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What happens if MCHC is low?
When MCHC levels are very low, your body could struggle to provide enough oxygen to all its tissues. As a result, these tissues are deprived of oxygen and unable to get rid of carbon dioxide. This can actually become life threatening.
What does it mean when MCHC is high?
A high MCHC means that hemoglobin is more concentrated than usual and may occur in a few ways. For instance, hemoglobin becomes more concentrated when red blood cells break down. MCHC is often increased in people who smoke. 10 MCHC may also be falsely increased due to cold agglutinin disease.
What does an MCHC test tell you?
Doctors use information from the CBC to calculate your MCH. A similar measure to MCH is something doctors call “mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration” (MCHC). MCHC checks the average amount of hemoglobin in a group of red blood cells. Your doctor may use both measurements to help in a diagnosis of anemia.
What is considered a low MCHC level?
The reference range for MCHC in adults is 33.4–35.5 grams per deciliter (g/dL). If your MCHC value is below 33.4 grams per deciliter, you have low MCHC. Low MCHC values occur if you have anemia due to iron deficiency.
What medications cause high MCHC?
Overactive thyroid: Thyroid problems frequently lead to changes in a person’s red blood cells. Medications: In rare cases, high MCHC levels have been found in people taking immunosuppressive or chemotherapy drugs.
What is a high MCH level?
What Is High MCH and What Can It Mean? MCH levels over 34 pg are generally considered abnormally high. The most common reason for high MCH is macrocytic anemia, which is a blood disorder in which the body fails to produce enough red blood cells.
What is MCHC vs MCH?
MCH quantifies the amount of hemoglobin per red blood cell. The normal values for MCH are 29 ± 2 picograms (pg) per cell. MCHC indicates the amount of hemoglobin per unit volume. In contrast to MCH, MCHC correlates the hemoglobin content with the volume of the cell.
Is MCHC 31 low?
A normal MCHC level for an adult is 31-37 grams per deciliter (g/dL). MCHC values by themselves are not always a sign that a person has any underlying health problems but may prompt a doctor to do further tests.
What is the normal range For MCHC in blood?
Dr. Laura Martin on MedlinePlus says that normal MCHC levels are between 32 and 36 g/dl (grams/deciliter). Doctors will also evaluate the average red blood cell size ( MCV, or mean corpuscular volume) and the amount of hemoglobin in each red blood cell (MCH, or mean cell hemoglobin).
What does low MCHC mean in a blood test?
Anemia, specifically hypochromic microcytic anemia is the common cause of low MCHC. If the MCHC in the blood test is low, it means that the haemoglobin level is low because the red blood cells are smaller than their usual size.
What can cause high MCH levels?
High MCH value can often be caused by anemia due to a deficiency of B vitamins, particularly B-12 and folate . Both of these vitamins are required by your body in order to make red blood cells.
What does it mean to have high MCH on bloodwork?
An MCH value calculated above 33.2 pg is considered high MCH. This means that there is a larger amount of hemoglobin present per red blood cell. High MCH value can often be caused by anemia due to a deficiency of B vitamins, particularly B-12 and folate.