Hematological analysis is the test that is most often prescribed by a doctor for primary
examination of a patient. The easiest and most easily feasible way to find out about problems in the body and understand which way to move on is to donate blood for hematology. This can be done in all, without exception, municipal clinics, hospitals and paid medical centers.
What information can I get?
Hematological analysis is a description of its most important components, giving an idea of the presence of inflammatory and oncological processes.
During the analysis, all cells that make up the blood are studied, their size, mass, number and percentage are determined. In addition, hemoglobin levels, hematocrit and erythrocyte sedimentation rate are measured.
This blood test is carried out on a hematological analyzer.
With the help of the results of the study, the doctor can understandwhether the treatment is effective for the patient, whether it needs to be adjusted, and if so, what specifically needs to be changed.
The main blood cells and their functions
What does a hematology test reveal?
There are 3 types of cells studied - platelets, erythrocytes and leukocytes. All of them have their purpose and perform a certain activity.
Leukocytes
Leukocytes are the main defenders of the blood, fighting against penetrating harmful microorganisms. These are round white blood cells with their own nucleus. The centers of their reproduction are special nodes called lymph nodes. They serve as the main barriers to protect against hazardous particles.
If for some reason the number or quality of white blood cells drops, the nodes swell, allowing the infection to spread through them. Immunity drops and immune responses slow down.
Normally, leukocytes should be 4.5-11 thousand/µl. This includes their varieties.
Neutrophils
Neutrophils, which account for over 72% of all types of leukocytes. These small cells are located mainly in the tissues of the human body, their proportion in the blood is negligible. This arrangement is due to the fact that neutrophils must be the first to find a place infected with pathogenic bacteria and neutralize them.
Bacterial or fungal infections, inflammatory processes, neoplasms, bleeding, tissue damage, some drugs contribute to an increase in their number.drugs. A decrease is observed when receiving the virus, the dose of radiation.
Eosinophils
Eosinophils remove toxic substances and their decay products from the body. It depends on them how well wound healing and regeneration of damaged tissues, as well as resistance to allergens, will proceed.
The norm in adults is from 1 to 5% in the leukocyte formula. An increase in eosinophils is recorded with various allergic reactions, helminthic invasion, the growth of malignant tumors, liver cirrhosis and gastrointestinal ulcers.
The peculiarity of these cells is that their increase in infectious diseases indicates the beginning of the patient's recovery. The number of eosinophils decreases with general exhaustion of the body, frequent stress, lack of sleep, postoperative period.
Basophiles
Basophils represent the smallest group of leukocytes, they are slightly less than 1% of the total, but they are the largest. Thanks to these cells, many allergens and poisonous particles cannot be activated in the body, for example, after an insect bite.
High basophils can be triggered by a violation of the level of thyroid hormones, colitis with peptic ulcer, lack of iron. Their level drops during pregnancy, the days when ovulation occurs, in the presence of worms.
These indicators are also detected by hematological analysis.
Monocytes
Monocytes - oval typeleukocytes with a homogeneous structure. Their norm for an adult is 3-11%. These are some kind of cleaners that remove old cells and destroy foreign particles that have entered the body, as well as destroy antigen-antibody bundles.
An increase in the number of monocytes was noted during the course of infectious diseases in a severe form, a decrease in anemia of various etiologies. If almost no monocytes are found, one can assume the presence of such complex pathologies as leukemia or sepsis.
Lymphocytes
Lymphocytes responsible for maintaining immunity at the proper level can exist for more than 10 years, carrying immune memory. That is why many diseases can be ill only once in a lifetime. Their blood contains approximately 19-37%.
With the help of lymphocytes, mutated cells carrying distorted information are destroyed. However, a sharp increase in their number may be a manifestation of a tumor developing in the bone marrow. A slight increase is observed in case of viral infections. A lack of lymphocytes is caused by bacterial infections or lymphoma.
Here's what a hematology blood test reveals. But that's not all.
Erythrocytes
Erythrocytes are cells that maintain a normal level of oxygen in the blood and remove carbon dioxide produced during respiration and blood circulation. With their help, the enrichment of all tissues with nutrients is also ensured. Oxygen metabolism is carried out with the help of hemoglobin, whichcontain red blood cells. If its level is insufficient, hypoxia may occur.
RBCs shrink very easily and can change in size up to 3 times. The norm of content in the blood for men and women is 4-5 million / cu. mm and 3.7-4.7 million/cu. mm respectively. If they are more than normal, this indicates problems with the kidneys, dehydration, the presence of tumor neoplasms, erythremia. Taking corticosteroids also raises red blood cells.
This easily identifies a hematological blood test.
Their level decreases as a result of various anemias, during the period of bearing a child and with excess fluid in the tissues.
Platelets
Platelets provide the vascular walls and tissues of the body with the opportunity to remain intact, increasing their regenerative abilities. In addition, due to their ability to clog blood vessels, bleeding stops, blood coagulates.
Platelets can stick together not only among themselves, but also with other cells, which is very important for protection against bacteria entering the blood. After gluing pathogenic cells, the platelet is destroyed, destroying the source of danger. The same property is used by the body to hold the cells of veins and blood vessels together.
Here's an informative hematology blood test. The norm is 180-320 thousand units / μl. If it is elevated, then the likelihood of tuberculosis, leukemia, oncological processes in the liver and kidneys, arthritis, enteritis, exacerbation of infectious diseases, sharpstress, intoxication of the body, anemia.
If platelets are low, diseases such as hepatitis, destruction of the liver and bone marrow, excess and deficiency of thyroid hormones, alcoholism and long-term use of certain drugs are possible.
Description of other indicators in the analysis
What else can a hematological blood test determine? The decryption is quite simple.
After examining information about blood cells, the next in line is the hematocrit. This is the percentage of all blood cells and plasma. Normally, this number is in the range of 39-49%, if small deviations are recorded, this is not a reason for a more thorough check, since this indicator is needed only for general information content.
Significant increases or decreases indicate that there is a problem with the number of certain blood cells. A high hematocrit is most often manifested with a prolonged lack of oxygen or water in the tissues of the body, various diseases of the blood and kidneys. Low hematocrit can be during pregnancy, anemia, overhydration.
Quite informative hematological blood test. Transcription in adults and children is similar, but there are still some differences.
It is also important to investigate the erythrocyte sedimentation rate - ESR. Normally, it should be 1-12 mm / hour, depending on gender and age. Too high ESR is typical for oncology and inflammation of various origins, kidney disease or hormonal imbalance caused, among other things, by gestation and lactation,menstrual bleeding. The rate of OE falls most often in violation of blood clotting and density, which can provoke incessant bleeding - hemophilia.
Determine all these important indicators can hematological blood test. Decryption should be carried out by a specialist.
Conclusion
Self-interpretation of a hematological blood test can be used for informational purposes only. All conclusions and appointments should be made only by a doctor, as other tests and examinations may be required to clarify the diagnosis.
In order to prevent the development of a large number of diseases or detect them at an early stage, it is recommended to take such an analysis at least annually for the adult population, every six months for children and the elderly. Deciphering the hematological analysis will help to avoid advanced forms of pathologies.
