Hemoglobin
Alternate Names : Serum Hemoglobin, Total Hemoglobin
What do the test results mean?
Age, sex, and other factors cause normal ranges for hemoglobin to vary. Generally, healthy test ranges are:
newborns - 14 to 24 grams of hemoglobin per deciliter of blood (g/dl)
children 6 months to 6 years -- 9.5-14 g/dl
children 6 to 18 years - 10 to 15.5 g/dl
men 18 or older - 14 to 18 g/dl
women 18 or older -12 to 16 g/dl
pregnant women -- at least 11 g/dl
Low values of hemoglobin generally mean that a person has a low red blood cell count, which is also called anemia. Anemia has many possible causes. Common causes include:
excessive menstrual bleeding in women
gastrointestinal bleeding, such as that from bleeding peptic ulcers and colon cancer
malnutrition
increased nutritional needs, which occurs during rapid growth periods of childhood and in pregnancy
inherited causes, such as sickle cell disease, a condition that causes abnormally shaped red blood cells
Increased hemoglobin levels can occur for several reasons. Common causes include:
dehydration, which causes a temporary increase in hemoglobin that goes away once someone becomes re-hydrated
chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, such as emphysema, which is usually due to smoking cigarettes
blood cancer, such as a cancer called polycythemia vera
Depending on the results of this test and the suspected cause of the results, the healthcare provider may suggest a treatment or further tests.
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