WHAT ARE BLOOD DISORDERS?

Hematological disorders may be malignant (cancerous) or nonmalignant, also called blood disorders. Non-malignant diseases can be called benign disorders, but even without cancer, some can have serious effects on your body.

What are blood disorders?

Your body uses blood to supply its trillions of cells with fuel and oxygen and to fight infections and other diseases. Blood disorders can affect a number of body functions for these reasons.

Blood’s key elements are:

• Red blood cells (RBCs), containing oxygen all over the body
• White blood cells, fighting infection
• Platelets that protect your blood from easy bleeding by clotting
• Plasma, a blood liquid carrying blood cells, nutrients and waste, hormones, etc.

Blood disorder may be caused by abnormalities of any of these components or of related cells or tissues. It’s exactly what is wrong with the disease and its symptoms.

High or low blood counts

Certain blood disorders – including myeloma, leukemia, lymphoma, myelodysplastic syndrome, and myeloproliferative neoplasms – cause blood cell levels to be remarkably low or high. Blood cells don’t form or mature to perform normal functions in some cases.

• A low level of RBCs is known as anaemia. Polycythemia is a high level.

• Leukopenia is referred to as a low level for WBCs. Leukocytosis is a high level.

• Thrombocytopenia is referred to as a low level for platelets. Thrombocytosis is known as a high level.

Further deformities in blood

Other blood disorders are related to the low or complete lack of any substances the body needs, such as haemophilia clotting, or the presence of unwanted blood substances such as abnormal proteins. There are many other specific blood conditions that can affect your body in various ways.

Blood disorders diagnosis

Doctors start a blood disorder diagnosis process with signs, symptoms and history of your health and examine signs of a blood disease. Based on what they find, tests such as blood tests,imaging tests,  bone marrow tests may be recommended.

Due to the fact that so many substances are present in your liquid part of your blood (plasma), a simple blood test may provide important information. Your blood cells make your bone marrow, so bone marrow testing may also be important.