Know More About Your Blood Test
Your blood tests are out.
Your doctor keeps on talking about counts, platelet volume, your sugar and other terms, and you just keep on nodding.
Not to sound like a bio professor, but would you like to know more about blood? Here are a few terms used in blood tests.
• Hemoglobin (HgB) - hemoglobin is the reason why your blood is red.
The color red tells if your blood carries a good amount of oxygen.
Good color, good amount oxygen around your body.
Low oxygen means that your blood is not able to transport necessary nutrients and compounds around your body.
You'll look pale, with spasms, headaches, low energy, low immunity and the list goes on.
• Red Blood Cell (RBC) count - RBC count indicates the number of red blood cells that carry oxygen around the body.
If you have low RBC, it can mean you have anemia, or if it is too high, polycythemia.
• White Blood Cell (WBC) count - Your white blood cells are your armory and soldiers against viruses, harmful bacteria and other foreign pathogens.
Low WBC count can be the reason why you are always sick.
• White Blood Cells types - This is also called as WBC differential.
When you are always sick, this count is important.
This determines the types of white bloods cells in your blood sample.
Major types of WBC are basophils, leucocytes, monocytes and eosinophils.
Each has a different role, like soldiers in an army assigned to different defense areas.
• Platelet count - platelet are the reason why your blood clots when its exposed to air, low platelet count can be the reason why you keep on bleeding when you're cut or wounded or could spell another type of disease.
Remember, tests are done to determine the cause of your symptoms or disorder.
Since the blood goes around the body, it can carry traces of the illness you have wherever it is, brain, hands, feet, anywhere within your body.
Next time a doctor explain the results of your blood test, don't be shy to ask for explanations, indications and what does those names and numbers mean.
Your doctor keeps on talking about counts, platelet volume, your sugar and other terms, and you just keep on nodding.
Not to sound like a bio professor, but would you like to know more about blood? Here are a few terms used in blood tests.
• Hemoglobin (HgB) - hemoglobin is the reason why your blood is red.
The color red tells if your blood carries a good amount of oxygen.
Good color, good amount oxygen around your body.
Low oxygen means that your blood is not able to transport necessary nutrients and compounds around your body.
You'll look pale, with spasms, headaches, low energy, low immunity and the list goes on.
• Red Blood Cell (RBC) count - RBC count indicates the number of red blood cells that carry oxygen around the body.
If you have low RBC, it can mean you have anemia, or if it is too high, polycythemia.
• White Blood Cell (WBC) count - Your white blood cells are your armory and soldiers against viruses, harmful bacteria and other foreign pathogens.
Low WBC count can be the reason why you are always sick.
• White Blood Cells types - This is also called as WBC differential.
When you are always sick, this count is important.
This determines the types of white bloods cells in your blood sample.
Major types of WBC are basophils, leucocytes, monocytes and eosinophils.
Each has a different role, like soldiers in an army assigned to different defense areas.
• Platelet count - platelet are the reason why your blood clots when its exposed to air, low platelet count can be the reason why you keep on bleeding when you're cut or wounded or could spell another type of disease.
Remember, tests are done to determine the cause of your symptoms or disorder.
Since the blood goes around the body, it can carry traces of the illness you have wherever it is, brain, hands, feet, anywhere within your body.
Next time a doctor explain the results of your blood test, don't be shy to ask for explanations, indications and what does those names and numbers mean.
