Hematology facts for kids
| System | Hematopoietic system |
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| Subdivisions | nil |
| Significant diseases | Anemia, leukemia, lymphoma. |
| Significant tests | Blood film, bone marrow biopsy |
| Specialist | Hematologist |
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|---|---|
| Names |
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Occupation type
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Specialty |
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Activity sectors
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Medicine |
| Description | |
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Education required
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Fields of
employment |
Hospitals, Clinics |
Hematology (sometimes spelled haematology in British English) is a special part of medicine. It focuses on studying blood and diseases related to it. This includes understanding what causes these diseases, how they might progress, how to treat them, and how to prevent them.
Hematology deals with problems affecting how your body makes blood. It also covers issues with blood parts like blood cells, hemoglobin (which carries oxygen), blood proteins, and platelets (which help blood clot). It also looks at organs important for blood, like bone marrow (where blood cells are made), the spleen, and blood vessels.
Some common blood diseases hematologists treat include hemophilia (a bleeding disorder), sickle cell anemia, and blood clots. They also treat blood cancers like leukemia, multiple myeloma, and lymphoma. Often, special lab tests on blood are done by a medical technologist or medical laboratory scientist.
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Who Are Hematologists?
Doctors who specialize in blood diseases are called hematologists or haematologists. Their main job is to care for and treat patients with blood problems. Some hematologists also work in labs. There, they might look at blood films (thin layers of blood) and bone marrow samples under a microscope. They also interpret results from various blood tests and blood clotting tests.
In some places, hematologists even manage the entire blood testing laboratory. Doctors who work mostly in these labs and diagnose blood diseases are called hematopathologists. Hematologists and hematopathologists often work together. They figure out what's wrong and decide on the best treatment.
What Do Hematologists Specialize In?
Hematology is a unique field within internal medicine. It's different from, but sometimes works with, oncology (the study of cancer). Hematologists can focus even more on specific areas, such as:
- Treating bleeding problems like hemophilia and idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura.
- Treating blood cancers like lymphoma and leukemia.
- Dealing with hemoglobinopathies, which are problems with hemoglobin.
- The science of blood transfusions and how blood banks work.
- Bone marrow and stem cell transplantation.
Becoming a Hematologist
In the United States, becoming a hematologist takes a lot of schooling. First, you complete a four-year medical degree. After that, you spend three or four more years in a residency or internship program. This is where you get hands-on experience.
Then, you spend another two or three years learning even more about blood disorders. This includes how to do experiments, diagnose different conditions, and treat patients. To get a job in this field, doctors usually need practical experience from a recognized training program. This program teaches them about:
- What causes blood problems.
- How to diagnose many blood-related conditions or cancers using tests.
- How to give the best care and treatment to patients.
There are two main parts to hematology training:
- Clinical hematology: This focuses on treating patients directly.
- Hematopathology: This focuses on diagnosing diseases by looking at blood and tissue samples in the lab.
See also
In Spanish: Hematología para niños
