Blood Count

A blood count is a basic and standard blood test that a doctor orders because it will give him or her a basic picture of the state of your health. The test measures red blood cells, white blood cells, hemoglobin (which is the oxygen-carrying protein in red blood cells), hematocrit (comparing the proportion of red blood cells to plasma), and the number of platelets (specialized cells that fight disease). If any of these measure too high or low in comparison to each other, it can indicate a disease process at work.