Crystal Nelson
If you want to have your health checked if you suspect iron deficiency, you can simply have a doctor take a blood count and check your blood values. Here you can find out what the complicated numbers and limit values from the laboratory mean.
The blood is important for the body: it supplies the organs with oxygen, transports hormones and messenger substances to the right place, and discharges metabolic waste products. Therefore, the blood test reveals a lot about what is happening in the body! Here are the most important blood values.
Hemoglobin: Is there an iron deficiency?
The red blood pigment hemoglobin (Hb) supplies the body with oxygen. If the blood values are too low, this leads to tiredness and dizziness. The most likely trigger for low blood counts is iron deficiency. Without iron, the body cannot make hemoglobin. Other possible causes are kidney or intestinal diseases as well as blood formation disorders. Blood values should be between 14 and 18 g/dl (grams of hemoglobin per deciliter of blood) for men and between 12 and 16 g/dl for women.
Cholesterol: how high is the risk of a heart attack?
Cholesterol is the most important component of cell walls and is required for the production of hormones. A distinction is made between “good” HDL cholesterol and “bad” LDL cholesterol. HDL releases stored fat from the veins. The value should be at least 40 mg/dl (milligrams per deciliter of blood), over 60 mg/dl is optimal. If, on the other hand, the “bad” LDL cholesterol is increased, dangerous deposits form in the blood vessels – the risk of heart attack and stroke increases. The maximum LDL cholesterol level in a healthy adult is 160 mg/dl.
Blood sugar: Regularly do the diabetes check!
Blood sugar describes the proportion of glucose, the body’s most important source of energy. The normal value is 70 to 99 mg/dl (milligrams per deciliter). A permanently elevated value indicates diabetes. From the age of 45, the blood sugar level should be measured.
TSH value: Is the thyroid working properly?
The level of TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) in the blood indicates whether the thyroid gland is functioning properly. Normal blood values are between 0.27 and 2.5 mU/l (million units per liter of blood). If the value is greatly increased, there is an under function – if it is too low, this indicates an over function. From the age of 45, it is advisable to have your TSH value checked every five years.
Homocysteine: checking the risk of dementia
Homocysteine is a cell toxin that is formed as an intermediate product of metabolism. Folic acid and vitamin B 12 normally render the toxic substance harmless. Blood values below ten micromoles per liter in the blood plasma are considered harmless. However, a vitamin or folic acid deficiency can lead to an increased homocysteine level. The cytotoxin then deposits on the vessel walls and disrupts the blood flow – the risk of heart attack, stroke, and dementia increases. Adults over the age of 40 should have their values checked every two years.
The small blood count – that’s what the blood values mean
With a blood analysis, the causes of numerous symptoms can be clarified, e.g. B. whether there is an iron deficiency or not. If a value is outside the norm, the doctor examines it for special diseases. Here is a selection of the blood values that are determined as part of the small blood count:
Erythrocytes (Red Blood Cells, short: Ery, RBC)
Task: Round, disk-shaped cells in the blood that are formed in the bone marrow and supply all organs with oxygen. Normal values: women: 3.9 to 5.3 million per microliter. Men: 4.3 to 5.7 million per microliter.
Leukocytes (white blood cells, short: leukos, WBC)
Task: immune defense. Normal values: men and women 3,800 to 10,500 per microliter.
Hemoglobin (short: Hb)
Task: The red pigment in the blood binds oxygen. Normal values: women 12 to 16 grams per deciliter (g/dl). Men 14 to 18 g/dl.
Hematocrit (short: Hk, HCT, HKT)
Task: The value indicates how many blood cells are in the blood, i.e. how viscous it is. Normal values: women 37 to 48 percent, men: 40 to 52 percent.
Platelets (in short: thrombo)
Task: blood platelets, which ensure blood clotting. Normal values: women and men 140,000 to 345,000 per microliter.
