Anemia is a disorder in which the blood has an insufficient number of red blood cells. Anemia can make it harder for tissues to acquire the oxygen they require since red blood cells supply oxygen to all of the body's tissues. This can cause many problems.
There are two types of anemia:
- Caused by low or faulty red blood cell production
- Caused by increased red cell death in the blood
The following are examples of common anemias:
- Iron deficiency anemia is caused by blood loss or a lack of iron in the diet; vitamin deficiency anemia is caused by a lack of vitamin B12 or folic acid in the diet or an inability to absorb these vitamins from food; chronic disease anemia is caused by an inability to absorb these vitamins from food.
- Chronic anemia Cancer, HIV/AIDS, Crohn's disease, and other chronic illnesses that interfere with the generation of red blood cells
- Aplastic anemia is a rare but potentially fatal illness caused by the bone marrow's failure to produce red blood cells.
- leukemia or myelofibrosis. The ability of the bone marrow to generate blood cells is affected by anemia caused by bone marrow illnesses
- Hemolytic anemia When the body destroys red blood cells quicker than it produces them hemolytic anemia develops.
- Sickle cell anemia People who inherit genes for a form of hemoglobin that causes red blood cells to take on a crescent, or sickle, shape get anemia.
Anemia is a relatively frequent condition. Anemia affects about 12% of women between the ages of 12 and 49, primarily due to iron deficiency induced by blood loss during menstruation. It affects up to 20% of pregnant women at some point throughout their pregnancy.
Mild anemia may go unnoticed for a long time. A standard blood test, such as a total blood cell count, is usually used to detect it.
The illness can manifest itself in a variety of ways. These are some of them:
- headaches, lightheadedness, and shortness of breath
- increased heart rate and respiration rate
Treatment is determined by the kind of anemia, the cause, and the severity of the condition. Treatments range from consuming additional iron, folic acid, or vitamin B12 in the diet or through supplements to taking medications and, in certain cases, undergoing treatments or surgery to reduce blood loss.
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