What is hemoglobin? What does hemoglobin mean in a blood test?

Quite often when referring to a doctor, patients are tested for hemoglobin. What is this and what the body needs for, not everyone imagines. In fact, many diseases, even elementary fatigue and bad mood can be associated with a lack of hemoglobin in the blood. Doing analyzes, many do not represent, as its level is important for health. It is necessary to notice its deficiency in time and take measures to correct its content in the blood. Especially it is necessary for children and pregnant women.

What is hemoglobin?

It's a complex blood protein. It is found in red blood cells - red blood cells. Hemoglobin contains an iron ion surrounded by a protein globin. This education performs many important functions in the body:

- binds oxygen and transfers it from the lungs to all tissues and organs;

- Carries carbon dioxide to the lungs;

- normalizes acid-base balance of blood.

Oxygen is the most important element that is necessary for the existence of each cell. And without the help of hemoglobin, he can not get to them from the lungs. Even the slightest decrease in its level affects the vital activity of the organism. Therefore, it is so important to know what hemoglobin is, what is needed for its formation and how to maintain a sufficient level of it in the blood.

Deviations from the norm

It is the presence of hemoglobin that explains the red color of the blood. Its level depends on the age and sex of a person and is measured in grams per liter. On average, it is considered normal when hemoglobin in the blood is contained in an amount from 110 to 170 g / l. But there are also deviations:

- If a person has hemoglobin below normal, anemia develops. This disease affects the condition of the entire body and in severe cases is very dangerous, especially for children and pregnant women.

- The level of hemoglobin above the norm can be both in healthy people, and with certain diseases.

Forms of hemoglobin

During the life of a person, this protein undergoes some changes. And even if you know what hemoglobin is, in its various forms it is difficult for an ordinary person to understand. True, such deviations from the norm are rare. In addition to the usual molecule, which is associated with erythrocytes, the blood of an adult person may have primary hemoglobin, which is formed in newborns and disappears by the year. This can be evidence of the presence of various diseases. There is also glycated hemoglobin. What is it is known to people with diabetes, because such a form of it is formed precisely with this disease. This compound of the hemoglobin molecule with glucose indicates a violation of carbohydrate metabolism and shows whether diabetes treatment is effective. Therefore, all diabetics should regularly donate blood to glycated hemoglobin. What it is and what it is for, the doctor explains it. Sometimes hemoglobin is not in erythrocytes, but in blood plasma. This disease is called hemoglobinemia and is caused by serious disorders in the state of health. It is quite dangerous, since hemoglobin in a free state becomes toxic to humans. This can occur with hemolytic anemia, poisoning or transfusion of incompatible blood.

Increased hemoglobin

This condition is not considered a separate disease and is rare. Usually hemoglobin in the blood increases with strong physical exertion, smokers and people living in the mountains. A short-term increase may occur in a person in the morning or in pregnant women. In these cases, the level of hemoglobin does not affect 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 blood circulation and blood coagulability, varicose veins and bleeding. A person can increase pressure, blush the skin. But it is not necessary to artificially lower hemoglobin : when getting rid of the diseases that lead to this, he comes back to normal. The only thing is to follow the diet, excluding from the diet all fatty foods and limiting animal proteins.

Than anemia threatens

It is a disease in which hemoglobin is lower in human blood. Anemia can be caused by large blood loss, malnutrition, cancer, intestinal dysbiosis or helminthic invasions. With all these states, either a violation of the assimilation of iron, or a low level of red blood cells, and, respectively, hemoglobin. If this happens, then not all cells in 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 prone to different infections.

Symptoms of decreased hemoglobin

- headaches, weakness even fainting;

- drowsiness and other sleep disorders;

- Lowering blood pressure;

- heart palpitations or heart failure;

- a violation of appetite, until the appearance of anorexia;

- fragility and change in the structure of nails;

- dry and pale skin and various skin diseases;

- hair loss, their fragility and the appearance of dandruff;

- disease of the mucous membranes, the appearance of sores;

- violation of reproductive functions.

What increases hemoglobin

Many people think that patients with anemia need to consume more foods rich in iron. 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 the level of hemoglobin, because it is absorbed only under certain conditions. These are sea kale, buckwheat, blueberry, apples, spinach and others. It is best to digest iron from products of animal origin: it is red meat, liver, egg yolks and fatty fish. Some vegetables and fruits can also serve as its source, but they need better in raw or minimally processed form. What increases hemoglobin better? The most useful in this respect are beets, honey, beans, dried fruits, wheat bran, nuts and chocolate. But in some cases, the iron contained in these products is not digested, so hemoglobin is not formed. They interfere with its assimilation of coffee and tea, oxalic acids and dairy products. In addition, a low level of hemoglobin can be due to a lack of vitamin A or folic acid.

Why do I need hemoglobin?

Doctors recommend that even healthy people donate blood every year. Thus, it is possible to recognize the onset of the disease in time. And the level of hemoglobin is very important in this respect. It indicates the lack of certain vitamins or minerals, the development of tumors or the obstruction of the intestine. A beginning 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's pretty easy to understand what hemoglobin is in the blood test. If you know how it should be in a person at this age, you can understand whether his level is raised or lowered. And then it becomes clear why there is a malaise.