Blood tests – how to read their results

RBC – these are erythrocytes, or red blood cells. The norm in women is: 3,9–5,6 M / µl. The norm in men is: 4,5–6,5 M / µl. A result above these values ​​rarely occurs, usually in people who stay or have returned from holidays and expeditions to high mountain regions. It may also indicate a rare disease called polycythemia proper; its essence is the increased amount of i.a. erythrocytes (the blood is “too thick”). Anything below the normal range is anemia. It can occur in women who have abundant menstruation (a large and regular blood loss that the body cannot “catch up”), in people who have internal bleeding (e.g. from the stomach or duodenum, a possible complication of untreated and advanced peptic ulcer disease, or NSAIDs), in people who have too little iron (it is part of a blood cell) or vitamin B12 deficiency. Too low red blood cell counts also happen in pregnant women or people suffering from kidney disease.

WBC – are leukocytes (white blood cells). Their standard is 4,1–10,9 K / µl. If there are more, it is likely that your body is undergoing some sort of local or general inflammation. An elevated level sometimes indicates leukemia, but don’t worry, their amount also increases after intense physical exertion or prolonged stress. If there are too few of them, you need to look at the numbers of other blood cells – granulocytes and lymphocytes. Their deficiency causes a decrease in the number of WBCs and indicates a weakened immunity.

LYM – these are lymphocytes. There should be 20–45% of them, which is sometimes expressed in other units as: 0,6–4,1 K / µl. here the norm for both sexes is the same. If there are too few of them, viral infections, including AIDS, can be suspected. It happens that children have a congenital deficiency of lymphocytes, and then the treatment should be started as soon as possible. An excess of lymphocytes may indicate hyperthyroidism, infectious diseases in childhood, nephritis, but also more serious diseases: multiple myeloma, lymphocytic leukemia or lymphomas. However, it is worth knowing that in children under the age of four, an increased number of lymphocytes is the norm and you do not have to worry about it.

PLT – these are platelets, or thrombocytes. The standard for both sexes is 140–440 K / µl. They are responsible, among other things, for blood clotting and scab formation. Their decreased level may indicate impaired production in the marrow (this is the case in bone cancer or leukemia). The number of these corpuscles can also drop after taking antibiotics and painkillers, or when bacterial toxins destroy them. The level of PLT rises when we suffer from iron deficiency, chronic infection, during pregnancy and after spleen removal. Transient growth is often seen in children after viral infections.

HCT – is hematocrit, which is the ratio of the volume of coagulated (clumped) blood cells to the volume of whole blood. Women should be 37–47% and men 40–51%. Too high hematocrit accompanies the already mentioned polycythemia proper. It can also appear in a dehydrated body. Conversely, low hematocrit is a symptom of anemia.

Hgb – this is a test for hemoglobin. If there is not enough of it, we become anemic. The norms for men are 7,4-10,5 mmol / l or 13,5-17,5 g / d. The norms for women are 6,8–9,3 mmol / L or 11,5–15,5 g / dL. MCH – is the average content of hemoglobin in the red blood cell. This indicator tells us whether there is too much or too little hemoglobin in the red blood cells. The norm is 26-32 pg. This value may drop when we have iron deficiency and the anemia caused by it. MCHC – is the concentration of hemoglobin in the red blood cell. This parameter, like the MHC, shows how much hemoglobin saturation erythrocytes are. The norm is 31-36 g / dl (sometimes it is also referred to as 20-22). Excess is rare. Deficiency, by contrast, is quite common – for example in menstruating women or in iron deficiency anemia.

MCV – to average red blood cell volume, also called macrocytosis. The norm is 80-97 fl. An increase in this value does not necessarily mean anything wrong, but if it exceeds 110 fl, you may start to suspect a vitamin B12 or folate deficiency and anemia associated with these deficiencies. When MCV drops, it is called microcytosis and it could be iron deficiency.

MONKEY – this is a monocyte test. The norm is 0,1–0,4 G / l. If the result is lower, we may have an infection (also latent) in our body. The result also drops when we use glucocorticosteroids, but it returns to normal after stopping treatment. The number of monocytes increases when we have mononucleosis, chronic bacterial disease (e.g. tuberculosis, brucellosis, syphilis), in Crohn’s disease, in monocytic leukemia, during collagenosis, and in various types of cancer and after surgical interventions.

NEUT – these are neutrophils. The standard is 2,5–6,5 K / µl. Their number increases in blood diseases, cancer, various types of infections and advanced pregnancy. It can also be high in smokers. It decreases in leukemia, viral, bacterial and protozoal diseases and during therapy with cytostatic drugs. EOS – they are eosinophils. The standard provides for 0,1–0,3 K / µl. If they grow, we suspect allergies and bronchial asthma and parasitic diseases. The excess is also visible in the case of blood diseases, penicillin use, and psoriasis. The number of EOS drops in sepsis, dysentery, injuries and burns, as well as after intense exercise or adrenal hyperfunction. glass – they are basophils. There should be less than 0,1 K / µl. If their number increases, it means that we may have allergies, myeloid leukemia, chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract or hypothyroidism.