Aplastic anaemia is a rare blood disorder that occurs when the stem cells in the bone marrow do not create enough blood cells. You can consult the best homoeopathic doctor in Lucknow if you are showing the symptoms of this condition, after which they may conduct a series of tests to properly diagnose the disease.
If you consult the best homoeopathic doctor in Lucknow, you will be recommended to take physical exams or blood tests. You will be referred to a haematologist (expert in blood disorders) or an oncologist (expert in cancer treatment). They may also use your medical or family history to learn more about your condition. After the doctor knows about the cause and severity of your condition, they can create a treatment plan.
Medical and family history
You will be asked about your medical histories like whether you have had anaemia or any condition that can cause aplastic anaemia before, if you have been exposed to certain toxins or medicines, if you have shortness of breath, headaches, dizziness, or other symptoms of anaemia, whether you have had radiation therapy or chemotherapy, or any infections or signs of infections like fever. You will also be asked whether you get bruised or bleed easily. They will also determine if your family members have had anaemia or other blood disorders.
Physical exam
A physical exam is conducted to check for the signs of aplastic anaemia and to determine how severe the condition is and what is causing it. It may include checking for pale or yellowish skin and symptoms of bleeding or infection. Your heart and lungs will be checked for abnormal heartbeats and breathing sounds. The doctor may also feel your abdomen to check the size of your liver and feel your legs for swelling.
Diagnostic tests
The diagnostic tests help to confirm a diagnosis of aplastic anaemia, find out how severe it is, look for its potential cause, and to check for paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH). These tests also help to rule out other conditions that may cause similar symptoms. The various diagnostic tests include the following.
Complete blood count (CBC)
This is the first test for diagnosing aplastic anaemia, which measures many parts of your blood. The CBC test primarily aims at checking your haemoglobin, which is an iron-rich protein in the red blood cells that carries oxygen to our body, and hematocrit levels, which is a measure of how much space the RBCs take up in your blood. A low level of either of these is a sign of anaemia. The normal range varies in certain racial and ethnic populations.
The CBC test can also be used to check the number of red blood cells, platelets, and white blood cells in the blood, and abnormal results may indicate aplastic anaemia, an infection or other conditions. It also measures the mean corpuscular volume (MCV), which measures the average size of your RBCs. These results can hint towards the cause of aplastic anaemia.
Reticulocyte count
This measures the number of young RBCs in the blood and shows whether the bone marrow is making RBCs at the correct rate. Aplastic anaemia will cause the patient to have low reticulocyte levels.
Bone marrow test
Aspiration and biopsy are the two types of bone marrow tests. These tests show whether the bone marrow is in a healthy condition and is making enough blood cells. Aspiration is done to determine if the bone marrow is not producing enough blood cells and what is the cause behind it. It involves the removal of a small amount of bone marrow fluid through a needle, and the sample is looked at under a microscope to check for faulty cells. In comparison, biopsy involves the removal of a small amount of bone marrow tissue through a needle, which is then checked for the number and types of cells in the bone marrow. If the person has aplastic anaemia, the bone marrow will have a lower-than-normal number of all three types of blood cells.
Other tests
Since there are other conditions that can cause the same symptoms as aplastic anaemia, additional tests may be needed to rule out the possibility of those conditions. These tests include
- X-ray or CT scan, or ultrasound imaging test: all of these tests show enlarged lymph nodes in the abdomen, which may be a sign of blood cancer. Doctors mostly use these tests to look at the kidneys and bones in the arms and hands, which may be abnormal in people with Fanconi anaemia, which can lead to aplastic anaemia.
- Chest X-ray: these tests create a picture of the structures inside the chest, such as the lungs, heart, and blood vessels. This test can be used to rule out infections.
- Liver tests and viral studies: these are used to check for liver diseases and viruses.
- Another test may also be conducted to check vitamin B12 and folate levels in the blood, which can help rule out anaemia caused by vitamin deficiency. You may also be recommended blood tests for PNH or to check your immune system for proteins called antibodies.
To conclude
These are the various ways in which aplastic anaemia can be diagnosed in patients. You can consult the best homoeopathic doctor about undergoing these tests as well as the treatment plan.