A visit to the GP often ends with a blood count. This is one of the most popular blood tests in which the whole truth about your he alth is reflected in a mirror.

It is worth taking care of the cells that circulate inblood . They feed, defend, cleanse, and in addition they regenerate themselves, which can be greatly helped by a proper diet. When it lacks trace elements and elements, especially iron, the hematopoietic system has difficulty producing complete blood cells. You don't have to wait long for the effects: you become apathetic, sleepy, pale and quickly lose your immunity. Therefore, at least once a year you should do amorphology , and when you feel weakened, you tire more easily, you have more frequent infections - you should do the test immediately.

In a sample taken from a vein, not only the concentration of hemoglobin or the number of red and white cells is determined - you can determine some of their properties (such as the size of blood cells or the degree of oxygen saturation), but also detailed proportions between them. This will allow us to answer the question of whether the patient is anemic, how he reacts to treatment of infections, or whether he is eating properly.

A dozen or so years ago all blood components were counted separately under the microscope. Today, all this work is done by automatic analyzers, which make the results more reliable and precise. We usually receive them in the form of a computer printout with the standards marked by the laboratory in the range from - to. This is important becausethe results of the morphologyshould always be compared with the standards provided by the analytical laboratory performing the test. The reference range depends on the equipment used, the assay method and the reagents used and these may differ between laboratories.

Five liters of red fluid that circulates in our blood vessels, nourishing all organs and tissues, gives the entire body invaluable propulsion. However, the functions of the individual components vary greatly.

Blood morphology - red blood cells

Red blood cells, or erythrocytes, die irretrievably after 120 days, but new ones keep coming - from bones, and more precisely from the bone marrow, where they are produced. To produce them, the body uses, among others: iron, glucose, folic acid,vitamin B6and B12 . Their deficiency contributes to anemia (the so-called anemia), and it can also change the shape or size of red blood cells. The primary function of erythrocytes is to transport oxygen from the lungs to all body tissues (from the cells to the lungs - carbon dioxide travels in them). It would not be possible without hemoglobin, a protein that can bind to these gases, fill the interior of red blood cells and give them their characteristic red color. Hence, the determination of the concentration of hemoglobin belongs to the canons of morphology, as is the determination of the so-called hematocrit index - the quantitative ratio of erythrocytes to blood plasma. A decrease in hematocrit, as well as a decrease in hemoglobin, may suggest anemia. Only more detailed determinations (mean volume of red blood cells - MCV, mass of hemoglobin in erythrocytes - MCH and its concentration - MCHC) are able to show what type of anemia we are dealing with.

Why is morphology done in the morning? [TOWIDEO]

Blood morphology: leukocytes

White cells, called leukocytes, protect against the invasion of viruses, bacteria and pathogenic fungi. They do not contain hemoglobin, they do not have a red color. They are formed in the marrow, and some also in the lymph nodes, spleen and thymus. There are much fewer of them than erythrocytes, but they constitute an extremely diverse group of blood cells. There are three main types of leukocytes circulating in the blood: granulocytes, monocytes, and lymphocytes. Each of these varieties has a specific function: they strengthen immunity, destroy microbes, produce antibodies, are responsible for inflammatory processes, and some of them are involved in allergic reactions. Too high total number of white blood cells (called leukocytosis) indicates that your body is infected or something more serious, such as leukemia. But this can be sorted out by a more detailed analysis called a blood smear. It should be performed when the morphology results suggesting the presence of abnormal leukocytes are significantly abnormal (a smear will allow to determine the type of these cells and exclude whether they are leukemic). Among the granulocytes themselves, due to the granules inside them, we can distinguish: neutrophils, eosinophils and basophils. Note: increased leukocytosis also occurs with excessive physical exertion, under high stress, and even after prolonged sunbathing; in turn, a decrease in leukocytes may be the result of bone marrow damage caused by disease or a side effect of anti-cancer treatment.

Blood morphology: thrombocytes

Plates, or thrombocytes - their importance can be appreciated only when the skin is injured,rupture of blood vessels or during surgery. Plates are essential in the clotting mechanism. They save us from bleeding, because they prevent the outflow of blood from the damaged vessel.

Important

Interpretation of the results should be accompanied by the examination of the patient, learning about his general he alth, age and lifestyle. Sometimes a single morphology is not enough to make a definitive diagnosis, it is a signal that the test should be repeated. If the result turns out to be incorrect - treatment must be started.

What determines the result of the morphology?

Even a completely he althy person may have abnormal morphology results. They depend not only on the diseases we want to detect. Our diet, rest, and even the period of life we ​​are in have a great influence on the blood picture. The correct result in a 20-year-old woman may be different than in a 60-year-old woman. Particular care should be taken when interpreting the results in children from 3 months to 4 years of age. During this period, the numbers of individual blood cells differ significantly from the average for older children and adults. Only above the age of 4, the standards given on printouts by laboratories can be used. The results of the morphology are also changed by pregnancy - the woman's blood is then more diluted (the hematocrit index decreases), its volume increases, the number of red blood cells and hemoglobin decrease, the number of leukocytes increases.

How to prepare for morphology?

It is best to give a blood sample in the morning, because you must be on an empty stomach (the last meal should be light, eaten at least 8 hours before the visit to the laboratory). Return for the test well rested - heavy physical exertion, longer stay in high mountains, and even diarrhea and vomiting increase the number of red blood cells. Your platelet count may increase if you overtrain. If you start eating liver or black pudding a few days before taking the test, the blood picture will not be objective either - due to the increased supply of iron, you may turn out to be a hero, although the increase in hemoglobin concentration and the number of erythrocytes turns out to be accidental. Chronic use of certain medications (such as anti-rheumatic drugs or sulfa drugs) reduces the number of white blood cells. During menstruation, women should refrain from doing blood counts as heavy bleeding distorts the results.

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