The Johns Hopkins University, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, and Johns Hopkins Health System c2022.

Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins c2014. Brunner & Suddarth's Handbook of Laboratory and Diagnostic Tests. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing 2022 Jan. Washington D.C.: American Society of Hematology c2022. Learn more about laboratory tests, reference ranges, and understanding results. To learn what your test results mean, talk with your provider. That's because the body has more fluid than normal during pregnancy, which decreases the percentage that's made of red blood cells. That's because your body responds to low oxygen levels by making more red blood cells so that you get the oxygen you need. Living at high altitudes where there's less oxygen in the air may cause a high hematocrit. If your results are not in the normal range, it doesn't always mean that you have a medical condition that needs treatment. Dehydration, the most common cause of a high hematocrit.Your blood plasma level is too low, which may be caused by:.Your body is making too many red blood cells, which may be caused by:.Certain cancers, including leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma, or cancers that spread to the bone marrow from other parts of the bodyĪ hematocrit level that's higher than normal may be a sign that:.Your body is making too many white blood cells, which may be caused by:.There are many types of anemia that can be caused by different medical conditions. Your body doesn't have enough red blood cells (anemia).For example, if your hematocrit test result is 42, it means that 42% of your blood is red blood cells and the rest is white blood cells, platelets, and blood plasma.Ī hematocrit level that's lower than normal may be a sign that: That number is the percentage of your blood that's made of red blood cells. Your hematocrit test results are reported as a number.

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