Anemia is a condition where the blood lacks sufficient healthy red blood cells or hemoglobin, resulting in reduced oxygen delivery to cells in the body. There are over 400 types of anemia divided into three main groups: blood loss anemia, decreased red blood cell production anemia, and red blood cell destruction anemia. Common causes include iron deficiency, vitamin deficiencies, blood loss, and certain diseases. Symptoms include fatigue, rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, and pale skin. Diagnosis involves blood tests to determine red blood cell counts and check for underlying causes. Treatment depends on the underlying cause but may include iron or vitamin supplements, medication, blood transfusions, or bone marrow transplants.
Anemia is a condition where the blood lacks sufficient healthy red blood cells or hemoglobin, resulting in reduced oxygen delivery to cells in the body. There are over 400 types of anemia divided into three main groups: blood loss anemia, decreased red blood cell production anemia, and red blood cell destruction anemia. Common causes include iron deficiency, vitamin deficiencies, blood loss, and certain diseases. Symptoms include fatigue, rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, and pale skin. Diagnosis involves blood tests to determine red blood cell counts and check for underlying causes. Treatment depends on the underlying cause but may include iron or vitamin supplements, medication, blood transfusions, or bone marrow transplants.
Anemia is a condition where the blood lacks sufficient healthy red blood cells or hemoglobin, resulting in reduced oxygen delivery to cells in the body. There are over 400 types of anemia divided into three main groups: blood loss anemia, decreased red blood cell production anemia, and red blood cell destruction anemia. Common causes include iron deficiency, vitamin deficiencies, blood loss, and certain diseases. Symptoms include fatigue, rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, and pale skin. Diagnosis involves blood tests to determine red blood cell counts and check for underlying causes. Treatment depends on the underlying cause but may include iron or vitamin supplements, medication, blood transfusions, or bone marrow transplants.
Anemia is a condition where the blood lacks sufficient healthy red blood cells or hemoglobin, resulting in reduced oxygen delivery to cells in the body. There are over 400 types of anemia divided into three main groups: blood loss anemia, decreased red blood cell production anemia, and red blood cell destruction anemia. Common causes include iron deficiency, vitamin deficiencies, blood loss, and certain diseases. Symptoms include fatigue, rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, and pale skin. Diagnosis involves blood tests to determine red blood cell counts and check for underlying causes. Treatment depends on the underlying cause but may include iron or vitamin supplements, medication, blood transfusions, or bone marrow transplants.
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
Download as docx, pdf, or txt
You are on page 1of 4
3.
ANEMIA Anemia is a condition that develops when your blood lacks enough healthy red blood cells or hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is a main part of red blood cells and binds oxygen. If you have too few or abnormal red blood cells, or your hemoglobin is abnormal or low, the cells in your body will not get enough oxygen. Important factors to remember are: Hereditary and infants may be affected from the time of birth. Older adults Women in the childbearing years are particularly susceptible to iron-deficiency anemia because of the blood loss from menstruation and the increased blood supply demands during pregnancy. What Causes Anemia? There are more than 400 types of anemia, which are divided into three groups: Anemia caused by blood loss Anemia caused by decreased or faulty red blood cell production Anemia caused by destruction of red blood cells Anemia Caused by Blood Loss Red blood cells can be lost through bleeding, which often can occur slowly over a long period of time, and can go undetected. This kind of chronic bleeding commonly results from the following: Gastrointestinal conditions such as ulcers, hemorrhoids, gastritis (inflammation of the stomach), and cancer Use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin or ibuprofen, which can cause ulcers and gastritis Menstruation and childbirth in women, especially if menstrual bleeding is excessive and if there are multiple pregnancies Anemia Caused by Decreased or Faulty Red Blood Cell Production With this type of anemia, the body may produce too few blood cells or the blood cells may not function correctly. Red blood cells may be faulty or decreased due to abnormal red blood cells or a lack of minerals and vitamins needed for red blood cells to work properly. Conditions associated with these causes of anemia include the following: Sickle cell anemia Iron-deficiency anemia Vitamin deficiency Bone marrow and stem cell problems Other health conditions Anemia Caused by Destruction of Red Blood Cells When red blood cells are fragile and cannot withstand the routine stress of the circulatory system, they may rupture prematurely, causing hemolytic anemia. Hemolytic anemia can be present at birth or develop later. Sometimes there is no known cause. Known causes of hemolytic anemia may include:
Inherited conditions, such as sickle cell anemia and thalassemia
Stressors such as infections, drugs, snake or spider venom, or certain foods Toxins from advanced liver or kidney disease Inappropriate attack by the immune system (called hemolytic disease of the newborn when it occurs in the fetus of a pregnant woman) Vascular grafts, prosthetic heart valves, tumors, severe burns, exposure to certain chemicals, severe hypertension, and clotting disorders In rare cases, an enlarged spleen can trap red blood cells and destroy them before their circulating time is up.
Symptoms Easy fatigue and loss of energy Unusually rapid heart beat, particularly with exercise Shortness of breath and headache, particularly with exercise Difficulty concentrating Dizziness Pale skin Leg cramps Insomnia Diagnosis Complete blood count (CBC), which determines the number, size, volume, and hemoglobin content of red blood cells Blood iron level and your serum ferritin level, the best indicators of your body's total iron stores Levels of vitamin B12 and folate, vitamins necessary for red blood cell production Special blood tests to detect rare causes of anemia, such as an immune attack on your red blood cells, red blood cell fragility, and defects of enzymes, hemoglobin, and clotting Reticulocyte count, bilirubin, and other blood and urine tests to determine how quickly your blood cells are being made or if you have a hemolytic anemia, where your red blood cells have a shortened life span. Treatment
Anemia treatment depends on the cause.
Iron deficiency anemia. Treatment for this form of anemia usually involves taking iron supplements and making changes to your diet.
If the underlying cause of iron deficiency is loss of blood — other than from menstruation — the source of the bleeding must be located and stopped. This may involve surgery.
Vitamin deficiency anemias. Treatment for folic acid and B-12 deficiency involves dietary supplements and increasing these nutrients in your diet.
If your digestive system has trouble absorbing vitamin B-12 from the food you eat, you may need vitamin B-12 shots. At first, you may receive the shots every other day. Eventually, you'll need shots just once a month, which may continue for life, depending on your situation.
Anemia of chronic disease. There's no specific treatment for this type of anemia. Doctors focus on treating the underlying disease. If symptoms become severe, a blood transfusion or injections of synthetic erythropoietin, a hormone normally produced by your kidneys, may help stimulate red blood cell production and ease fatigue.
Aplastic anemia. Treatment for this anemia may include blood transfusions to boost levels of red blood cells. You may need a bone marrow transplant if your bone marrow is diseased and can't make healthy blood cells.
Anemias associated with bone marrow disease. Treatment of these various diseases can include medication, chemotherapy or bone marrow transplantation.
Hemolytic anemias. Managing hemolytic anemias includes avoiding suspect medications,
treating related infections and taking drugs that suppress your immune system, which may be attacking your red blood cells.
Depending on the severity of your anemia, a blood transfusion or plasmapheresis may be
necessary. Plasmapheresis is a type of blood-filtering procedure. In certain cases, removal of the spleen can be helpful.
Sickle cell anemia. Treatment for this anemia may include the administration of oxygen, pain-relieving drugs, and oral and intravenous fluids to reduce pain and prevent complications. Doctors also may recommend blood transfusions, folic acid supplements and antibiotics.
A bone marrow transplant may be an effective treatment in some circumstances. A cancer
drug called hydroxyurea (Droxia, Hydrea) also is used to treat sickle cell anemia. Thalassemia. This anemia may be treated with blood transfusions, folic acid supplements, medication, removal of the spleen (splenectomy), or a blood and bone marrow stem cell transplant.
The Complete Guide on Anemia: Learn Anemia Symptoms, Anemia Causes, and Anemia Treatments. Anemia types covered in full details: Iron-deficiency, Microcytic, Autoimmune Hemolytic, Sideroblastic, and Normocytic Anemia
