Hemoglobin in Spanish

What does hemoglobin do?

According to MedlinePlus, hemoglobin is an iron-rich protein in your red blood cells that carries oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body. Your cells need oxygen to grow, reproduce, and make energy. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) dictionary adds that hemoglobin carries carbon dioxide back to the lungs.

What a hemoglobin level can show

MedlinePlus says hemoglobin levels provide information about the health of your red blood cells. Test results compare your hemoglobin level to the normal range, which may be called the reference range, and this range may vary based on the laboratory used and your age, race, and sex. The test cannot tell you what is causing an abnormal level, and an abnormal level does not always mean you have a medical condition that needs treatment.

What it means

Hemoglobin is a protein inside red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to tissues and organs in the body and carries carbon dioxide back to the lungs. MedlinePlus describes it as an iron-rich protein. A hemoglobin test measures the levels of hemoglobin in your blood, and hemoglobin levels are usually measured as part of a complete blood count (CBC). The test is often used to check for anemia, a condition in which your body does not make enough healthy red blood cells. MedlinePlus lists Hb, Hgb and H&H as other names for the test. A hemoglobin test is not the same as a hemoglobin A1C test, which is used to check your average blood glucose (blood sugar). In Spanish the term is hemoglobina.

Spanish term: Hemoglobina
Gender and article: feminine: la hemoglobina
Pronunciation: eh-moh-gloh-BEE-nah

Other Spanish terms	Where it is used	Note
Hb	General	Abbreviation; MedlinePlus en español lists Hb, Hgb and H&H as other names on its hemoglobin test page.
Hgb	General	Abbreviation; MedlinePlus en español lists Hb, Hgb and H&H as other names on its hemoglobin test page.

Hemoglobina is the term used by MedlinePlus en español and by the National Cancer Institute's Spanish dictionary, and it is feminine: la hemoglobina. The test is called análisis de hemoglobina on the MedlinePlus en español lab test page, which lists Hb, Hgb and H&H as other names; the MedlinePlus en español encyclopedia writes prueba de hemoglobina and examen de hemoglobina.

The panel it belongs to has more than one Spanish name: MedlinePlus en español writes conteo sanguíneo completo, abbreviated CSC in the encyclopedia, while the NCI dictionary writes recuento sanguíneo completo (RSC). Red blood cells are glóbulos rojos, iron-rich is rica en hierro, and the reference range is the rango de referencia. Do not confuse the test with the A1C test: MedlinePlus en español calls that one prueba de hemoglobina glicosilada (HbA1c) and says it is not the same as an análisis de hemoglobina. Low and high results are niveles bajos de hemoglobina and niveles altos de hemoglobina.

Phrases for an appointment

What a patient or a clinician might say, in English and Spanish:

Who	English	Spanish
Clinician	Your hemoglobin is a little low on this blood test.	Su hemoglobina está un poco baja en este análisis de sangre.
Patient	What does it mean if my hemoglobin is low?	¿Qué significa que tenga la hemoglobina baja?
Clinician	It may be a sign of anemia. Have you felt weak or dizzy?	Puede ser un signo de anemia. ¿Ha sentido debilidad o mareos?
Patient	Yes, and my hands and feet are always cold.	Sí, y siempre tengo las manos y los pies fríos.
Clinician	Have you had heavy periods or noticed any bleeding?	¿Ha tenido menstruaciones abundantes o ha notado algún sangrado?
Patient	Do I need to fast before the hemoglobin test?	¿Tengo que ayunar antes del análisis de hemoglobina?
Clinician	No special preparation is needed; we will take a blood sample from your arm.	No se necesita ninguna preparación especial; le tomaremos una muestra de sangre del brazo.
Patient	Is this the same as the hemoglobin A1C test for diabetes?	¿Es lo mismo que la prueba de hemoglobina A1C para la diabetes?

In 9 languages

Language	Term
English	Hemoglobin
Spanish (Español)	Hemoglobina
Chinese (中文)	血紅素
Korean (한국어)	헤모글로빈
Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt)	Hemoglobin
Filipino (Tagalog)	Hemoglobin
Portuguese (Português)	Hemoglobina
Thai (ภาษาไทย)	ฮีโมโกลบิน
Japanese (日本語)	ヘモグロビン

Where you'll see it

lab reportchartdischarge summarymedical record

Related terms

Your right to an interpreter in the United States

If English is not your primary language and you have difficulty communicating in English, you may need an interpreter or a translated document when you visit a doctor or dentist, go to the emergency room or pick up a prescription. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights states that two federal laws, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, require programs that receive its funding to provide language access services free of charge.

You can ask when you make the appointment or at the front desk: "I need an interpreter, please." «Necesito un intérprete, por favor.»

More terms: Blood and immune system

All terms in this area: Blood and immune system — Sangre y sistema inmunitario

Sources

This page is a language reference. It is not medical advice.