If you experience shortness of breath or struggle to find strength for completing your daily work activities, your doctor may ask you to undergo blood tests, including a complete blood count. A complete blood count test assesses the total amount of hemoglobin in your blood, the number of red blood cells and white blood cells, and the fraction of the blood composed of red blood cells. These test results can help you get a snapshot of your health. A low level of hemoglobin can develop due to anemia, which can be corrected with iron pills.
The Oxygen Carrier In Your Blood
Hemoglobin is a heme-containing protein inside red blood cells, which transports oxygen throughout your body. Heme is an iron-containing compound. Hemoglobin accounts for about two-thirds of the iron present in your body. It picks up oxygen when it comes in contact with the lungs and liberates oxygen as the need arises during its circulation through the body's tissues. A number of factors can bring the hemoglobin level down. According to MedlinePlus, lower-than-normal hemoglobin can be the result of destruction of red blood cells, malnutrition, leukemia, bleeding, various types of anemia, overhydration and nutritional deficiencies of vitamin B-6, folate, iron and vitamin B-12. Without an adequate hemoglobin concentration, your body produces defective red blood cells that are not efficient at carrying oxygen.
Having Tired Blood
Anemia, also known as tired blood, refers to a condition in which your blood contains a lower than normal number of red blood cells. This condition can also occur if you have low concentrations of hemoglobin in your blood. Anemia, which may be mild, moderate, or severe, can be caused by an iron-poor diet, blood loss, pregnancy and not absorbing enough iron. Iron deficiency is the most prevalent nutritional disorder in the world, states the World Health Organization states.
A Common Form of Anemia
缺铁性贫血，这是贫血的常见类型，发生在你的身体没有足够的铁，使健康的红血细胞。如果你不能保持健康的限度内的铁水平，你的身体开始使用它存储的铁。当储存的铁耗尽得到一个时间到来。储存的铁完成后，你的身体产生更少的红血细胞，这反过来，有较少的血红蛋白比正常。在这种情况下，你可能有症状，如呼吸急促，胸口疼痛和疲劳。如果你有严重的缺铁性贫血，你可能有心脏问题和感染。
Understanding Your Complete Blood Count
要诊断缺铁性贫血，医生可能会进行血液测试，这将有助于弄清楚有多少血红蛋白是在你的血液。血红蛋白的血液测试通常是作为一个完整的血球计数测试的一部分来完成。血红蛋白男性的正常水平是每分升13.8至17.2克的女性是每分升12.1至15.1克。血红蛋白的低于正常电平可指示贫血。你的医生可能需要执行其他血液测试，以确定病情的原因。执行血液测试，以评估存储在你的身体铁的量，称为血清铁蛋白测试，和铁中的血液的量，称为血清铁试验，给出的结果很重要，以确认缺铁性贫血的存在。
Taking Iron Pills
Your doctor may recommend you take iron supplements, which come in pill form for adults, to treat a low hemoglobin level caused by iron-deficiency anemia. Supplemental iron comes in two forms: ferrous and ferric. The Office of Dietary Supplements says that ferrous iron salts such as ferrous sulfate, ferrous gluconate and ferrous fumarate are the most readily absorbed forms of iron supplements. The percent elemental iron -- the actual amount of iron in a supplement accessible for absorption by your body -- in these iron supplements may vary. For instance, ferrous fumarate provides 33 percent elemental iron, while ferrous sulfate has 20 percent elemental iron. Because iron pills may lead to gastrointestinal side effects such as dark colored stools, vomiting, constipation, abdominal distress, diarrhea and nausea, take them only as your doctor prescribes.