Why You Need a Complete Anemia Panel (Not Just an H&H)

Feeling tired, foggy, or just not yourself lately?
Maybe you’ve had basic bloodwork done, and your provider told you that your hemoglobin and hematocrit — the “H&H” — are fine. But if you’re still dragging through the day, struggling to focus, or feeling light-headed when you stand up, you might be missing a bigger story.

An H&H test alone gives a limited snapshot. It measures how much oxygen your blood can carry — but it doesn’t tell you why you might not feel well, or what’s happening beneath the surface.

That’s where a complete anemia panel comes in.

What an H&H Tells You

Your hemoglobin and hematocrit measure the number and volume of red blood cells circulating in your blood.
Low numbers can signal anemia — which means your body isn’t getting enough oxygen to the tissues.

But here’s the catch: you can have normal H&H levels and still have an early or hidden form of deficiency. Many people — especially women — live for years in that “gray zone,” feeling tired, foggy, and run-down, even though their basic labs look “normal.”

What a Complete Anemia Panel Reveals

A full anemia panel looks at the whole picture of how your body makes, uses, and recycles iron and other nutrients that build healthy red blood cells. It typically includes:

• Iron: Measures circulating iron in the blood.

• Ferritin: Reflects your iron storage. Low ferritin is often the first sign of deficiency.

• Total Iron Binding Capacity (TIBC): Indicates how much transferrin is available to carry iron — this helps determine if the issue is too little iron or trouble transporting it.

• Transferrin Saturation: Shows the percentage of iron actually bound to transferrin.

• Vitamin B12 and Folate: Both are essential for red blood cell formation and DNA synthesis. Low levels can cause anemia even when iron is normal.

• Reticulocyte Count: Measures new red blood cell production — telling us if your bone marrow is responding appropriately.

When we look at all of these together, we can tell whether your fatigue comes from true iron deficiency, poor utilization, chronic inflammation, or a nutrient cofactor issue — and treat the real root cause, not just the symptom.

Why This Matters

Anemia isn’t just about being tired. Chronic low-grade deficiencies can contribute to:

• Hair loss or thinning

• Cold hands and feet

• Dizziness or lightheadedness

• Brain fog or poor concentration

• Shortness of breath

• Restless legs or poor sleep

• Irregular menstrual cycles

• Anxiety and palpitations

Many of these symptoms overlap with thyroid, hormone, and mitochondrial concerns — which is why a functional medicine approach always looks at the full system, not just one lab number.

Functional Medicine Perspective

In functional medicine, we ask why your iron or red blood cell production is off.
Is it heavy bleeding? Malabsorption? Gut inflammation? Hidden blood loss? Low stomach acid? Chronic stress?

Your labs give us clues — but your story fills in the rest.
When we identify and correct the true cause, energy, focus, and vitality often improve dramatically.

At Wellvita Health

Every new patient bloodwork panel here at Wellvita Health includes a complete anemia panel — not just an H&H. We look deeper to make sure nothing is missed, because your energy, mood, and metabolism depend on oxygen and nutrients getting where they need to go.

If you’ve been told “everything looks fine” but still don’t feel fine, it’s time to look again — this time, comprehensively.