Welcome to Symptoms of Anemia.com where we aim to provide the answer to the question 'what is anemia?' as well as giving an insight into what the symptoms of anemia are. We will also explain the causes of anemia as well as what treatment for anemia can be obtained. As there are many different types of anemia such as sickle cell anemia we have included a section with information on each.
So first things first, what is anemia? The word 'anemia' derives from the Greek language and it means 'lack of blood‘. The simple explanation is that anemia is a medical condition that sees the an abnormally low amount of healthy red blood cells circulating around the body. It is a very common disorder and effects millions of people worldwide. Although it is often referred to as a 'disease' anemia is simply a condition or disorder resulting from low levels of haemoglobin(the iron induced pigment of the red blood cells that transport oxygen from the lungs to the tissues). In short it is an iron deficiency in the blood. Of course this is the 'what' but if you want to know the 'why' please see our 'what causes anemia' section.
Anemia is a condition that is suffered most commonly by young children and women through menstruation as they lose a lot of blood and iron contained in that blood. If you suffer from anemia you are referred to as 'anemic'.
The symptoms of anemia
Now that the focal question 'what is anemia?' has been answered let's focus on what the symptoms of anemia are.
The symptoms of anemia are often not particularly obvious at all and as a result people can suffer from anemia for a period of time without actually realising it. It is possible that anemia may not even noticed until you have a blood test about a completely unrelated condition which will pick it up.
Symptoms are specific to what the actual cause is as the are several different types of anemia all with different causes. For symptoms of each kind of anemia please see our types of anemia page.
The common symptoms of anemia no matter the type are extreme tiredness and weakness because sufficient amounts of oxygen are not reaching tissue around the body of the sufferer..
However as the symptoms of anemia can vary the following are examples of the most frequent symptoms experienced by people who are subsequently diagnosed with anemia. Please check out types of anemia page to find out which symptoms apply to which types of anemia
- Abnormal menstruation by excessive bleeding or missing periods
- Tiredness
- Feeling run down
- General weakness
- Dizziness
- Loss of concentration
- Low blood pressure
- Heart palpitations
- Increased heart rate
- Ringing in the ears
- Difficulty sleeping
- Swelling of the spleen
- Intestinal disorder which will show through a change in colour of, or blood in the excrement
- Feeling short of breath
- Feeling unusually cold
- Paleness of the skin
- Possible yellowness to the skin
- Possible yellowness to the eyes
- Abnormal sweating
- Severe heartburn
- Swelling of limbs
In the cases of severe anemia
- Fainting
- Heart attacks
- Angina
If you experience a combination of these symptoms of anemia then you should seek medical advice. Remember certain symptoms of anemia are linked to certain the types of anemia. It is very important to recognise what these are and other medical conditions that are associated with them.
As there are several causes of anemia the symptoms of anemia will vary and can depend on what the underlying cause is. Sometimes anemia is inherited(Sickle cell anemia and thallasemia) but it can also occur due to insufficient nutrition.
Diagnosing Anemia
It is not possible to self diagnose yourself with anemia, once you have consulted your doctor they will arrange for blood to be taken and sent away to analyse the red blood cells. If it is diagnosis is positive then you will need to be treated. For further information please see our 'treatment for anemia' page. We will now go on to look at what causes anemia.
What causes anemia?
Having covered the symptoms of anemia we will now explain what causes anemia.
The following are general causes of anemia:
* The bone marrow decreasing it's production of red cells
* Haemolysis - An increased in the destruction of red cells
* Loss of blood from internal bleeding or more commonly heavy periods
As we have previously mentioned anemia occurs when there are low levels of haemoglobin in the body and this can happen if you do not receive sufficient amounts of certain vitamins and minerals as these are what would go on to produce more healthy new blood. The main reason you would not receive these vitamins and minerals is through having a bad diet. The types of anemia in this case is iron deficiency anemia and vitamin deficiency anemia.
We earlier answered the question 'what is anemia?' which told us exactly what the condition is spearing no thought for why it actually occurs. This is where we provide a bit more detail.
We know that what causes anemia is related to the red blood cells within our body and a deficiency within them. Looking a little bit deeper it's important to know that part that blood actually plays within us. Blood is a mixture of cells and plasma and it is primarily made up of red cells, hence its colour. For every cubic millimetre of blood those of us that are health hold 5 million red cells. Every cell contains haemoglobin which will carry oxygen around the body. Once the cells have delivered the oxygen to the relevant part of the body they are removed via the liver and spleen with the iron from them returning to the bone marrow to make new blood cells, so they are recycled and the process starts again. However the whole cycle is complicated and if it breaks down and the oxygen is not delivered as it should be then this can cause anemia.
However it is import to recognise that there are several different types of anemia and each one has its own causes of anemia such as another underlying problem. These have been covered separately.
We hope that this page has helped you to recognise what is anemia as well as helping you spot the early symptoms of anemia and also the causes of anemia and why they happen. For more information on the types of anemia and what their causes are, as well as treatment for anemia, please see our dedicated pages.
More details on the Treatment of Anemia