A hematologist is a specialist who deals with diseases of the blood and hematopoietic system. Hematology is the study of blood, its properties, its functions in the body, and all diseases related to the blood and hematopoietic system. Hematology is considered an interdisciplinary field because it is closely related to other areas of medicine, such as immunology, serology and transfusion medicine.

Who is a hematologist?

A hematologistis a hematology specialist.Hematologyis a relatively young (its rapid development took place in the mid-twentieth century), but extremely dynamically developing field of medicine. The growing interest in it is due in part to the growing number of patients with diseases of the blood and hematopoietic system. It should be remembered that often diseases of the blood and hematopoietic system may be a signal of other diseases, e.g. anemia due to iron deficiency may also indicate problems with the digestive or urinary system, and hyperemia may be the first symptom of a kidney cancer or a tumor of the central nervous system.

What tests are ordered by the hematologist?

Hematology is based primarily on blood analysis. Often, from the basic blood count, where the number of red blood cells, white blood cells, hemoglobin concentration, the amount of hematocrit and other parameters, e.g. platelets, ESR or CRP, is determined, the doctor can conclude that he is dealing with iron deficiency, inflammation, chronic infection or autoimmune diseases.

In order to make a correct diagnosis, it is often necessary to perform detailed laboratory tests, e.g. blood biochemistry (the blood plasma composition is analyzed, i.e. the level of creatinine, urea, glucose, electrolytes, bilirubin, amylase) and smears are tested (thanks to which it is possible to confirm or rule out, among others, viral, bacterial or fungal infections, infectious diseases, bone marrow disorders or hypothyroidism).

The hematologist can also refer you to bone marrow tests, bone marrow biopsy or lymph node biopsy, but also to basic tests such as chest x-ray or ultrasound examination.

What diseases are diagnosed by a hematologist?

People who have performed a general blood test and the results are most often referred to the hematologistthey came out incorrect. At the beginning, the doctor conducts a detailed interview with the patient, asks not only about past diseases or any family conditions, but also about the lifestyle (diet, physical activity). It is best to write down all the symptoms that we are dealing with in advance, because even seemingly insignificant symptoms such as irritability, drowsiness, brittle nails, hair loss or headaches may be important information for the doctor that we suffer from, for example, one of the most common diseases in the field of hematology, i.e. anemia.

Other diseases of the blood and hematopoietic system that hematology deals with are:

  • anemia
    • hemolytic anemia
    • megaloblastic anemia
    • aplastic anemia
    • Addison-Biermer anemia et al.
  • leukemias
    • acute myeloid leukemias
    • acute lymphoblastic leukemias
    • chronic leukemias
  • lymphiaki
    • Hodgkin
    • non-Hodgkin's lymphomas and others
  • multiple myeloma
  • haemorrhagic blemishes (vascular, platelet, congenital plasma, and plasma acquired)
  • hyperemia (including polycythemia vera)
  • leukopenia
  • essential thrombocythemia
  • thrombophilia (hypercoagulability)
  • granulocytopenia
  • agranulocytosis
  • systemic mastocytosis
  • myelofibrosis

Treatment methods used in hematology

Some hematological conditions are relatively easy to diagnose and treat, and most importantly, they do not pose a threat to the patient's life. For example, in anemia due to iron deficiency, iron supplementation should be started, and at the same time the hematologist may order an appointment with other specialists, including at a gynecologist if you suspect iron deficiency is due to excessive periods.

On the other hand, others (e.g. neoplastic diseases) require adjustment of treatment to the type of disease, its stage, and the general he alth condition of the patient. In the case of lymphomas, chemotherapy, monoclonal antibody therapy, and radiation therapy are often used. For leukemias (depending on the type and stage of the disease, of course), chemotherapy and bone marrow transplantation from a family or unrelated donor work well. The hematologist in such cases cooperates with doctors of other specializations, e.g. oncology, transplantology, immunology.

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