Anemia means without blood. Anemia is the most common disorder of the blood. It is also defined as a qualitative and quantitative deficiency of hemoglobin, a molecule inside the blood (RBCs). Hemoglobin carries oxygen from lungs to the tissues; anemia leads to lack of oxygen. All human cells depend on oxygen for survival, which have wide range of clinical consequences. If you have anemia, your blood does not carry enough oxygen to the rest of your body. Main cause of anemia is not having enough of iron. Anemia causes by not getting enough of folic acid or vitamin B 12. If you feel weak, cold, dizzy and irritable, it is a symptom of anemia. Treatment depends on the kind of anemia you have. It causes complications, including fatigue and stress on bodily organs.

How to know that you have anemia?

Doctors can easily diagnose anemia by taking laboratory tests, going through your medical history and by performing physical examinations. You can help the doctors to easily diagnose by answering all the queries of the doctor, and details about the symptoms, and your family history, alcohol intake, smoking, or any other specific background. Your doctor can give you the right treatment with these details. Blood test will not only diagnose anemia, but also point out some details of anemic symptoms. You can get information about anemia through analyzing the following results:

• Complete blood count (CBC), which determines the number, size and volume of hemoglobin content in red blood cells
• Blood iron level and your serum ferritin level, the best indicators of your body’s total iron stores
• Levels of vitamin B-12 and folate
• 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
• For suspected hemolytic anemia, test to identify the breakdown products of red blood cells in your blood and urine.

In rare cases, sample of bone marrow are collected to determine the cause of anemia.

What are the causes of anemia?

More than 400 types of causes are there, which are divided into 3 groups

• Due to blood loss
• Faulty red blood cell production
• Destruction of red blood cells

Anemia Caused By Blood Loss

Loss of red blood cells through bleeding occurs slowly over a long period of time. This kind of chronic bleeding results the following gastrointestinal conditions such as ulcers, gastritis, hemorrhoids and cancer. It can cause due to more use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and excessive menstrual bleeding and bleeding during childbirth in women.

Faulty Red Blood Cell Production

The body produces the blood cells that may not work properly and cause anemia. Due to abnormal red blood cells or lack of vitamins and minerals are the causes of faulty RBCs production. Sickle cell anemia, iron deficiency anemia, bone marrow and stem cell problems, vitamin deficiency and other health conditions are the causes associated with this anemia.

Sickle Cell Anemia

It is an inherited disorder. Due to genetic defect the red blood cells become crescent shaped and also get stuck in tiny blood vessels, causing pain. They break down rapidly, so oxygen does not go to the body’s organs, causing Sickle cell anemia.

Iron Deficiency Anemia

Iron deficiency anemia is caused due to lack of the mineral iron in the body. Bone needs iron to make hemoglobin, part of red cell blood that transports oxygen to the body organs. Some of the causes are as follows:

• Poor dietary iron intake
• Excessive loss of iron from the body
• Frequent blood donations
• Surgical removal of part of the stomach or small intestine
• Pregnancy and breastfeeding that deplete a woman’s iron stores.
• Girls going through puberty also have high risk for iron deficiency anemia because of the onset of menstruation; the monthly blood loss increases the amount of iron they need to consume more iron content diets.

Bone Marrow And Stem Cell Problem

Stem cells found in bone marrow develop into red blood cells. If they are few, defective or replaced by other cells anemia may result. Aplastic anemia are caused due to absences of these cells. It occur when the bone marrow is injured by radiation or infection.Thalassemia occurs when the cell are not mature and grow properly. It lead exposure to fewer red blood cells. Lead poisioning occurs in children who eat paint chips, taint food and liquids with lead.

Vitamin Deficiency Anemia

It occurs when vitamin B-12 and folate are deficient and these two vitamins are needed to make RBCs. Conditions leading to anemia caused by vitamin deficiency are as follows:

• Dietary Deficiency
• Some vegetable may cause this kind of anemia. Eating little or not taking meat can also cause the same.
• Magaloblastic Anemia
• This is because of deficiency in Vitamin B-12.
• Pernicious Anemia
  Infection with HIV, intestinal parasite infection, surgical removal of part of the stomach or intestine or poor Vitamin B can cause this kind of anemia.

Other Causes Of Vitamin Deficieny

Pregnancy, certain medications, alcohol abuse, intestinal diseases such as tropical sprue and gluten-sensitive enteropathy (celiac disease) can cause anemia.
Anemia usually associated with some other conditions also. When there are too few hormones to produce red blood cells with the following conditions such as kidney diseases, some cronic diseases like cancer, infection and rhumatic arthrities and Hypothriodism can cause anemia.

Destruction Of Red Blood Cells

It occurs when RBCs are being destroyed prematurely. They have a much shorter lifespan. The causes are as follows:

• When the bone marrow can’t make enough rbcs
• Radiation
• Medications
• Viral infections
• Exposure to certain toxic chemicals the RBC level goes down
• Inappropriate attack by the immune system called hemolytic disease of the newborn when it occurs in the fetus of a pregnant woman
• Inherited conditions, such as sickle cell anemia and thalassemia
• It also occurs when the body isn’t able to produce enough healthy rbcs because of an iron deficiency.

It is essential to hemoglobin production. In rare cases, an enlarged spleen can trap RBCs and destroy them before their circulating time is up.

What are the Symptons of anemia?

It will vary according to the type of anemia and health problems. It has been associated with other medical conditions such as ulcer, menstrual problems or cancer and may not be noticed at first. Some of the symptoms are as follows:

• Unusual heartbeat particularly with exercise
• Shortness of breath
• Headache
• Poor concentration
• Loss of energy
• Dizziness
• Lightheadedness
• Irritability
• Fatigue

Very severe anemia prompts the body to compensate by increasing cardiac output, sweatiness and to heart failure. Behavioral disturbances may even surface as an attention deficit disorder. The first symptom of anemia of a child might be mild skin paleness, and decreased pinkness of the lips and nailbeds.

How is anemia diagnosed?

Doctors diagonse anemia by a complete blood count that may indicate the abnormal RBCs present in your blood. Other diagonostic test may include:

• Microscopic examination of RBCs
• Iron test which includes total serum iron and ferritin tests to know whether anemia is due to iron defiency
• Hemoglobin electrohoresis test helps to identify various abnormal hemoglobins in the blood
• Bone marrow biospy help to dertermine whether cell production is happening normally in the bone marrow or the disease is affecting the bone marrow
• Reticulocyte count test is needed to know if the production of RBCs at normal level
  In addition to this doctor may ask about family history of anemia to perform other tests for specific diseases that might be causing the anemia.

How is anemia treated?

The treatement depends on severity and the cause. Chronic blood loss is treated by identifying the source of bleeding, stopping the bleeding. It can be treated with fluids and blood transfusion to help your body to build new RBCs. In severe cases of anemia or with ongoing blood loss, a blood transfusion may be necessary.The treatement depends on the causes of decreased RBCs production. It has been recommended to have iron supplements through which your body can easily absorb iron content. But it has to taken under doctors advise. Excess iron intake can be harmful. It also recommend to increase the amount of iron in your diet. In some cases, it has been advised for iron injections.
Treatement for dificiency of vitamin B-12 is performed through Vitamin B-12 injections supplements or B-12 nasal spray. It has been recommended to increase the amount of vitamin B-12 in diet too. You are recommended to increase the intake of folate in diet if you have folate deficiency.

How can you take care of your child with anemia?

It depends on the severity, type and cause of the anemia. It is recommend to take rest. Sickle cell anemia requires more care and treatement. Make sure that teacher and other caregivers are aware of the condition of your child. Their activity level is limited than the other children. We must follow the doctor’s advise about the dietary changes and intake of iron supplements. Child should not be allowed for playing, because of the risk that the spleen may get ruptured if the child is hurt.

How can we prevent us from anemia?

• We should have well balanced diet which is good sources of iron, vitamin B-12 and folate.
• Vegetarians should consult a nutritionists about the diet and need for iron supplements.
• Vitamin C can improve the absorption of iron in your diet.
• Less intake of caffeinated products and tea decreases the iron absorption.
• Select iron-fortified cereals and breads in your diet.
• Follow the safety guidelines if your work involves with materials such as batteries, petroleum and paint.
• Have awareness about the pottery you use for food preparations.

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