Anemia is a blood disorder. Blood is a vital liquid that your heart constantly pumps through your veins and arteries and all throughout your body. When something goes wrong in your blood, it can affect your health & quality of life.
Anemia can affect people of all ages, races, and ethnicities. Some types of anemia are very common, and some are very rare. Some are very mild, and others are severe or even life-threatening if not treated aggressively. The good news is that it often can be successfully treated & even prevented.
Anemia occurs if your body makes too few red blood cells (RBCs), destroys too many RBCs, or loses too many RBCs. RBCs contain hemoglobin, a protein that carries oxygen throughout your body. When you don’t have enough RBCs or the amount of hemoglobin in your blood is low, your body doesn’t get all the oxygen it needs. As a result, you may feel tired or have other symptoms.
Many diseases, conditions, and other factors can cause anemia. For example, It may occur during pregnancy if the body can’t meet its increased need for RBCs. Certain autoimmune disorders and other conditions may cause your body to make proteins that destroy your RBCs, which can lead to anemia.
Heavy internal or external bleeding from injuries, for example, may cause anemia because your body loses too many RBCs. The causes of this disease can be acquired or inherited.
Types of Anemia:
- - Iron-Deficiency Anemia: Your body needs iron to make hemoglobin, the protein in RBCs that carries oxygen. The main way you get iron is from food. At certain times—such as during pregnancy, growth spurts, or blood loss—your body may need to make more RBCs than usual. Thus, your body needs more iron than usual. Iron deficiency anemia occurs if your body can’t keep up with its need for iron.
- - Pernicious Anemia: Vitamin B12 and folate (another B vitamin) are needed to make healthy RBCs. Your body absorbs these vitamins from foods. Pernicious anemia occurs if your body can’t make enough RBCs because it can’t absorb enough vitamin B12 from food.
- - Aplastic Anemia: The term “anemia” usually refers to a condition in which your blood has a lower than normal number of RBCs. However, some types of anemia, such as aplastic anemia, cause lower than normal numbers of other blood cells, too. It can occur if your bone marrow is damaged and can’t make enough RBCs, WBCs, and platelets. The causes of aplastic anemia can be acquired or inherited.
- - Hemolytic Anemia: Normally, RBCs have a lifespan of about 120 days. Your body constantly makes new RBCs to replace ones that die. Sometimes, RBCs are destroyed before their normal lifespan is up. It occurs if your body can’t make enough RBCs to replace those destroyed. Acquired hemolytic anemia occurs if your body gets a signal to destroy RBCs even though they are normal. Inherited hemolytic anemia is related to problems with the genes that control RBCs.
- - Thalassemia: Inherited blood disorders which cause the body to make fewer healthy red blood cells and less hemoglobin (an iron-rich protein in red blood cells).The two major types of thalassemia are alpha- and beta-thalassemia. The most severe form of alpha thalassemia - major or hydrops fetalis, while the severe form of beta thalassemia is known as thalassemia major or Cooley's anemia.
- - Sickle Cell Anaemia: It is a serious disease in which the body makes sickle-shaped ("C"-shaped) red blood cells. Normal red blood cells are disc-shaped and move easily through your blood vessels. Red blood cells contain the protein hemoglobin (an iron-rich protein that gives blood its red color and carries oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body).
It is an inherited, lifelong disease. People who have the disease inherit two copies of the sickle cell gene – one from each parent.
- - Fanconi Anaemia: It is a rare, inherited blood disorder that leads to bone marrow failure. FA is a type of aplastic anemia that prevents your bone marrow from making enough new blood cells for your body to work normally. FA can also cause your bone marrow to make many abnormal blood cells. This can lead to serious health problems, such as leukemia.
The treatment your doctor chooses will depend on the type of anemia you have, its cause, and how severe it is. You can take steps to prevent or control anemia. These actions can give you greater energy and improve your health and quality of life. Following a healthy diet ensures that you get enough of the nutrients that your body needs to make healthy blood cells. These nutrients include iron, vitamin B12, folate, and vitamin C. These nutrients are found in a variety of foods. Healthy eating also is good for your overall health.