Hematologist
Hematologist - a doctor who advises on diseases of the hematopoietic organs and blood, engaged in research or treatment and prophylactic activities.
The competence of a hematologist includes questions in the fields of medicine regarding the functions and structure of blood systems (directly blood, hematopoietic organs and blood destruction), the causes of the development of diseases of the circulatory system. Also, the hematologist is developing methods for recognizing these diseases, finding ways to treat and prevent them.
For what diseases do you need to consult a hematologist?
1 iron deficiency anemia
Anemias are the most common diseases of the hematopoietic system. If the number of erythrocytes and hemoglobin is reduced in blood counts, it is worth talking about anemia. The concept of anemia includes diseases that have a different etiology, but mainly they are all associated with a lack of iron.
At the reception, the hematologist will tell you that when building hemoglobin in maturing erythrocytes of the bone marrow, iron metabolism is of decisive importance. Iron is found in muscles and is also part of the cellular respiratory enzymes. In the case of iron deficiency, many metabolic processes in the body begin to work with impairments. In particular, iron deficiency anemia is more often dealt with by a pediatric hematologist, since this disease mainly occurs in children under the age of two.
2. Hemolytic anemias
Hemolytic anemias are the second most common diseases that, according to reviews, the hematologist deals with.
In hemolytic anemias, the bone marrow produces a sufficient number of red blood cells, but due to various circumstances, they have a short life span and are subject to rapid destruction.
At the consultation, the hematologist will tell you that, most often, the causes of hemolytic anemia are congenital or hereditary factors, about its types, in particular about recessive or dominant anemia, about the fact that recessive anemia usually has a much more severe course and serious consequences. According to reviews of hematologists, the most common type of hereditary hemolytic anemia is Minkowski-Shoffard disease, inherited in a dominant manner.
3. Hypoplastic anemias
Hypoplastic anemias are directly related to the onset of the process of destruction of the bone marrow and disruption of the process of hematopoiesis. In general, the name of the disease does not fully reveal its essence, since in this case we are talking not only about anemia, but also about the defeat of all hematopoietic organs, including those that produce platelets and leukocytes.
According to the reviews of hematologists, hypoplastic anemias can be acquired or congenital. The most common congenital form of the disease is Fanconi anemia. Its peculiarity lies in the fact that hematological disorders occur in combination with other congenital malformations, mainly from the side of the skeletal system.
4. Aplastic anemias
Aplastic anemias represent a special group of diseases, the cause of which can be very difficult to establish. The disease is associated with damage to the parental stem cell of the bone marrow, from which, in fact, hematopoiesis occurs in various directions. The disease begins acutely, the patient's condition worsens, severe pallor, bruising and bleeding appear. With this disease, an urgent consultation with a hematologist and immediate treatment is necessary, otherwise the disease has an unfavorable prognosis.
When do I need to see a hematologist?
With blood diseases, patients often feel general malaise, impaired appetite, weakness, and rapid fatigue. Often such complaints are symptoms of serious diseases associated with disruption of the bone marrow and the hematopoietic system. Therefore, in the presence of such complaints in children, parents should urgently contact a pediatric hematologist. Especially parents should be wary if the child's skin is pale, sometimes with an icteric tinge, with the appearance of nose or other bleeding, bruises under the eyes.
It is necessary to get an appointment with a hematologist if the child complains of pain in the bones, spine and joints, as well as abdominal pain and headaches.
If a child often has nosebleeds, increased drowsiness and weakness, inattention, irritability, decreased appetite, then it is necessary to contact the local pediatrician, who will refer the patient for a general blood test and, based on the results of the analysis, a hematologist may need to be consulted.
If the child has enlarged lymph nodes, then it is necessary to contact the local pediatrician, as well as consult a surgeon, phthisiatrician, take a general blood test, do an ultrasound of the abdominal organs and an x-ray of the chest organs. Based on the results of the study, the pediatrician can refer the patient to a pediatric hematologist.
It is important to know that in no case should you start taking iron supplements on your own, and iron replacement with food is impossible.
According to reviews, hematologists are most often asked about enlarged lymph nodes. Lymph nodes in the body perform protective functions and prevent the spread of diseases throughout the body, which often manifests itself in their enlargement and increased pain. This is especially noticeable in preschool children. In older children and adults, suppression of the disease in the lymph nodes is often completely asymptomatic.
Diagnosis of anemia
To diagnose anemia, the hematologist will refer the patient to the following tests:
- Complete blood count with reticulocytes;
- Ferritin;
- Transferrin saturation percentage;
- Iron binding capacity.
Today, a hematologist also successfully uses the following methods for diagnosing anemia:
- CT scan;
- Ultrasound diagnostics;
- Nuclear Magnetic Resonance.
All these modern research methods allow the hematologist to identify the structure and size of organs, tumor formations, various disorders of the skeletal system.
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