Anemia Meter
HOW TO USE:
The BioSafe® Anemia Meter is an FDA approved, hand-held, rapid response blood testing device that accurately and quickly checks for blood hemoglobin levels. The test provides you with a convenient and inexpensive way to test for possible anemia in the comfort of your home and without costly physician visits and laboratory fees—in just three simple steps.
Each test kit is all inclusive and individually boxed with all the components required to perform one hemoglobin (Hb) Anemia test, with results in twenty minutes.
The specimen collection process is quick, easy and virtually painless. Using the spring activated, special lancet (included with the Anemia Meter), one or more drops of blood are taken from a nick of a finger and deposited into the Anemia Meter. A view window indicates when the right amount of blood has been deposited, and a plunger is then pushed to start the testing process. The unit is then set aside.
At the end of twenty minutes the window on the meter will give a numerical, quantitative result for total Hemoglobin Hb in g/dl. Expected normal and abnormal result ranges are discussed in detail in the comprehensive user guide and manual. If the result indicates probable anemia, the Anemia Meter can be placed in the provided plastic envelope and shown to a health care provider for further diagnosis.
What is Anemia?
Three types of cells make up the blood in our bodies, they are red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Red blood cells contain hemoglobin (Hb), which carries oxygen from the lungs to every cell in the body. Oxygen provides the energy needed by all the body’s muscles and organs. Anemia occurs when the number of red blood cells (or the Hb in them) drops below normal levels and can no longer supply the body with the oxygen it needs to function properly.
Anemia, if not treated, can become a very serious condition, even leading to life-threatening complications. When the number of red blood cells in the body decreases, the heart works harder, pumping more blood to send more oxygen throughout the body. If the heart works too hard, it can develop a rapid heartbeat (tachycardia), and/or another serious condition known as left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). LVH is an enlargement of the heart muscle that in turn can lead to heart failure.
Symptoms of Anemia
Anemia is one of those conditions that can sometimes be difficult to identify, because in the beginning, the symptoms may be mild. Complicating things even further, sometimes anemia symptoms are mistaken for those of certain diseases or medication side effects. It is quite common for people to either ignore anemia symptoms or attribute them to other causes. It is estimated that as many as 20 million Americans are suffering from undiagnosed anemia.
Major anemia symptoms are:
- Extreme fatigue
- Weakness
- Shortness of breath
- Loss of concentration
- Dizziness
- Depression
- Rapid heart beat
- Pale skin
Those at greatest risk are people with the following conditions:
- Chronic Kidney Disease
- Diabetes
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Cancer
- Heart Disease
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Additional common risk factors are:
- Women with uterine fibroids
- People over the age of 65
- Recent surgery patients
- People with HIV/AIDS

