What is a Dangerously Low Hemoglobin Level?

Low Hemoglobin: Symptoms & Treatment

Hemoglobin is an essential protein found in red blood cells that transports oxygen across the body. It plays a crucial role in keeping our bodies energized and functioning optimally. Extremely low levels can affect everything from your breathing to your heart health and may require urgent medical intervention.

Symptoms such as tiredness and difficulty breathing might be observed. Dangerously low levels can also lead to dizziness, pale or yellowish skin, chest pain, cold hands and feet, and even cognitive difficulties.

Read further to discover what qualifies as dangerously low hemoglobin and why it matters.

What Qualifies as a Dangerously Low Hemoglobin Level?

Below is a table outlining various hemoglobin level classifications:

Why Do Haemoglobin Levels Fluctuate?

Haemoglobin levels can fluctuate due to a variety of natural and health-related factors. In healthy individuals, slight variations are normal and may result from changes in hydration, altitude, or physical activity.

Extreme changes in the normal level lead to health conditions. The causes of dangerously low haemoglobin fluctuations are listed as follows:

• Severe Blood Loss: Reduced blood supply occurring due to trauma, surgery, internal bleeding, and heavy menstrual bleeding.
• Chronic Disease: The presence of underlying diseases such as cancer, liver disease, and kidney disease contributes to low haemoglobin levels.
• Nutritional Deficiency: Iron deficiency anaemia, vitamin B12 deficiency, or folate deficiency contribute to low haemoglobin levels.
• Autoimmune Diseases: Certain autoimmune diseases, such as haemolytic anaemia, destroy red blood cells prematurely. Diseases such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis cause significant changes in haemoglobin levels.
• Infections: Conditions such as tuberculosis, HIV, malaria, and other chronic infections can suppress bone marrow or destroy red blood cells.
• Genetic Conditions: Sickle cell anaemia and thalassaemia cause abnormal haemoglobin production, leading to chronic anaemia.

What are the symptoms of dangerously low haemoglobin levels?

The signs of dangerously low haemoglobin levels are as follows:

• Extreme Fatigue: Persistent tiredness or fatigue, even after sleeping well. This happens when the body cannot produce enough oxygen to meet the energy requirements.
• Pale or Yellowish Skin: A low red blood cell count can cause the skin to lose its healthy colour, making it appear pale or yellowish. This typically occurs on the face, inner eyelids, gums, and nails.
• Shortness of Breath: Mild physical activity, such as stair climbing or even walking long distances, can leave you breathless and cause body weakness.
• Irregular Heartbeat: Due to the limited levels of circulating oxygen, it causes increased heart rate and pulse rate.
• Cold Hands and Feet: Low haemoglobin levels reduce circulation to the extremities, causing the hands and feet to feel unusually cold.
• Chest Pain: The lack of circulating oxygen levels causes a reduced supply to the heart, leading to the feeling of sharp pain, pressure, or tightness in the chest.

How to Check Haemoglobin Levels?

Checking haemoglobin levels is essential for monitoring overall health, especially for detecting anaemia or other blood-related conditions. Haemoglobin contains iron, allowing it to bind to oxygen. This enables your red blood cells to carry oxygen from your lungs to other tissues and throughout the body.

A doctor may recommend taking a Complete Blood Count (CBC) test, which helps identify the number of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets in blood samples.

What are the risks associated with severely low haemoglobin levels?

Listed below are the risks associated with severely low haemoglobin levels:

• Heart Strain: Due to low haemoglobin levels, the heart pumps harder to deliver oxygen, elevating the risk of heart enlargement, irregular heartbeat, or heart failure.
• Extreme Fatigue: Low haemoglobin levels can lead to reduced oxygen delivery to tissues and muscles, leading to decreased stamina, constant tiredness, and weakness.
• Cognitive Issues: Inadequate oxygen to the brain causes confusion, difficulty concentrating, memory problems, and, in severe cases, fainting.
• Organ Damage: Low oxygen supply can cause malfunctioning of vital organs like the brain, kidneys, and liver.
• Pregnancy Complications: For pregnant women, it increases the vulnerability of premature birth, low birth weight, and complications during delivery.
• Immune System Weakness: Serious anaemia can damage immunity, making the body more susceptible to infections.

How Can Low Haemoglobin Levels Be Improved?

Improving low haemoglobin levels involves addressing an underlying cause, such as iron deficiency or chronic diseases. Listed below are ways to improve haemoglobin levels:

• Increase Iron Intake: Consumption of iron-rich foods such as meat, beans, legumes, eggs, green leafy vegetables, and nuts has proven to significantly increase haemoglobin levels.
• Increase Folate Intake: Increased folate intake improves haemoglobin levels. Consuming spinach, fruits, whole grains, and sunflower seeds has been shown to have proven benefits.
• Consume Vitamin C: Incorporate citrus fruit, tomatoes, bell peppers, strawberries, broccoli, and guava alongside iron-rich meals. Vitamin C is known to enhance iron absorption levels.
• Maximise Iron Absorption: Consumption of vitamins and minerals such as vitamin C, vitamin A, and beta carotene helps the body absorb iron better.

Maintaining healthy haemoglobin levels is vital for overall well-being, as dangerously low levels can lead to serious health complications. Early detection, proper nutrition, and medical care can significantly improve outcomes. Experts also recommend that people with low haemoglobin levels go for routine checkups so that a significant drop in levels can be quickly detected, enabling timely intervention.

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