Types

• Red Blood cells, also called as Erythrocytes are produced in the bone marrow. The human red blood cell is normally a circular, non-nucleated, biconcave disc. It contains haemoglobin. The surface area of red blood cell is much greater than that of a sphere of the same size. Thus the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide is maximal with the b...

Description

In adults:

Male:

• 5.2 (4.5 -6) million per mm3 of blood

Female:

• 4.7 (4- 5.5) million per mm3 of blood

When to get Tested

• As a part of Complete Blood Count
• When there is s/s of Anemia (weakness or fatigue, lack of energy, fainting, pallor, fast or irregular heartbeat, cold hands or feet)
• When there is s/s of Polycythemia (disturbed vision, Dizziness, headache, flushing, Enlarged spleen)

Elevated Level

Physiological

• High altitude (due to hypoxia)
• New born have high count
• Excessive sweating (due to haemo concentration)

Pathological

• Conditions that produce haemo concentration (due to loss of body fluid) e.g. severe diarrhoea and vomiting
• Conditions that produce chronic hypoxia e.g. congenital heart disease and emphysema
• Polycythemia vera
• Dehydration
• Lung disease

Decreased Level

Physiological

• Pregnancy (due to haemodilution)
• Children have lower values than adults
• Women have lower values than men

Pathoogical

• Different types of anemia
• Relative decrease in RBC count occurs in different pathological conditions that produce hemodilution.
• Excess ADH secretion as occurs in posterior pituitary tumours
• Iron deficiency
• Bone marrow disorders
• Chronic inflammatory disease
• Chronic Kidney disease