There are several types of anemia that can be suffered from, in fact there are in excess of 400 different types of anemia! However many of these are very rare. The three most common types of anemia are iron deficiency anemia, sickle cell anemia and trauma related or blood loss anemia.
On this page we will provide information on the most frequently diagnosed types of anemia as well as aplastic anemia which is one of the rarer but most dangerous types of anemia
Iron deficiency anemia
This is the most common type of anemia and has been explained in some detail on the main page. Our bodies need iron in order to make the haemoglobin required for the production of red blood cells. Without the iron needed we will develop anemia.
Sickle cell anemia
Sickle cell anemia is a very severe type of anemia and is a hereditary condition. It is otherwise known as 'Haemoglobin S disease'. Common symptoms of sickle cell anemia are pain in the joints because blood is not sufficiently transported around the body. Sufferers have red blood cells that are tough and sickle-shaped and thus unable to squeeze through blood vessels to get where the body needs them to be. Common occurrences when somebody suffers from sickle-cell anemia are heart failure and infection. It is also a fact that this condition is primarily suffered from by Africans, African Americans and Mediterranean people.
Trauma related anemia / Blood loss anemia
As the name suggests this type of anemia is due to your body suffering the loss or a vast amount of red blood cells. This can be for a number of reasons but an example is a major injury or trauma which has led to losing a lot of blood. Because so many red blood cells are lost the body is unable to circulate oxygen or nutrients and the result is anemia. Obviously you will know whether your body has suffered such an injury or trauma, however bleeding can be internal as well as external. The symptoms of anemia as a result include moist and pale skin, a sudden increase in temperature and feverish condition, tiredness, dizziness, gastrointestinal conditions, chest pain, increased heart beat or the onset of heart palpitations and a detrimental change in your breathing.
Trauma related anemia or blood loss anemia must be treated immediately, failure to do so can be fatal.
Vitamin deficiency anemia
Certain vitamins are also fundamental to the bodies production of haemoglobin. Sometimes the body is unable to absorb such vitamins, the main one being B-12, and this leads to vitamin deficiency anemia. This is one of the types of anemia that can take a while to come to light as the symptoms develop over time. People at risk of vitamin deficiency anemia are people with diabetes mellitus and thyroid disease. Another B vitamin folic acid can also often be at insufficient levels in the body and this too leads to vitamin deficiency anemia. This type of anemia is common in alcoholics. There are several different types of vitamin deficiency anemias.
Symptoms of B-12 vitamin deficiency anemia can include paleness of skin, becoming short of breath, tiredness, head pains, chest pain and heart palpitations.
Aplastic anemia
This is one of the rarest types of anemia but aplastic anemia is one of the most fatal. Less than 10 people in every million will be unfortunate enough to suffer from aplastic anemia and these people are generally younger adults or children. The cause can be exposure to certain chemicals such as benzene and also pesticides, arsenic, nitrogen and chemotherapy. The symptoms are bleeding in the mucous membranes, paleness to the skin, weakness, tiredness, head pains, drowsiness, increased heart rate and heart palpitations, chest pains, gastrointestinal pain and fever. These are brought on by failure of the bone marrow to produce every type of blood cell. The bone marrow is replaced by fat cells and this is an unexplained phenomena.
Hemolytic Anemia
There are several types of anemia that come under hemolytic anemia such as sickle cell anemia and thalassemia which are inherited strains of hemolytic anemia. It is a condition that is often associated with lymphoma and systemic lupus.
Hemplytic anemia occurs because of premature destruction to red blood cells caused by the immune system producing certain antibodies that proceed to do this damage.
Symptoms of anemia in the case of hemolytoc anemias can go a long time before being noticed, sometimes there are no symptoms at all. When they do occur they are often the most common symptoms as listed on the main page of this site. However dependent on which type of hemolytic anemia is being suffered from will depend on the symptoms, in the most dangerous cases other medical conditions such as jaundice can be a symptom as can leg ulcers. Unexplained pain in the upper abdomen and also a bad reaction to a blood transfusion are also symptoms of hemolytic anemias. Other toxic materials such as benzene can have the same effect on red blood cells. This type of anemia can be inherited and also caught.
Thalassemia
Thalassemia minima, thalassemia minor, thalassemia intermedia and thalassemia major are types of anemia that are caused by defective genes which should be producing haemoglobin. The result are low levels of haemoglobin which means that blood is unable to carry oxygen around the body as efficiently. They are commonly suffered from by people who are of Mediterranean descent. The minima and minor strains can be relatively harmless and often does not even require treatment, however the thalassemia intermedia and major can be very dangerous, but are infrequently diagnosed. Thalassemia is associated with jaundice which is a serious condition which needs immediate medical attention, your doctor will be able to diagnose you so if you are experiencing symptoms it is always best to make an appointment. The symptoms are tiredness, paleness to the skin and dark circles under the eyes along with many of the other symptoms listed on the main page
For information on treatment of thalassemia intermedia and thalassemia major please see our treatment for anemia page.