Quite often, when visiting a doctor, patients undergo a blood test for hemoglobin. What it is and what the body needs, not everyone imagines. But in fact, many diseases, even elementary fatigue and bad mood can be associated with a lack of hemoglobin in the blood. When doing tests, many do not realize how important its level is for he alth. It is necessary to notice its deficiency in time and take measures to adjust its content in the blood. This is especially necessary for children and pregnant women.
What is hemoglobin
This is a complex blood protein. It is contained in red blood cells - erythrocytes. Hemoglobin contains an iron ion surrounded by the protein globin.
This formation performs many important functions in the body:
- binds oxygen and carries it from the lungs to all tissues and organs;
- carries carbon dioxide toeasy;
- normalizes the acid-base balance of the blood.
Oxygen is the most important element that is necessary for the existence of every cell. And without the help of hemoglobin, he can’t get to them from his lungs. Even the slightest decrease in its level affects the vital activity of the body. Therefore, it is so important to know what hemoglobin is, what is needed for its formation and how to maintain sufficient levels in the blood.
Deviations from the norm
It is the presence of hemoglobin that explains the red color of blood. Its level depends on the age and gender of the person and is measured in grams per liter. On average, it is considered normal when hemoglobin in the blood is contained in an amount of 110 to 170 g / l. But there are also deviations:
- If a person's hemoglobin is below normal, anemia develops. This disease affects the state of the whole organism and in severe cases is very dangerous, especially for children and pregnant women.
- Hemoglobin levels above normal can be both in he althy people and in some diseases.
Shapes of hemoglobin
During a person's life, this protein undergoes some changes. And even if you know what hemoglobin is, it is difficult for an ordinary person to understand its various forms. True, such deviations from the norm are rare. In addition to the usual molecule that is associated with red blood cells, primary hemoglobin may be present in the blood of an adult, which is formed in newborns and disappears by the age of one. This may indicate the presence of variousdiseases. There is also glycated hemoglobin. What it is is known to patients with diabetes mellitus, because such a form of it is formed precisely with this disease. This connection of the hemoglobin molecule with glucose indicates a violation of carbohydrate metabolism and shows whether the treatment of diabetes is effective. Therefore, all diabetics should regularly donate blood for glycated hemoglobin. What it is and why it is needed, the doctor explains to them. Sometimes hemoglobin is not in red blood cells, but in blood plasma. This disease is called hemoglobinemia and is caused by serious he alth problems. It is quite dangerous, since hemoglobin in the free state becomes toxic to humans. This can happen with hemolytic anemia, poisoning or transfusion of incompatible blood.
Increased hemoglobin
This condition is not considered a separate disease and is quite rare.
Hemoglobin in the blood usually rises with strong physical exertion, in smokers and people living in the mountains. A short-term increase can be in a person in the morning or in pregnant women. In these cases, the level of hemoglobin does not affect the well-being. But sometimes its increase may indicate the presence of serious diseases:
- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease;
- heart failure;
- severe dehydration;
- cancerous tumors.
In severe cases, this condition leads to impaired circulation and blood clotting,varicose veins and bleeding. A person may have increased blood pressure, reddened skin. But artificially lowering hemoglobin is not worth it: when you get rid of the diseases that lead to this, he himself returns to normal. The only thing you need to follow the diet, excluding all fatty foods from the diet and limiting animal protein.
What threatens anemia
This is a disease in which the hemoglobin in a person's blood is below normal. Anemia can be caused by large blood loss, malnutrition, cancerous tumors, intestinal dysbiosis or helminthic invasions. In all these conditions, there is either a violation of the absorption of iron, or a low level of red blood cells, and, accordingly, hemoglobin. If this happens, then not all cells of the body begin to receive oxygen. They experience oxygen starvation and gradually die. First of all, the brain suffers from this and immunity decreases. Therefore, anemia is very dangerous for children, as their development slows down and they become susceptible to various infections.
Symptoms of low hemoglobin
- headaches, weakness even fainting;
- drowsiness and other sleep disorders;
- lowering blood pressure;
- heart palpitations or heart failure;
- appetite disorders, up to the appearance of anorexia;
- fragility and change in the structure of nails;
- dryness and pallor of the skin and various skin diseases;
- hair loss, brittleness and dandruff;
-disease of the mucous membranes, the appearance of ulcers;
- violation of reproductive functions.
What increases hemoglobin
Many believe that people with anemia should eat more iron-rich foods. But the main thing is not the quantity of this substance, but the quality of its assimilation. For example, there are foods rich in iron, but completely useless for raising hemoglobin levels, because it is absorbed only under certain conditions. These are seaweed, buckwheat, blueberries, apples, spinach and others. The best-absorbed iron comes from animal products such as red meat, liver, egg yolks and oily fish.
Some vegetables and fruits can also serve as a source of it, but they should be eaten raw or minimally processed. What increases hemoglobin better? The most useful in this regard are beets, honey, legumes, dried fruits, wheat bran, nuts and chocolate. But in some cases, the iron contained in these products is not absorbed, so hemoglobin is not formed. Coffee and tea, oxalic acids and dairy products interfere with its absorption. In addition, low hemoglobin levels may be due to a lack of vitamin A or folic acid.
Why do I need a hemoglobin test
Doctors recommend even he althy people to donate blood every year. Thus, it is possible to recognize the beginning of the disease in time.
And the level of hemoglobin is very important in this regard. It indicates a lack of certain vitamins orminerals, the development of tumors or intestinal obstruction. And the onset of diabetes mellitus can be determined by the amount of glycated hemoglobin. Having received the results of blood tests, not every person will be able to understand their meaning. Doctors do not consider it necessary to explain this to patients. But it is quite easy to understand what hemoglobin is in a blood test. If you know what it should be like in a person at this age, you can understand whether its level is increased or decreased. And then it will become clear why the malaise appears.
