Every organ of the human body plays an independently important role in keeping us alive and contributing to our well-being. Today’s article is all about the red blood cells. Please scroll down to find some interesting facts on RBCs.
- Red blood cells or erythrocytes break into erythrons( means red) and cytes( means cells). These are microscopic donuts or flat-shaped cells in the human body that do not contain a nucleus and mitochondria(energy-generating cells).
- The red blood cells are also known as Eukaryotic cells/ organelles containing a single nucleus or no nuclei. There are two types of bone marrow yellow and red bone marrow. The red bone marrow, also known as Hematopoietic Stem Cell is responsible for making billions of red blood cells in the body.
- The bone marrow is a jelly-like soft tissue found in the bones and the most essential part of the human body. The red bone marrow that produces red blood cells is made up of red stem cells or hematopoietic cells.
Highlights of the Article- The liquid tissue, blood, is made up of four important components namely: red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, and plasma. The blog is the most requested one discussing RDW blood test high.
- However, red blood cells play a vital role in transporting oxygen (the most essential element for survival) to different parts of the human body but what happens if there are some variations in the size and volume of the red blood cells?
- The article explains the purpose of the Red blood cell distribution test( RDW) in detail, procedure, and RDW Results( High and Low).
Let us go to the first part and understand the RDW Test.
RDW in Detail– The red blood distribution test is a part of the Complete Blood Test( CBC) whihc is also known as the full blood count test. The CBC test measures the RBCs, WBCs, Hemoglobin, and Hematocrit counts along with major differences and variations in the size of RBCs.
- Please note that the variation in the size of the largest and smallest red blood cells is a serious medical condition like thalassemia (a Blood Disorder), sickle cell anemia, etc. Moreover, the only way to cure the deadly disease(thalassemia) is blood transfusion or donor( hematopoietic) stem cell transplantation.
- The average lifespan of Red blood cells is between 70- and 140 days and then they die. The erythropoietin hormone produced by the kidney gives signals to your bone marrow to make the red blood cells ensuring the right numbers of the blood cells. The healthy RBC’s discocyte size ranges from 6.2 to 8.2 micrometers in diameter and 1.7 to 2.2 micrometers in thickness.
- Please don’t get confused with the “word” width in the Red Cell Distribution Width Test as it does not measure the width instead it evaluates the variability in shape and size of the red blood cells.
When is the RDW Test( Red Cell Distribution Width) Needed- As we learned the variation in the size of the erythrocyte cells can be an alarming condition, resulting in severe anemia. Enlarged blood cells( greater than normal) are called macrocytosis and an MCV value of less than 80 femtoliters is called microcytosis.
- The test determines the RDW blood test high and low RDW values. Every red blood cell is normally small in size and if the range of the size is large, then an RDW test is conducted.
- This is a safe procedure that determines the amount of RBC’s variation in terms of size and volume. There are many serious and significant conditions related to anemia like cancer, diabetes mellitus, heart failure, strokes, etc.
The procedure of the RDW Test- The human body contains a mix of large and small red blood cells which are of different sizes. These disc-shaped red blood cells contain a water-soluble globular protein hemoglobin( Hb) that transports oxygen to various body parts. The rate of oxygen transport can be affected by the variation in the size of RBCs. In this case, the RDW test determines the RBC size range and whether they are similar or dissimilar. Let us quickly go through the procedure of the RDW test.
- The venipuncture expert will clean the selected area and place the tourniquet belt on the arm to draw a small amount of blood by inserting the sterilized needle into the selected vein site.
- The blood is collected in an airtight tube for diagnostic testing.
- The phlebotomist technicians will draw the samples in the correct order and then send them to the medical laboratory for testing purposes.
- This process is called venipuncture or intravenous therapy.
There is no special preparation is required for the RDW test. However, in some cases, your doctor will ask the patient to do fasting or stop the medicine dose before the test. Therefore, it is always advisable to speak with your healthcare professional before undergoing any test.
Understanding RDW Results( High and Low), Causes, and Risk Living with High RDW Level
The article explained that the size of RBC cells plays an important role in transporting the required element, oxygen. We also know RDW tests can provide information on RBC’s indices and classify chronic conditions like anemia, diabetes, and heart problems. Please note that this is not a single performed test rather it is executed with the panel of various other tests. Therefore, in this segment, we will understand what RDW measures. The test is displayed on the histogram as data points.
Range of RDW blood test high- If the histogram points to a greater variety of wider RBC cells, the RDW is higher than 15%.
- Risks Associated- It indicates iron deficiency anemia caused by an inadequate amount of iron, vitamin B12, or folate. The high red blood cell distribution width can lead to heart failure and severe cardiovascular events. This can also be a sign of cancer, especially colorectal cancer.
Range of Lower RDW Level- If you score less than 10.2% resulting in lower RDW level. This means the data points closely to the low-specified range showing the same size and shapes.
- Risks Associated- The condition does not directly impact your health but can cause weakness, breathlessness, and severe anemic conditions including Thalassemia.
Normal RDW Level- The normal RDW reading should be between 11.5%- 15% in both men and women. For further doubts on RDW blood test high and low range, you can scroll down to get the best answer.
Final Takeaways and a Short Note from Grace Laboratory
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Wrap-Up Statements– Please note that the RWD blood test is a preventive healthcare practice to lead a holistic fulfilling life and a proactive way to strengthen your immune system.
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