ANEMIA

What Is Anemia?

Anemia is a condition that develops when your blood lacks enough healthy red
blood cells or hemoglobin resulting in pallor and weariness.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.

Types of anaemia:

The most common types of anaemia are:

(I) Iron deficiency anaemia

(II) Thalassaemia

(III) Aplastic anaemia

(IV) Haemolytic anaemia

(V) Sickle cell anaemia

(VI) Pernicious anaemia

(VII) Fanconi anaemia

Symptoms:

The most common symptom of all types of anemia is a feeling of fatigue and a
lack of energy.

Other common symptoms may include:

 paleness of skin
 fast or irregular heartbeat
 shortness of breath
 chest pain
 headache
  light-headedness

Some forms of anemia can have specific symptoms:

 Aplastic anemia:

fever, frequent infections, and skin rashes

 Folic acid deficiency anemia:

irritability, diarrhea, and a smooth tongue

 Hemolytic anemia:

jaundice, dark colored urine, fever, and abdominal pains

 Sickle cell anemia:

painful swelling of the feet and hands, fatigue, and jaundice

Causes:

Anemia occurs when your blood doesn't have enough red blood cells. This can
happen if:

(i) Your body doesn't make enough red blood cells

(ii) Bleeding causes you to lose red blood cells more quickly than they can be
replaced

(iii) Your body destroys red blood cells

Different types of anemia and their causes include:

Iron deficiency anemia: This is the most common type of anemia worldwide. Iron
deficiency anemia is caused by a shortage of iron in your body. Your bone marrow
needs iron to make hemoglobin. Without adequate iron, your body can't produce
enough hemoglobin for red blood cells.
Vitamin deficiency anemia: In addition to iron, your body needs folate and
vitamin B-12 to produce enough healthy red blood cells. A diet lacking in these
and other key nutrients can cause decreased red blood cell production.

Anemia of chronic disease: Certain diseases such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, rheumatoid

arthritis, kidney disease, Crohn's disease and other chronic inflammatory diseases
— can interfere with the production of red blood cells.

Aplastic anemia: This rare, life-threatening anemia occurs when your body
doesn't produce enough red blood cells. Causes of aplastic anemia include
infections, certain medicines, autoimmune diseases and exposure to toxic
chemicals.

Hemolytic anemias: This group of anemias develops when red blood cells are
destroyed faster than bone marrow can replace them. Certain blood diseases
increase red blood cell destruction. You can inherit a hemolytic anemia, or you can
develop it later in life.

Sickle cell anemia:This inherited and sometimes serious condition is an inherited

hemolytic anemia. It's caused by a defective form of hemoglobin that forces red
blood cells to assume an abnormal crescent (sickle) shape. These irregular blood
cells die prematurely, resulting in a chronic shortage of red blood cells.

Other anemias:There are several other forms of anemia, such as thalassemia and
malarial anemia

Treatment:

There is a range of treatments for anemia. They all aim to increase the red blood
cell count. This, in turn, increases the amount of oxygen the blood carries.

Treatment will depend on the type and cause of anemia:

Iron deficiency anemia: Iron supplements (which are availble to buy online) or
dietary changes. If the condition is due to loss of blood, the bleeding must be
found and stopped.
Vitamin deficiency anemias: Treatments include dietary supplements and B-12
shots.

Thalassemia: Treatment includes folic acid supplementation, removal of the

spleen, and, sometimes, blood transfusions and bone marrow transplants.

Anemia of chronic disease: This is anemia associated with a serious, chronic

underlying condition. There are no specific treatments, and the focus is on the
underlying condition.

Aplastic anemia: The patient will receive blood transfusions or bone marrow
transplants.

Sickle cell anemia: Treatment includes oxygen therapy, pain relief, and
intravenous fluids. There may also be antibiotics, folic acid supplements, and
blood transfusions. A cancer drug known as Droxia or Hydrea is also used.

Hemolytic anemias: Patients should avoid medication that may make it worse and
they may receive immunosuppressant drugs and treatment for infections.
Plasmapheresis, or blood-filtering, might be necessary in some cases.

Diet:

If the anemia is caused by nutritional deficiencies, a change to an iron-rich diet

can help alleviate the symptoms. The following foods are high in iron:

 iron-fortified cereals and breads

 dark-green leafy vegetables, for instance, curly kale and watercress
 pulses and beans
 brown rice
 white and red meats
 nuts and seeds
 fish
 tofu
 eggs
 dried fruits, including apricots, raisins, and prunes

Risk factors:
Anemia can occur in people of all ages and race, both males and females.
However, certain factors increase the risk.

These include:

 menstruation
 pregnancy and childbirth
 being born preterm
 being aged 1 to 2 years
 having a diet that is low in vitamins, mineral, and iron
 losing blood from surgery or injury
 long-term or serious illness, such as AIDs, diabetes, kidney disease, cancer,
rheumatoid arthritis, heart failure, and liver disease
 family history of inherited anemias, such as sickle cell anemia
 intestinal disorders-affects absorption of nutrients

Diagnosis:

There are different ways to diagnose anemia, but the most common is a blood test
known as a complete blood count (CBC).

This measures a number of blood components, including hemoglobin and

hematocrit levels, or the ratio of the volume of red blood cells to the total volume
of blood.

A CBC can give an indication of the person's overall health and whether they have
any conditions, such as leukemia or kidney disease.

If the red blood cell, hemoglobin, and hematocrit levels are all below "normal,"
then anemia is likely.

However, it does not provide a definitive diagnosis. It is possible to be outside the

normal range but still healthy.