Anemia is a condition that effects over three million people in the USA, this page will provide a comprehensive answer to the question ‘what causes anemia?’. We have covered the symptoms of anemia on our main page so let’s now talk about the causes of anemia in depth as there are different anemia causes for the many different types of anemia that you can suffer from.
There are three general anemia causes and these are as follow:
- The bone marrow decreasing it’s production of red blood cells
- Haemolysis – An increase in the destruction of red blood cells
- Loss of blood from internal bleeding or more commonly heavy periods for women
As we have explained on the main page 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 assist us in producing more healthy new blood. The main reason you would not receive these vitamins and minerals is through having a bad diet, this is very common with people not eating healthy foods and can result in obvious anemia symptoms causes. The types of anemia that occur through this cause of anemia are iron deficiency anemia and vitamin deficiency anemia.
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 the 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 healthy 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. Look at it as the oxygen being transported around being food for the parts of the body, if it does not arrive or it is provided in much smaller quantities then the parts of the body will not function properly, just like we don’t when we are really hungry, or worse still starving!
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 illness. You will find more information on these on our types of anemia page.
The causes of anemia by type
Here is a list of the most common types and also the causes of anemia in each case, remember if you want to know what the symptoms of anemia are please visit our main page
Sickle Cell Anemia (a type of hemolytic anemia)
The causes of sickle cell anemia are a production of red blood cells that are hard with a curved edge. These cells can become stuck in small blood vessels and the result is a blockage to the blood flow to the organs and limbs. The body will quickly destroy these rogue sickle red cells, however it can’t proceed to make new red bloods cells fast enough and this is the cause of anemia for sickle cell anemia.
Trauma related anemia / Blood loss anemia
Just as it sounds this type of anemia is caused by the body losing a vast amount of red blood cells. This can occur for a variety of reasons but two main examples of the causes of anemia in this case are loss of blood through injury, perhaps a car accident or women who suffer very heavy periods. Because red bloods cells are being lost from the body a lot quicker than they are being produced this causes anemia. Bleeding can be obvious when it is external, you know when you have blood flowing out of your body, however it may not be so obvious if the bleeding is internal and this can be a silent and deadly factor what causes anemia. Trauma related and blood loss anemia must be treated immediately else it can be fatal.
Aplastic anemia
Aplastic anemia is caused by a rare form of blood disorder which prevents the body from producing a sufficient amount of new red blood cells. This can I turn effect all types of blood cells, red blood cells, white blood cells and also blood platelets. A low level of red blood cells can be the cause of anemia, a low level of white blood cells can leave the body at serious risk of infection because the immune system will be significantly weakened. Not enough blood platelets can result in the blood not being able to clot properly. The causes of anemia when it is aplastic can be:
- Family disease – Genes passed on through generatins
- Viral infections
- The effect of being exposed to toxic chemicals
- Radiotherapy or chemotherapy – Cancer treatments
- Autoimmune diseases – The body turning on itself and attacking the immune system
- Some drugs that may be used to treat other conditions
Vitamin deficiency anemia
The most common causes of anemia as far as vitamin deficiency anemia is concerned is a lack of vitamin B12 or folate. Vitamin B12 is fundamental in the body’s production of red blood cells and also to ensure the nervous system works correctly. This can occur when the body is unable to absorb vitamin B12 from food, this can be counteracted by taking vitamin B12 pills. Folate is also required for the body to successfully produce the right amount of red blood cells. Folate is found in green leafed vegetables, pasta cereal in bread. Just as with vitamin B12 it can be that the body will not absorb it properly so it will need to be supplemented, please see our anemia treatment page for further details.
Iron deficiency anemia
The most common type of anemia by far. What causes iron deficiency anemia is a lack of iron in the body which leads to an insufficient amount of haemoglobin being produced. The lack of iron can be causes by blood loss, heavy periods in women for example but also following surgery, infection or even from other medical conditions such as ulcers or colon cancer. It has also been known for iron deficiency anemia to occure following over use of pain killing products.
Thalassemia (a type of haemolytic anemia)
Anemia causes in relation to thalassemia are defective genes that should be producing haemoglobin. With low levels of haemoglobin the body is not able to transport oxygen around the body and thus brings on the symptoms of anemia. There are four different strains, minima, minor, intermedia and major. This type of anemia is linked with jaundice and requires immediate medical attention.
We hope that this page has been able to help answer the question ‘what causes anemia?’ for you. The types and causes of anemia that we have listed here are the most common. If you would like more information on the symptoms of anemia please see our main page. We also have further pages providing more information on the above types of anemia and also treatment of anemia.