What do HCT levels indicate?

What do HCT levels indicate?

A hematocrit test measures how much of your blood is made up of red blood cells. Red blood cells contain a protein called hemoglobin that carries oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body. Hematocrit levels that are too high or too low can indicate a blood disorder, dehydration, or other medical conditions.

Why would HCT and HGB be low?

Low hematocrit levels could be caused by: Sickle cell anemia. Leukemia (blood cancer) Nutrient deficiencies.

How do you raise your hematocrit levels?

What can I do to increase my low hematocrit? Increasing the consumption of red meat (liver in particular), fish and shellfish (oysters, clams, shrimp, and scallops), dried fruit (apricots, prunes, and peaches), green leafy vegetables, beans, iron fortified breads and cereals, all rich in iron, may help.

How do you treat low hematocrit?

Most people are not treated with medications or procedures if the hematocrit is only slightly above or below the normal levels. Some patients with very low hematocrits may require intravenous iron, transfusions or medications to stimulate the production of red cells by the bone marrow.

Is low hematocrit bad?

If you take a hematocrit test and your test results report low hematocrit levels, this means you have a lower percentage of red blood cells than you should. Many things can cause low hematocrit levels, which can indicate an underlying health condition like: Anemia (About Anemia)

What makes your hematocrit low?

Causes of low hematocrit, or anemia, include: Bleeding (ulcers, trauma, colon cancer, internal bleeding) Destruction of red blood cells (sickle cell anemia, enlarged spleen) Decreased production of red blood cells (bone marrow supression, cancer, drugs)

How quickly does hematocrit change?

After acute hemorrhage, the Hct falls for 24-48 hours until the plasma volume is replaced. At that time, anemia is normochromic and normocytic with normal cellular indices, because the cells in the peripheral blood have been produced prior to bleeding (see Iron Deficiency Anemia).

What level of hematocrit is considered anemic?

Normal hematocrit levels vary based on age and race.. In adults, normal levels for men range from 41%-50%. For women, the normal range is slightly lower: 36%-44%. A hematocrit level below the normal range, meaning the person has too few red blood cells, is called anemia.

What causes low HCT levels?

Low HCT and HGB may be caused by a reduced total number of RBCs or by excessive fluid within the blood, which dilutes the RBCs. The number of RBCs may be reduced by blood loss, impaired RBC production or excessive RBC destruction. Bleeding is one of the most common causes of low HCT and HGB.

What is the normal range for HCT blood test?

For women, the normal range is 12.0 to 15.5g/dl. Normal hematocrit for men is 38.8 to 50 percent. For women, the normal range is 34.9 to 44.5 percent.

What does it mean if you have a low hematocrit?

When a person has low hematocrit levels, it can be a sign of another medical problem. Low hematocrit levels can be caused by conditions like cancer, bone marrow disease, kidney problems, anemia or simply a nutritional deficiency of essential nutrients like iron, vitamin B-12 or folate.

What test is used to determine low blood count?

A test called the complete blood count (CBC) is used to determine whether your blood counts are low. The CBC measures the levels of the three basic blood cells: red, white, and platelets. In the United States, the CBC is typically reported in the format shown below.