posted
I went to get my blood drawn today, and the girl who was doing it said "Wow, never seen someone's blood this dark"
It was completely black no hint of red at all. I know it's deoxygenated blood, but isn't it suppose to be maroon color? Like very dark red rather than completely black.
I been having a lot of shortness of breath lately, and I am not sure that has anything to do with it.
Do you guys have any idea why?
-------------------- Ema Posts: 394 | From Southern California | Registered: Jun 2010
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Carol in PA
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 5338
posted
The red blood cells are not carrying enough oxygen to turn the blood red.
This could be because the air exchange in the lungs is not adequate.
Posts: 6947 | From Lancaster, PA | Registered: Feb 2004
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Add Spirulina to Your Diet and Replace those Expensive Supplements - by Barbara L. Minton -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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posted
Luvema, the iron is in the red cell to help transport oxygen.
When you don't have the complete amount of iron molecules in the red cell, you can't carry the
usual oxygen. Essentially, we are rusting the iron when we breathe in inside the red cells and
it carries the oxygen to our extremities, and once the oxygen is off loaded, the iron returns
to its bluish metallic color. Ask the doctor you see about seeing a hematologist. Make sure enough
of your cells are carrying the 4 molecules of iron to transport oxygen. Tell him/her about the
thasselemia diagnosis even if it is a sort-of-thasselmia. This could account for the darkish
color. You may need a full arterial blood draw to look at your acid/base balance instead of the
usual pulse oximeter. I have had these as an asthmatic.
Posts: 482 | From Oregon | Registered: Feb 2011
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- OtterJ says: "Tell [your doctor] about the thasselemia diagnosis even if it is a sort-of thasselmia" (end quote)
Ema,
I did not see that you post in this thread about your having a diagnosis of Thalassemia (did my eyes miss that?) but OtterJ must have remembered that from a previous post of yours. (?)
Absolutely, that is a key element. Just in case you've not studied that yet, Wiki is a good place to begin.
From there, talk to your doctors, of course, and seek out other specific support sites. I would have thought you would have better medical support around this but maybe that's a new diagnosis?
Your LLMD should be informed of ALL other diagnoses you have, including this. Treatment options can be affected.
The genetic testing that you would have had done prior to that diagnosis should also be made available to your LLMD. It may hold other detail that can improve your treatment plan.
As this is an inherited condition, your parents and grandparents health notes around this would also be valuable.
Thalessmia are . . . forms of inherited autosomal recessive blood disorders that originated in the Mediterranean region.
In thalassemia, the disease is caused by the weakening and destruction of red blood cells. Thalassemia is caused by variant or missing genes that affect how the body makes hemoglobin. . . . -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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My iron level is good, and yeah I have an alpha Thalessmia trait. My lyme doctor already knows about it. I just can't do anything about it, it's a genetic thing.
Having Thalessmia never really effected me, i am not sure if that can be the cause of the dark color and the shortness of breath.
-------------------- Ema Posts: 394 | From Southern California | Registered: Jun 2010
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