The underlying cause of anemia, if present, will be shown by doing a complete medical history, physical examination and other laboratory blood tests. Blood test: A routine blood test will show if you have a low hemoglobin count.Poor brain development occurs in children, which may manifest as behavioral disturbances and poor academic performance. In serious cases, the arms and legs may become swollen, and the individual may experience excessive sweating, heartburn, vomiting, bruises, and bloody stools. Visible signs of low hemoglobin count include paleness of the skin, gums, and nail beds. These may also lead to palpitations and chest pains.
This may lead to shortness of breath and an increase in pulse rate, which are the ways by which the body compensates to increase the output of the heart. A very low hemoglobin count reduces the body's ability to carry oxygen to the vital organs. Some may experience mild symptoms of dizziness, but those who are moderately anemic may also feel chronically tired, and may experience frequent headaches, lack of concentration, or fatigue. When the body destroys RBC faster than it produces them, low hemoglobin count occurs, such as in these conditions:Īcute or chronic blood loss also results in low hemoglobin count, and this can occur because of any of these:Ī person who has a slightly low hemoglobin level may not feel any symptoms at all. Medications like anti-retroviral drugs and chemotherapy drugs.This occurs if the body manufactures a smaller number of RBC than normal, if these blood cells are destroyed more rapidly than they are created, or if one experiences blood loss.Ĭertain conditions and diseases cause the body to manufacture fewer RBC than normal, and these include: Some people adapt to slightly low hemoglobin count, like woman who are menstruating or pregnant.Ī significantly low hemoglobin count may be associated with disease or any condition that causes the blood to have very few red blood cells (RBC). Causes of Low Hemoglobin CountĪ slight decrease in hemoglobin does not necessarily indicate an illness. This abnormally low hemoglobin count is known as anemia. However, if the decline in hemoglobin level is considerable and leads to symptoms, there may be an underlying medical condition causing it. Usually, blood test results reveal just a slight decrease from normal levels, which may not be clinically significant and does not lead to symptoms. For males, it is below 13.5gm/dL, and for females, it is below 12gm/dl. Normal limits for children vary with their sex and age.Ī low hemoglobin count is commonly seen in routine blood tests. A normal hemoglobin level is at 13.8 to 17.2gm/dL of blood for males and 12.1 to 15.1gm/dL of blood for females. This molecule carries oxygen from the lungs to the different parts of the body. Polycythemia (also known as polycythaemia or polyglobulia) is a disease state in which the proportion of blood volume that is occupied by red blood cells increases.The red blood cells contain a protein called hemoglobin, also known as Hb or Hgb. – Polycythemia vera-a rare disease in which the body produces excess RBCs inappropriately.Ī high hematocrit with a high RBC count and high hemoglobin indicates polycythemia. – Genetic causes (altered oxygen sensing, abnormality in hemoglobin oxygen release) – Living at high altitudes (a compensation for decreased oxygen in the air) – Kidney tumor that produces excess erythropoietin The body tries to compensate by producing more red blood cells. – Congenital heart disease-in some forms, there is an abnormal connection between the two sides of the heart, leading to reduced oxygen levels in the blood. – Lung (pulmonary) disease-if someone is unable to breathe in and absorb sufficient oxygen, the body tries to compensate by producing more red blood cells. As the volume of fluid in the blood drops, the RBCs per volume of fluid artificially rises with adequate fluid intake, the hematocrit returns to normal. – Dehydration-this is the most common cause of a high hematocrit. Some causes of a high hematocrit include: