I want to start off by talking about the (probably) the most common test ordered by any clinician:
The Complete Blood Count (CBC).
Over the next few posts, I will simplify what each component of the CBC means, what we look for and what yours might be telling you.
Ready? Here we go
So what is hemoglobin?
Structurally, it is a protein. It has iron at its core with a heme group and globin chains around it. The globin chains in a normal hemoglobin molecule are alpha and beta chains
Here is what it looks like, schematically
Credit- iStockPhoto
What does it do?
Hemoglobin carries oxygen from the lungs to all the rest of the body
it also carries carbon dioxide from the rest of the body to the lungs to be exhaled out
It also gives the red color to the blood!
Normal levels:
A normal adult male’s hemoglobin is expected to be 13-16 g/dL
A normal adult female’s hemoglobin is expected to be 12-14 g/dL
A LOW hemoglobin state is called anemia- concerning for not enough oxygen reaching your body cells!
A HIGH hemoglobin state is called erythrocytosis- sometimes it is overproduction, sometimes it is a response to the body feeling its not getting enough oxygen!
There are several causes of anemia and erythrocytosis which I will talk about in a future post.
In the meantime, I’d love to know- was this helpful? If yes- what did you like about it? What did you not like about it?
Please reply and send me your thoughts!