Hemoglobin is the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen around the body. It tells you whether your organs are getting enough oxygen and whether there is anemia. Here’s what it means, in plain language.
| Category | Reference range |
|---|---|
| Women | 120–150 g/L |
| Men | 130–170 g/L |
| Children | depends on age g/L |
Ranges vary by laboratory, by age and, in women, by pregnancy. Check the reference range printed on your own report.
Hemoglobin is the body’s “oxygen delivery truck.” It sits inside red blood cells, picks up oxygen in the lungs and carries it to every organ. That is why your hemoglobin level has a direct say in how energetic you feel.
Low hemoglobin is called anemia. Your organs are not getting enough oxygen, which is where the tiredness and weakness come from. The most common cause is iron deficiency, but there are others too (a shortage of vitamin B12 or folate, blood loss, chronic illness).
High hemoglobin can come from dehydration (the blood “thickens”), smoking or living at altitude, and sometimes from a blood or lung condition.
A small one-off rise is often harmless, but hemoglobin that stays high is worth looking into with a doctor.
Compare your value with the range for your sex and with the reference range on your report. Hemoglobin is almost always assessed together with red blood cells, hematocrit and the indices (MCV, MCH) — they help show what type of anemia you’re dealing with.
No need to decode the numbers yourself: take a photo of the report and the app explains “Hemoglobin” and the rest in plain words — what is normal and what deserves attention.
Get the appOpen in TelegramAs a rough guide, anemia is considered hemoglobin below 120 g/L in women and below 130 g/L in men, but the final call is made by a doctor, taking your condition and other results into account.
No. Iron deficiency is the most common cause, but not the only one. It can also be a shortage of vitamin B12 or folate, blood loss or a chronic illness. A doctor works out the cause.
It depends on the cause: for iron deficiency, replacing iron under a doctor’s supervision; for a vitamin shortage, replacing the vitamin. The first step is to find the cause, not simply to “take some iron.”
This material is for general information only. It is not a medical opinion and does not replace a consultation with a doctor. Reference ranges depend on the laboratory and the method — rely on the range printed on your own report. Your doctor makes the final interpretation. This page is a translation of the Russian original. The medical review applies to the original text.
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