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What Does Low Hemoglobin Level Indicate?

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Posted on Mon, 20 Feb 2017
Question: Hi my husband is 49 and he is healthy and doesn't take any medications his iron level is normal and had a blood test about 3 weeks ago and his hemoglobin level was 129 he did another last week and it was 124 he doesn't have any symptoms of any sorts he did colonoscopy today and everything was normal no pulips , he is scheduals for an endoscopy to check out his stomach on Friday he doesn't have any symptoms so I guess my question is what other tests or possibilities there is to find out where the problem is could be something serious ?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Hardik Sanghvi (3 hours later)
Brief Answer:
Nothing to worry.

Detailed Answer:
Hi, dear
I have gone through your question.
I can understand your concern.

He has slightly low hemoglobin. So first of all it is not serious condition. It can be nutritional deficiency or some blood loss.

He should go for peripheral smear examination, reticulocytes count, iron, ferritin and vitamin B12 level and stool for occult blood test.

These will give you exact idea about cause. Then he should go for further examination accordingly. No need of endoscopy and colonoscopy without primary investigations.

Hope I have answered your question. If you have any doubts then feel free to ask me. I will be happy to answer. Thanks for using health care magic.
Wish you a very good health.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Nagamani Ng
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Hardik Sanghvi (7 hours later)
Are those just blood tests? I'm very concern because he is feeling perfectly normal I've been reading that can be a sign of a lot of different cancers how low does the hemoglobin is for cancer . I should mention I've tried to make him vegetation at the time of blood test but his iron levers are fine
doctor
Answered by Dr. Hardik Sanghvi (29 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
Don't worry about cancer.

Detailed Answer:
Hi, dear
I have gone through your question.
I can understand your concern.

Don't worry about cancer. It is not necessary that high hemoglobin has no cancer or low hemoglobin has cancer.

In gastrointestinal cancer there is blood loss and it leads to low hemoglobin. We can not correlates hemoglobin level with cancer always.

There are many other causes of low hemoglobin level like vitamin B12 deficiency or some chronic infection or many more. So we just want to search the cause. Many a times slight low hemoglobin level is there without any reason also. So don't worry much about cancer and all that.

Hope I have answered your question. If you have any doubts then feel free to ask me. I will be happy to answer. Thanks for using health care magic.
Wish you a very good health.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Hardik Sanghvi (4 minutes later)
Are those just blood tests? I'm very concern because he is feeling perfectly normal I've been reading that can be a sign of a lot of different cancers how low does the hemoglobin is for cancer . I should mention I've tried to make him vegetation at the time of blood test but his iron levers are fine.Thanks but don't all the infections have signs ? Like fever ? My concern is not having any symptoms, and I was wrong on the previous question he is going for gastroscopy not endoscopy .
doctor
Answered by Dr. Hardik Sanghvi (15 hours later)
Brief Answer:
Gastroscopy is to check for peptic ulcer.

Detailed Answer:
Hi, dear
I have gone through your question. I can understand your concern.

Many chronic infection or inflammation are asymptomatic in early phase.
He is going for gastroscopy to check for peptic ulcer.

In my opinion it is not serious issue and no need ofany scopy right now. He may be completely normal or some minor nutritional deficiency or other cause. So go for routine non invasive investigations first. It is not any serious condition.

Hope I have answered your question. If you have any doubts then feel free to ask me. I will be happy to answer. Thanks for using health care magic.
Wish you a very good health.
Note: Do you have more questions on diagnosis or treatment of blood disorders? Ask An Expert/ Specialist Now

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
Answered by
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Dr. Hardik Sanghvi

Hematologist

Practicing since :2008

Answered : 7043 Questions

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What Does Low Hemoglobin Level Indicate?

Brief Answer: Nothing to worry. Detailed Answer: Hi, dear I have gone through your question. I can understand your concern. He has slightly low hemoglobin. So first of all it is not serious condition. It can be nutritional deficiency or some blood loss. He should go for peripheral smear examination, reticulocytes count, iron, ferritin and vitamin B12 level and stool for occult blood test. These will give you exact idea about cause. Then he should go for further examination accordingly. No need of endoscopy and colonoscopy without primary investigations. Hope I have answered your question. If you have any doubts then feel free to ask me. I will be happy to answer. Thanks for using health care magic. Wish you a very good health.