Anemia: Causes, Early Symptoms, Complications, Treatment

There are many types of blood disorders that can affect the body, and all of these should be treated with some level of priority. Even something as common as anemia should be immediately diagnosed and treated at the earliest. This is because delaying treatment for anemia can lead to it increasing in severity and getting a lot deadlier as time progresses. To make matters worse, those affected with anemia are often unaware of it, as the early anemia symptoms are fairly easy to overlook. Being tired or feeling weak can easily be justified by countless other factors but, in actuality, these are signs of anemia.

Simply put, anemia is when the body’s red blood cell (RBC) count is low, which in turn affects blood oxygen levels. Without adequate supply of oxygen to the organs, there is improper functioning, which brings about the many symptoms of anemia. In many cases, anemia is caused by haemorrhaging or physical trauma of some form. The blood loss causes an iron deficiency (though there can be other reasons for iron deficiency anemia), which then develops into a form of anemia. Alternatively, anemia can also be genetic, and may result in abnormal haemoglobin production or a reduced life span of RBCs. There are many such nuances to the anemia disease, and given how common it is, being informed about can prove to be very helpful.

Here’s all you need to know about anemia.

What is Anemia?

Anemia is a condition that occurs when the number of healthy red blood cells in the body are too low. This is a problem because the red blood cells are responsible for transporting oxygen to the different parts of the body. As such, a low RBC count would result in lower blood oxygen levels than normal. It is due to this lack of oxygen supply to the different organs and tissues that the symptoms of anemia occur.

Anemia is the most common blood disorder, with around 1/3 of the total population across the world exhibiting some form of the disease. Anemia is diagnosed when the haemoglobin levels are below 13.5 gram/100 ml for men and below 12.0 gram/100 ml for women. Haemoglobin is the protein in RBCs that carries oxygen to various organs and tissues.

Anemia Types

When it comes to the classification of anemia, it can be done from 3 points of view. These are red cell morphology, clinical presentation, and pathogenesis. When classified based on clinical presentation, the disease is either acute or chronic anemia. By definition, acute anemia occurs when there is an unexpected or abrupt decline in red blood cells, whereas chronic anemia is when there is a gradual decline of RBCs brought on by nutrition deficiency, drugs, disease, or some other factor.

Based on these, there are several types of anemia and here are a few common ones to note.

1. Nutrition Anemias

2. Iron deficiency anemia

This is the most common form of anemia and is caused by inadequate iron levels in the body. This can arise due to chronic blood loss or other factors, such as the inability to absorb iron, which can cause iron deficiency.

3. Aberrant Red Blood Cells in Anemias

When your bone marrow produces giant red blood cells, it causes macrocytic anemia.

4. Aplastic anemia

Caused by damaged bone marrow, which leaves it unable to produce enough RBCs.

5. Hemolytic anemia

Caused when the body destroys RBCs faster than it can produce them. This can be inherited or developed at any point in life.

6. Sickle cell anemia

Here, the abnormal sickle-shaped RBCs clog blood vessels, resulting in damage. This form of anemia is genetic.

7. Vitamin deficiency anemia

A lack of vitamin B12 and folate leads to unhealthy RBCs. This affects production of RBCs, leading to anemia. Alternatively, an inability to properly absorb vitamin B12 can also lead to an anemia known as pernicious anemia.

8. Anemias Inherited

9. Diamond-Blackfan anemia

An extremely rare form of anemia in which the bone marrow has impaired function and doesn’t produce sufficient RBCs.

Anemia Causes

While a few of the types of anemia are fairly self-explanatory and their cause is clear, there are also specific reasons behind others. To highlight a few, here are some common causes of anemia:

• Colon cancer
• Bleeding during surgery
• Traumatic injury
• Iron deficiency
• Folate deficiency
• Vitamin B12 deficiency
• Kidney failure
• Bone marrow replacement due to cancer
• Suppression by chemotherapy medication
• Abnormal haemoglobin levels
• Hypothyroidism
• Menstruation
• Childbirth
• Cirrhosis
• Uterine bleeding
• Endometriosis

Anemia Early Symptoms

You might not even be aware that you have anemia because the symptoms can be so subtle. Symptoms typically start to occur when your blood cells begin to decline. The following early symptoms may be present, depending on the etiology of the anemia:

• Feeling lightheaded, dizzy, or like you're going to pass out
• Unusual or rapid pulse
• Headache
• Pain in your bones, belly, and joints is also common.
• Issues with development in kids and teenagers
• Breathing difficulties with pale or yellow skin
• Chilly fingers and toes
• Fatigue