MCH levels are the average amount of hemoglobin that is in each red blood cell. MCHC levels are the average weight of that hemoglobin based on the volume of red blood cells. Both are a reflection of the health of the hemoglobin in the blood. The test can help screen people for a variety of issues at once and may help diagnose conditions, such as bleeding disorders, infections, and anemia.
Regular health screenings will often include a CBC test. If the results come back normal, the person may not need another test until their next health screening. Doctors may order CBC tests if a person shows signs of any disorder that can affect the blood. A CBC test can also be used to help monitor individuals who have blood disorders. Doctors will use them to track the progress of a treatment and determine how effective it is. CBC tests examine all three types of cells in the blood. The test will give a total white, red, and platelet cell count.
CBC tests examine all three types of cells in the blood and will show the total number of white cells, red cells, and platelets in the blood. Normal MCH levels are around 27 to 33 picograms pg per cell in adults.
These numbers may vary based on the machine used to carry out the test. The numbers are different in young children. A person with a low MCH has concentrations at or below 26 pg per cell. A person with high MCH levels will have concentrations at 34 pg per cell or more. Different types of anemia can cause low MCH levels. For example, microcytic anemia occurs when the blood cells are too small and cannot take in as much hemoglobin as they should.
This can be due to malnutrition or nutritional deficiencies. Some medical conditions can also cause anemia, even if the person eats a balanced and healthful diet. Low amounts of iron in the blood can also cause low MCH levels. The body uses iron to make hemoglobin. If the body runs out of iron, iron deficiency anemia can cause low MCH levels.
This type of anemia may be more common in vegetarians or people with poor nutritional intake. People with other conditions may also experience low MCH levels. Celiac disease can prevent the body from properly absorbing iron, which makes it very difficult to keep the iron levels where they need to be.
Likewise, people who have had types of gastric surgery may also not be able to absorb iron as well as they need to. Women with excessive menstruation may also become anemic, as they lose more iron in the menstrual blood than they can recover. Low MCH levels can also appear in a body that is lacking key vitamins. People who do not get enough B vitamins such as folate and B12 may show low MCH concentrations on their tests.
Your body absorbs a small amount of iron that you eat in order to produce hemoglobin. Some of the general causes of iron deficiency include eating a diet that is low in iron, major surgery or trauma, or blood loss.
In more rare cases, low MCH can be caused by a genetic condition called thalassemia. In this condition, production of hemoglobin is limited. An MCH value calculated above 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 and folate.
Both of these vitamins are required by your body in order to make red blood cells. These types of anemia can develop if your diet is low in B vitamins or if your body does not absorb B or folate properly.
If you have anemia due to folate deficiency, you could experience the following additional symptoms:. Treatment for low MCH caused by iron deficiency can include adding iron-rich foods to your diet there are even vegetarian options and taking iron supplements. In rare cases, such as when symptoms are severe or blood loss has occurred, you may need a blood transfusion. People with mild thalassemia may not require treatment. However, blood transfusions may be required if your symptoms are severe.
Treatment for anemias caused by B or folate deficiencies are commonly treated by lifestyle changes, such as adding foods rich in vitamin B and folate to your diet. Your doctor may also recommend taking supplements of these vitamins to further boost your B and folate levels or, if absorption is a problem, prescribe B injections.
Low MCH values are often caused by iron deficiency anemia. Typically, this condition can be treated with lifestyle changes including consuming foods rich in iron as well as taking iron supplements. In the rare case that your low MCH value is caused by thalassemia, you may require blood transfusions if your symptoms are severe.
High MCH values caused by a deficiency of the vitamins B or folate can also often be treated with changes to your lifestyle that include dietary modifications and supplements, or injectable B Our goal is to not have a single piece of inaccurate information on this website. If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please leave a comment or contact us at support selfhacked.
Note that each number in parentheses [1, 2, 3, etc. Mean corpuscular hemoglobin MCH measures the amount of hemoglobin in your red blood cells. It can be used to help diagnose blood and iron-related disorders. Keep reading to learn more about the causes of low and high MCH and what you can do to address abnormal levels.
Mean corpuscular hemoglobin MCH is a measure of the average amount of hemoglobin in your red blood cells. Hemoglobin is the protein that stores binds oxygen, which is what allows your blood to transport oxygen throughout your body [ 1 , 2 ]. MCH is normally part of a complete blood count, which measures your hemoglobin, hematocrit , and red blood cell count.
Doctors can use MCH to help diagnose different types of anemia [ 1 , 2 ]. MCH values usually but not always parallel those of mean corpuscular volume MCV , which is a measure of the size of your red blood cells. This means that when your red blood cells increase, MCH usually follows [ 1 ]. This makes sense because bigger red blood cells can fit in more hemoglobin.
The normal range of MCH is usually from 27 — 31 pg [ 1 ]. However, what your labs report as a normal range may differ slightly. Some lab-to-lab variability occurs due to differences in equipment, techniques, and chemicals used. There are anemias in which red blood cell size and hemoglobin content are normal normocytic anemia [ 3 ].
Your doctor will interpret your results in conjunction with your medical history and other test results. A low mean corpuscular hemoglobin MCH means that your red blood cells contain less hemoglobin than normal. This usually also means they are smaller than normal microcytic [ 1 ]. People with small red blood cells microcytosis often do not show any symptoms unless their anemia is severe.
Other blood tests can help your doctor determine the cause of microcytosis, such as MCV, RDW , and iron markers [ 4 ]. Causes shown below are commonly associated with low MCH.
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