less hemoglobin with cabin crew

[Moshi Moshi]

I did medical checks, I got 8 hemoglobin. Is it ok for cabin crew? I did fly for almost 8years now. This medical checks for my new airline job. I worried about it.

[gingernut]

Have you been told it's a problem?

And what units are they using? Did they mention a reference range?

[Moshi Moshi]

The doctor didn't tell me any problem, said it's normal. And the airline which offered me this job, didn't mention about this. But I heard from my friends who told me they may consider it.
Anyway, I decided to tell the airline and they said it should be ok.
Because people who has less hemoglobin, might easily fainted. But it never happened to me so far.

[Shamrock274]

Is it causing you any problems though?

Tiredness, palpitations, shortness of breath, headache, ringing in your ear etc.

Did they do any other tests (more analysis to your blood, detailed medical history etc) to give a clearer picture as to what might be the cause of the low Haemoglobin.

Usually normal Hb levels for males is roughly 13.5g/dL and females 11.5g.dL (can decrease when at that time of the month)

[Moshi Moshi]

I got only 8g, that's why I worried. But I have never had any health problem history before. (never short breath, tired sometime as usual) Some of my friends said folic acid, iron vitamin can help, it may take a month to increase the number.
But I'm just curious if the airline will consider it or not.

[Shamrock274]

Originally Posted by Moshi Moshi

. . . Some of my friends said folic acid, iron vitamin can help, it may take a month to increase the number. . .

The best thing to do is to go to your GP and request further tests so that you see what is the cause for this. Many things can be responsible for you having a low Hb. . ranging from hereditary, underlying illness to just being that time of the month(if female).

Your GP will just will take some blood to try and see the cause of the low Haemoglobin and ask a more detailed medical history.

For you it will just be a GP visit and a few mL of blood sample. My advice is see you GP. . at least you know whats causing you to have a low haemoglobin levels and also when you talk to your employers, you know exactly what causing you to have this low Hb, rather than just saying to them, "my haemoglobin level is low".

Suprised your GP has not called you for further investigation

Hope it helps.

[Moshi Moshi]

I did blood test,then I knew I got low hemoglobin. And when I talked with doctor, he said it's normal, may cause by period too. I checked my white blood cell, size of blood cell is normal. And Platelet count also is normal.
Only this hemoglobin is low about 8, I think I didn't have food which have enough iron too.

[Bob the Doc]

If this is really a haemoglobin of 8g/dl then it is too low and needs investigating. It should not get this low just with periods unless they are very heavy in which case you need to do something about them. It should not get this low from dietary insufficiency unless there is a real deficiency on your diet. While you may not be getting symptoms (in hospital we often do not treat an unsymptomatic, chronically low haemoglobin until it is below 7), this still needs sorting out.