Haemoglobin Test

Dr Vedavati Purandare explains the importance of haemoglobin blood test

- Dr Vedavati Purandare

Human beings need oxygen to live. We breathe in oxygen from the lungs which is transported to all the organs and cells of the body. This transportation is done by a protein molecule called haemoglobin. Haemoglobin in red blood cells carries oxygen from the lungs to the body's tissues and carries carbon dioxide from the tissues back to the lungs. Haemoglobin, abbreviated as 'Hb' is the iron-containing protein in the red blood cells of all vertebrate animals.

Importance of haemoglobin test

Haemoglobin test is a blood test. This test measures the amount of haemoglobin in the blood. Haemoglobin level is measured in gram per decilitre. If the haemoglobin level is lower than normal, the condition is referred as anaemia.

There are many types of anaemia - nutritional (e.g. Iron deficiency or Vitamin B₁₂ or folate deficiency), blood loss anaemia and anaemia of chronic disease. Low haemoglobin can also be seen in conditions like thalassemia. Anaemia in a patient should be thoroughly investigated and treated as per the cause. If haemoglobin level is significantly higher than normal, the condition is called polycythaemia. As compared to polycythaemia, anaemia is a more frequently occurring condition.

Haemoglobin test explained