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By Joyce Gathu
Although many people are uncomfortable at the sight of blood, few of them understand the significance of maintaining a normal blood cells count.
Even more worrying is the lack of awareness of the connection between spells of dizziness, fatigue and fainting to low blood cells count also medically referred to as low haemoglobin levels.
Haemoglobin is a protein, found in the red blood cells, which is responsible for carrying oxygen from the lungs to all other tissues of the body.
Josephine Maina a mother of three has never had a haemoglobin test. She is also not considering going for one, after all she feels fine.
"I don’t see the need of knowing about my haemoglobin level since I feel healthy. I also don’t have time to go for such a test due to my busy schedule," says the 48-year-old lady.
On her part, Anastacia Omollo, a nursing student says, "Every so often I experience dizziness especially when I stand up abruptly. I have only fainted once. But my friend told me it was because I had not eaten lunch."
This is the attitude most Kenyans have towards their health.
"Unfortunately when it comes to blood related disorders such as anaemia, a haemoglobin test or a haemogram carried out on demand is not a routine test.
That is why it is important for people not to ignore dizzy spells, fatigue or fainting because they point to a deeper underlying issue," explains Dr Tim Ngunjiri, a haematologist.
Low haemoglobin levels can be an indicator of anaemia or internal bleeding caused by bleeding ulcers or among children hookworms.
Dr Ngunjiri explains that there is a standard for normal haemoglobin levels although they vary between men and women.
"For women, the amount of haemoglobin per decilitre of blood should be 12-16 grammes while for men it is 12-18," he explains.
A haemoglobin test is usually done upon recommendation by a doctor after a patient complains of dizziness, fatigue or even fainting.
Dr Ngunjiri says, "If the haemoglobin levels are below 12 then one is considered anaemic.
To rectify this situation, the cause of this low haemoglobin has to be identified by conducting a haemogram test.
Among the key reasons why a patient is considered to be anaemic are because of loss of blood and nutritional deficiency such as not taking sufficient foods rich in iron. Also, a person might be consuming these foods but the iron is not being absorbed into the blood system.
In instances where the test reveals that one is anaemic and the causes are nutrient related, the problem can be easily fixed by prescribing a diet that is rich in iron such as liver and green leafy vegetables such as spinach.
When the cause of anemia is related to a more complex issue such as internal bleeding, say among children with hookworms, the parasites have to be dealt with first before an iron rich diet can be prescribed.
It is therefore, advisable that parents and guardians de-worm their young ones periodically.
In a scenario where the individual is eating all the right food but the iron is not being absorbed into the blood system, there is need for further investigation.
Doctors often classify this as an indication that there is a condition affecting the iron entry point into the blood system and should be addressed to improve the haemoglobin levels.
Whatever the situation, people of all ages should consume foods rich in iron and visit a health facility if experiencing unexplained dizziness, fatigue or even losing consciousness for an expert opinion.
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