How to diagnosed Anemia ?
Because anemia doesn't always cause
symptoms, your doctor may find out you have it while checking for another
condition.
Medical and Family Histories
Your doctor may ask whether you have
any of the common signs or symptoms of anemia. He or she
also may ask whether you've had an illness or condition that could cause
anemia.
Let your doctor know about any
medicines you take, what you typically eat (your diet), and whether you have
family members who have anemia or a history of it.
Physical Exam
Your doctor will do a physical exam to
find out how severe your anemia is and to check for possible causes. He or she
may:
·
Listen to your heart for a rapid or irregular heartbeat
·
Listen to your lungs for rapid or uneven breathing
·
Feel your abdomen to check the size of your liver and spleen
Complete Blood
Count
Often, the first test used to diagnose
anemia is a complete blood count (CBC). The CBC
measures many parts of your blood.
The test checks your hemoglobin and
hematocrit (hee-MAT-oh-crit) levels. Hemoglobin is the iron-rich protein in red
blood cells that carries oxygen to the body. Hematocrit is a measure of how
much space red blood cells take up in your blood. A low level of hemoglobin or
hematocrit is a sign of anemia.
The normal range of these levels might
be lower in certain racial and ethnic populations. Your doctor can explain your
test results to you.
The CBC also checks the number of red
blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets in your blood. Abnormal results
might be a sign of anemia, another blood disorder, an infection, or another
condition.
Finally, the CBC looks at mean
corpuscular (kor-PUS-kyu-lar) volume (MCV). MCV is a measure of the average
size of your red blood cells and a clue as to the cause of your anemia. In iron-deficiency anemia, for example, red blood
cells usually are smaller than normal.
Diagnostic Tests and Procedures
You may have various blood tests and other tests or procedures
to find out what type of anemia you have and how severe it is.
Other Tests and
Procedures
If the CBC results show that you have
anemia, you may need other tests, such as:
·
Hemoglobin electrophoresis (e-lek-tro-FOR-e-sis). This test looks at the
different types of hemoglobin in
your blood. The test can help diagnose the type of anemia you have.
·
A reticulocyte (re-TIK-u-lo-site) count. This test measures the number
of young red blood cells in your blood. The test shows whether your bone marrow
is making red blood cells at the correct rate.
·
Tests for the level of iron in your blood and body. These tests include
serum iron and serum ferritin tests. Transferrin level and total iron-binding
capacity tests also measure iron levels
Because anemia has many causes, you
also might be tested for conditions such as kidney failure, lead poisoning (in
children), and vitamin deficiencies (lack of vitamins, such as B12 and folic
acid).
If your doctor thinks that you have
anemia due to internal bleeding, he or she may suggest several tests to look
for the source of the bleeding. A test to check the stool for blood might be
done in your doctor's office or at home. Your doctor can give you a kit to help
you get a sample at home. He or she will tell you to bring the sample back to
the office or send it to a laboratory.
If blood is found in the stool, you may
have other tests to find the source of the bleeding. One such test is endoscopy
(en-DOS-ko-pe). For this test, a tube with a tiny camera is used to view the
lining of the digestive tract.
Your doctor also may want to do bone marrow tests. These tests show whether
your bone marrow is healthy and making enough blood cells.
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