Providing You with Information
Understanding Blood
Determining Normal Levels CBC stands for c omplete b lood c ount and is a series of at least six tests done on the blood to determine if you have normal levels of the different parts of blood circulating in your body. A CBC is done by a machine that determines the following values:
Cell Gallery
Red Blood Cells
Red blood cells are the most common type of cell in the blood. A red cell is disc shaped (a bi-concaved disc). It carries the oxygen from your lungs to cells throughout your body. The cells in your body use the oxygen to produce energy. When your body makes energy, it releases carbon dioxide. The red cells carry the carbon dioxide back to your lungs where it is exhaled. If you have a low number of red blood cells, you have a condition called anemia. If you have too many red blood cells, you have a condition called polycythemia.
Hematocrit is another way to determine how many red blood cells you have circulating in your body. The result of a hematocrit test will reveal how much or what percentage of your total blood is made up of red blood cells.
Hemoglobin is found in your red blood cells. It is the substance that gives your blood its red color. This value is yet another way of evaluating the quantitative status of your red blood cells. If your hemoglobin level is low, you have anemia. People that have a low hemoglobin level also usually have a low red blood cell count and a low hematocrit.
White Blood Cells
White blood cells (WBC) are your body's protectors. Usually there are many less white blood cells in your body than red blood cells. They travel throughout your blood stream and tissues looking for harmful invaders. When you have an infection, your body increases the number of white blood cells sent from your bone marrow. When white blood cells see an invader - like bacteria or a fungus, they attack and kill it. A low white blood count makes it much harder for your body to fight off invaders. If you have a low white blood count it is much easier for you to get an infectious disease. When your immune system is not working at its full potential, then you are said to be immunocompromised.
There are at least five different types of white blood cells that come in different shapes and sizes. They are neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, and basophils. Blood tests can be done to determine the number of each of these white blood cells in your blood. This test is called a differential white blood count (Diff).
Sometimes having a high or low count of one of these types of white blood cells indicates a specific problem. For example, a high eosinophil count may indicate an allergy. A high monocyte count can indicate an infection. A high neutrophil count is seen in most serious infections, some cancers, arthritis, and sometimes when the body is under stress (for example, after surgery or trauma).
Platelets
Platelets are the smallest type of cell found in the blood. They circulate and continuously repair small leaks in our blood vessels while at other times they act like an emergency team that rushes to the place of injury. Once they arrive there, they stop bleeding by gathering around the injury site. If the injury is in a bleeding vessel, they plug the hole. Platelets help the blood to clot more quickly. If you have a low platelet count, you are said to have thrombocytopenia. Some of the more common reasons why people may have a low platelet count are that they may be undergoing cancer treatment, they may have a type of leukemia or other cancer, or they may have an immune system disorder.
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