluid is less due to the presence of extra red blood cells.
What Causes Low Levels of Hemoglobin in the Blood?
The low content of hemoglobin leads to some serious problems. Following are the conditions that cause the low hemoglobin content in the blood -
-
Bone marrow failure, low hemoglobin content, or decreased red blood cell count can give rise to several blood-related malignancies like leukemia, lymphoma, or aplastic anemia.
-
Kidney failure is caused by reduced production of the hormone that stimulates the bone marrow for the production of red blood cells.
-
Bleeding.
-
Chronic illness.
-
Malnutrition.
-
Deficiency of iron, folate, and vitamin B12.
-
Excessive water intake.
-
Hemolytic anemia.
-
Indication of certain medications.
-
Other complications caused by low hemoglobin content are thalassemia, sickle-shaped anemia, and hereditary spherocytosis.
What Is the Procedure for the Hemoglobin Test?
The procedure of the hemoglobin test is quite simple and cost-effective. The test is performed by an experienced healthcare provider or phlebotomist. A small needle is inserted into the vein of the patient's arm, and then the blood is withdrawn. Then the blood is collected in a test tube precoated with EDTA or heparin to avoid coagulation of the blood. The phlebotomist may ask the patient to apply pressure over the site from where the blood sample is collected to avoid oozing out of the blood.
What Are the Risk Factors Associated With the Hemoglobin Test?
The risk associated with the hemoglobin test is very less. However, it can vary from person to person.
The following are the risk factors -
-
Excessive bleeding.
-
Fainting.
-
Difficulty in finding the correct vein may lead to multiple puncture sites.
-
Hematoma.
-
Breaking of the needle.
Conclusion
A hemoglobin test is performed to determine the content of hemoglobin in the given sample of blood. It is a routine investigation performed for the assessment of blood-related disorders. It is a simple and cost-effective test.
