Wife got some blood work done recently, and three results (MCH, MCV, RDW) were slightly out of range and doctors started talking about anemia. I’ve heard the word plenty of times, but it’s never really explained or talked about. What is it, how serious is it, how common is it, etc?
In: Biology
Iron deficiency. You would need more meat, liver, spinach, or other iron rich foods, plus iron supplements depending on how bad it is, in order to fix it.
Anemia itself might be a symptom of something else, so listen to your doctor’s recommendations and follow them
anemia is a low amount of red blood cells or amount of hemoglobin (which is the molecule that carries oxygen in your blood). It can be from many different causes, such as blood loss, iron deficiency, certain vitamin deficiencies, or from your blood cells being damaged for some reason. The lab values you mentioned can give a clue as to what it might be from. Other tests will probably be needed to find out the exact cause. It really depends on the cause and how off the values are as to how serious it is. But you need to talk to your doctor, and not try to get advice about your specific issue from the internet
Anemia is basically a lack of red blood cells, or ones that aren’t working well. Red blood cells carry oxygen throughout your body, so when you’re anemic, you might feel tired or weak.
Here’s a breakdown of the three things mentioned in the results:
* **MCH (Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin):** This tells you the average amount of hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying protein, in each red blood cell.
* **MCV (Mean Corpuscular Volume):** This indicates the average size of the red blood cells.
* **RDW (Red blood cell Distribution Width):** This shows how much the red blood cells vary in size.
Slightly abnormal results in these areas can be a sign of anemia, but it’s not always serious. There are many types of anemia, and some are more common than others. It’s best to follow up with the doctor to understand what the results mean specifically.
Here’s some reassurance:
* Anemia is very common and treatable in most cases.
* Depending on the cause, treatments can range from simple dietary changes to supplements or medications.
Anemia means you have a low hemoglobin (HGb). Hemoglobin is a molecule that sits on your red blood cells and carries oxygen throughout the body. Low hemoglobin (anemia) means your ability to deliver oxygen to your body, which is a problem.
MCH, MCV, and RDW being slightly out of range does not mean she has anemia. Anemia is, by definition, low hemoglobin, so if her hemoglobin was in the normal range then she is not anemic. Whether or not those three lab values means something is wrong (besides anemia) is up to her doctors to figure out, but most likely it’s fine.
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