What is hemoglobin and why is it important for health?
There are three types of blood cells: platelets (blood platelets), white blood cells (white blood cells), and red blood cells (red blood cells).
The iron-containing protein in red blood cells is called hemoglobin. Its function is to retain oxygen to deliver it to the body's tissues.
The norm of hemoglobin is: in men, 130-160 g/l, in women, 120-140 g / l.
The amount of hemoglobin in the blood depends on the following factors:
- age of the person;
- power features;
- indicators of iron, folic acid, vitamin B12;
- state of immunity;
- the content of red blood cells, as well as their morphological and functional features.
Insufficient hemoglobin content in the blood provokes frequent fatigue, malaise, drowsiness, there is a decline in strength, a bad mood. Also, patients complain of constant headache and dizziness. In addition, there is a pallor of the skin, poor appetite, tinnitus, cold hands and feet, pain in the muscles, as well as the frequent development of colds and viral infections.
Low hemoglobin content in the blood is called anemia. It is divided into three degrees: light (hemoglobin index 90-110 g/l), medium (70-90 g/l) and heavy (less than 70 g/l). A critically low hemoglobin value requiring immediate hospitalization is 40 g/l. A low indicator may indicate problems with the assimilation of food, the presence of autoimmune diseases, internal bleeding, tumors, and infections.
Elevated hemoglobin levels may indicate blood thickening due to dehydration, pulmonary insufficiency, congenital heart defects, or prolonged adaptation of the body to certain conditions (found in pilots and climbers). Bad habits, especially smoking, are another cause of increased hemoglobin levels.
As we can see, a deviation from the norm, whether it is an increase or decrease in its level in the blood, is a sign of many diseases, although in some patients this is an individual feature. Therefore, only the doctor can determine whether each specific case requires correction.
The information was prepared by GUZOT "Tsozimp" based on the materials of the Federal State Budgetary Institution "NMIC TPM" of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation.
