Polycythemia

Polycythemia - a condition in which the blood and increases the content of erythrocytes and hemoglobin. Polycythemia can be a hereditary condition, but may develop as a result of various diseases of internal organs. For example, as a compensatory reaction to the lack of oxygen in tissues in diseases of the heart and lungs.

The increase in red blood cells that is not associated with a lack of oxygen happens in some diseases of the kidneys, including kidney transplant surgery.

Hereditary-familial polycythemia - a genetic disease in which the hemoglobin concentration is increased Hemoglobin: worse - low or high?   and erythrocytes. The disease may be asymptomatic, but may show fatigue, headaches Headache: Causes and Complications   and occurrence of blockage of the blood vessels (thrombosis) due to high blood viscosity.

Erythrocytosis treatment is to remove the excess amount of erythrocytes and of reducing the viscosity of blood by means of various treatment methods and drugs. If polycythemia - a result of lung disease or heart disease, it is treated underlying disease.

High hemoglobin - it's good, and if it rises after the holiday in the mountains, it indicates good compensatory capacity of the organism. But in the case of exceeding the men and women of the rules without apparent cause should be examined to be sure their health.

The composition and the basic function of blood

Blood consists of a liquid part or plasma cells. Plasma for its part consists of water and sludge - salts, proteins and other substances.

Blood - a liquid tissue, whose main function - delivery to the rest of the body's tissues of oxygen and nutrients. The nutrients are dissolved in the plasma, and oxygen is carried by red blood cells (erythrocytes), which include hemoglobin. Hemoglobin oxygen touches and sends a location on a cloth return for carbon dioxide, which shifts to the lungs in the composition of the venous blood. This is the respiratory function of blood.

The blood contains white blood cells (leukocytes), whose main task - to destroy any enemy in the form of bacteria, viruses, fungi. A plasma contains gammaglobulin proteins that function as antibodies Antibodies - "soldiers' immunity That are produced in response to the introduction of specific infectious agents and remove them from the body (protective function). The blood contains a lot of biologically active substances that regulate the operation of all organs and tissues (regulatory and secretory function). Finally, the blood maintains a constant body temperature (thermo function).

Such a large number of functions can not affect the composition of the blood in various diseases there occur different changes that captures the CBC.

What is the CBC and how it is conducted

Total (clinical) blood test takes into account the major changes that occur in the cellular composition of the blood. This is the content of hemoglobin in red blood cells, red blood cells, a color indicator, the number of white blood cells and their composition (WBC), platelet count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR).

Complete blood count may reveal anemia, inflammation and suspicion of malignancy and serious blood disorders (where it is - it is will have to be confirmed), the degree of bleeding and the tendency to thrombosis, allergic processes. General blood test widely used to follow the course of the disease and the effectiveness of its treatment.

Perform complete blood count, counting blood cells under a microscope at a special glass, which is called the camera Goryaeva. But today, instead of laboratory microscope and using special analyzers, which quickly and accurately calculate the basic indicators. However, if there is a suspicion of severe blood disease (e.g., leukemia), it still makes a physician assistant in the old way, under a microscope, as in the apparatus is not allocated some types of pathological cells.

Indicators of red blood cells

The amount of hemoglobin detects anemia. Thus, the quantity of hemoglobin decreases, if the body is not enough iron so as hemoglobin protein is a compound with iron. Anemia may occur when blood loss, poor diet, certain serious diseases. The rate of hemoglobin - 132-173 g / l. The results of the analyzes carried out on the hematology analyzer, hemoglobin, abbreviated HGB.

Red blood cells (RBC) - is red blood cells, the number of which may vary for different diseases, norm - 4, 3-5, 7 on 10-degree 12 cells / L. Reducing the number of red blood cells may indicate anemia or some intoxication, depressing their formation in the bone marrow. Analyzers and give different erythrocyte indices which suggest various changes in red blood cells:

• MCV - mean corpuscular volume in cubic micrometers in femtolitrah (norm 80-95 fl) - says that the red blood cells are normal, more or less the norm;
• MCH - mean hemoglobin content of individual red blood cell (norm 27-31 m);
• MCHC - mean concentration of hemoglobin (the rate of 330-370 g / l).

The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (the rate to 10 mm / h) indicates the presence or absence of a tumor or an inflammatory process in the body.

Indicators of white blood

White blood cells (WBC, OK - 4, 5-9, 10 degrees at 9 cells / L) - are blood cells that protect the body against any intrusion (pathogens and any other foreign material) and removed from the body of his own dying cells.

For this purpose, calculated percentages of different kinds of leukocytes.

The increase in eosinophils speaks of an allergic process, neutrophils Neutrophils - protect against infection   - Of inflammatory lymphocytes - about mononucleosis Mononucleosis - forecast favorable , Whooping cough This pest, pest whooping ...   disease or blood monocytes - about some infections (tuberculosis, syphilis, brucellosis, viral infections).

Platelets

Platelets or platelets (PLT, norm - 150-400 10 degrees at 9 cells / L) - are blood cells involved in blood clotting. This rate increases with inclination to thrombosis and bleeding decreases with.

Complete blood count provides indispensable information for a correct diagnosis.

Galina Romanenko