Hemogram is also known as CBC or Complete Blood Count and encompasses group of different tests. It broadly serves as screening for presence of any disease and infection in your body.
- Series of tests included in the CBC test or Hemogram are as follows:
- Complete blood count (CBC).
- Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)
- CBC test informs about the blood cells like:
- Red Blood Cells (RBC)
- White Blood Cells (WBC) and
- Platelets
It is a routine test that gives us an overview of the general health status.
ESR indicates if there is any cause of inflammation in your body.
Patients suffering from leukemia or anemia are suggested to have a CBC test. But it’s advisable that you undergo hemogram test once a year, especially if you are senior citizens. It checks your basic health and is vital part of your routine checkups. If the CBC test reveals an abnormal increase and decrease in your cell count it might indicate that you are facing a medical issue and a further evaluation is required.
- Why would you need a Hemogram test?
- It monitors your overall health and is a part of a routine checkup.
- It checks if you have any blood disorder.
- It reveals signs and symptoms associated with health conditions like systematic vasculitis, rheumatoid arthritis, and temporal arteritis.
- To detect disorders like infections, amenia or diseases related to blood cancer or immune system.
- To monitor treatment that affect blood cells like radiotherapy or chemotherapy.
- These diseases can be detected by CBC test.
- Dehydration
- Infection
- Autoimmune disorders
- Cancer
- Anemia (low hemoglobin)
- Heart disease.
- Bone marrow problems.
Many other health issues can be detected through CBC test other than the above.
- The results of the complete CBC test with lower or higher count than the normal range indicate the following:
- Red blood cell count, hemoglobin and hematocrit are interconnected because each measures aspects of your red blood cells.
As discussed in our previous blogpost there are many causes of anemia like low levels of vitamins or iron, blood loss or any other underlying condition.
When red blood cell count is on the higher side than the normal range, or high hemoglobin then you can have underlying medical condition like a heart disease or polycythemia.
- White blood cell count if low it may be the cause of some medical condition like an autoimmune disorder that destroys the white blood cells or cancer or bone marrow problem.
Infact, certain medications can lead to lesser white blood cell count.
If your WBC count is higher than the normal range, you may have an infection or inflammation. It might also indicate an immune system disorder or a bone marrow disease.
At times it could be a reaction to medication.
- Platelet count:
When the platelet count is lower than the normal or on the higher side it is quite often a sign of an underlying medical issue or side effect due to some medication. You would need to go in for additional tests to diagnose that cause.
Depending on the reason for having this test, results above or lower than the normal range may or may not require follow-up.
Other blood tests are required along with the CBC test results to arrive at a proper diagnosis.
If you have no signs or symptoms of a health issue, results slightly outside the normal range of CBC may not be worrisome. And at times a follow-up is not needed. If you are undergoing a cancer treatment and the CBC is outside the normal range it might indicate that you need to change the treatment.
You should visit a doctor if the results are significantly above or below the normal ranges. Your doctor might ask you to visit a hematologist – a doctor specializing in blood disorders.
- Preparation for CBC test or Hemogram:
If the blood sample is being tested for hemogram or CBC, then you can eat and drink normally before the test. No fasting is required. If you are getting other tests conducted along with the CBC test, then you might need to fast for a certain period of time before the test. Consult your doctor for specific instructions. Often, CBC test or Hemogram is included in a full body health checkup.
Infact when you connect with Sunrise Diagnostic team, they will guide you through the process. Whether its CBC test or health checkup packages in Pune we are the right choice for various tests. Sunrise Diagnostic is one of the best diagnostic center in Pune because apart from having a team of experts, we also care for you and ensure that you are at ease and worry-free.
Keep reading our blogs for more insights on healthcare. For more details, email us on operationsunrise1@gmail.com or call on 9028801188
