About anaemia testing
Anaemia means your blood is carrying less oxygen than it should — either because you have too few red blood cells, or the cells you have can't carry enough oxygen. Iron deficiency is the most common cause in India, driven by inadequate dietary intake, heavy menstrual periods, pregnancy, and chronic infections. Vitamin B12 and folic acid deficiencies also cause anaemia, but with larger-than-normal red cells.
A Complete Blood Count is the first test — it measures haemoglobin, red cell count, packed cell volume and red cell indices (MCV, MCH, MCHC). Low haemoglobin confirms anaemia; the indices hint at the cause. Iron studies — serum iron, TIBC, transferrin saturation and especially ferritin — distinguish iron-deficiency from chronic disease and tell you exactly how much iron storage your body has.
In women of reproductive age, low ferritin is common even without overt anaemia and often explains hair fall, brittle nails and persistent fatigue. A peripheral blood smear can reveal sickle cell, thalassaemia or other red-cell disorders that need specialist follow-up.