Haemoglobin (Hb) Testing
How to check your Haemoglobin levels with a home fingerprick blood test kit
What Is A Haemoglobin Test For?
Haemoglobin is a protein found in the red blood cells, which are the most abundant cells in your blood. Haemoglobin carries oxygen from your lungs to the cells of your body, so it is a good indicator for your blood's ability to carry oxygen and deliver it to your tissues.
Learn all about Haemoglobin Testing:
Haemoglobin Testing UK Statistics 2021
6.7% of people tested have Haemoglobin levels which are too high.
And 3.0% have levels that are too low.
The average Haemoglobin result is 145.6 g/L
Note what is normal for you may differ for your age and gender.
Men tend to report higher Haemoglobin in their blood than women.
As many as one in eleven men tested have high levels of Haemoglobin
90.3%
of people have Haemoglobin blood levels in the normal range. Do you?
Are you in the 90.3% with normal results?
What If Haemoglobin Test Levels Are High?
Above-normal haemoglobin levels occur most commonly if you are dehydrated, but can be caused my many other conditions including smoking.
However, it can also occur if your bone marrow produces too many red blood cells, a condition known as polycythaemia.
Polycythaemia makes the blood thicker so it is less able to travel to your body's tissues. If severe it can lead to blood clots in the heart, brain, lungs or legs, all of which can be very serious. We recommend you review the guidance here https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/polycythaemia/ and follow up with a medical professional.
Your haematocrit and red cell count results in this test panel should also be reviewed, as polycythaemia is likely to also increase their levels.
What If Haemoglobin Test Levels Are Low?
If your haemoglobin levels are low, you likely have anaemia, a condition in which your body is not getting enough oxygen, causing fatigue and weakness.
Below-normal haemoglobin levels may be the result of a wide range of conditions including iron deficiency, inflammatory disorders, inherited haemoglobin defects bone marrow problems or infection, so follow up testing is required for diagnosis.
How To Test Haemoglobin?
Order your haemoglobin test with the convenience of home testing only at Vitall — accredited laboratory and rapid results.
You can check your Haemoglobin levels by buying a home fingerprick blood test kit below. Your sample is then professionally analysed in an accredited laboratory for total reassurance. The Vitall Full Blood Count (FBC) Home Test Kit includes a Haemoglobin test and is available for just £59.
Please see the following test kits:
Other Biomarkers Often Tested With Haemoglobin
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Basophils
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Blood Film
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Eosinophils
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Full Blood Count (FBC)
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Haematocrit (PCV)
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Lymphocytes
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Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin (MCH)
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Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin Concentration (MCHC)
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Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV)
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Mean Platelet Volume (MPV)
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Monocytes
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Neutrophils
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Platelet Count
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Red Cell Count (RBC)
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Red Cell Distribution Width (RCDW)
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White Cell Count (WBC)
